Percy

"Percy" (a.k.a. "Percy Vs Goliath") is a biographical drama film based on the life of Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser. Directed by Clark Johnson ("S. W. A. T.", "The Sentinel") and starring Christopher Walken, Christina Ricci, and Zach Braff, it is a relatively routine true story picture that benefits primarily from its main star holding things together.

In 1998, in the Canadian town of Bruno, Saskatchewan, elderly farmer Percy Schmeiser (Christopher Walken) one day discovers he is being sued by the Monsanto corporation for allegedly using their enhanced GMO seeds for several years. Due to his family's limited funds, Percy cannot afford to take them on by himself and so enlists the help of young hotshot lawyer Jackson Weaver (Zach Braff) and environmental activist Rebecca Salcau (Christina Ricci) to fight a legal battle to ensure the safety of crops belonging to farmers everywhere. Because of the constant media exposure, Percy and his team gain many supporters from all over the world who motivate them to keep going in their pursuit of justice over the domineering corporate businesses.

Since moving to a more rural neighbourhood many years ago, I have come to appreciate how hard farmers work to provide consumers with the best quality product they are capable of growing. Naturally, there will be various things that prove problematic along the way, such as the pressure to use GMOs or unsafe pesticides in their fruits and vegetables. In the film "Percy", we see that these factors are more serious than we may have originally thought, causing us to question the legality of corporate interference in selling harvested crops to unknowing customers. Although the film initially presents this as a locally Canadian issue, it is later established that there are corporations in other countries guilty of doing this as well. One scene in particular shows that farmers in India are suffering at the hands of big businesses bullying them into submission, which has contributed to high suicide rates among workers in that profession. It made me wonder how badly farmers have it in my own area as more than twenty years later, the issue of GMOs and pesticides are still a prevalent issue today.

There's little to say in terms of the directorial style here. Clark Johnson keeps things going at a simplistic level, intercutting between moments of Percy and co discussing legal matters with generic shots of the Saskatchewan farmland. Granted, it would be rather difficult to make subject matter like GMO seeds interesting to most audiences but for the most part he succeeds, showing that the future of a farmer's livelihood is at stake here. While I am aware this film is based on true events, I still wish it was less pedestrian in its approach to the source material. Everything felt as though it was following a typical template set by much better biographical dramas before it. As a result, I often found myself drifting in and out of my investment in the story, as I could tell right away how things were going to end due to the predictable direction that it was heading. Despite that, I was at least still curious to see how other farmers would react to the final court ruling of what Percy and his group ended up with.

It's easy to take for granted an actor like Christopher Walken, due to how prolific he is and the large amount of bizarre performances he's given in the past. Here, however, Walken demonstrates a dramatic range we often forget he's capable of, bringing a relatable sincerity to the role of Percy Schmeiser, a humble Canadian farmer who only wants what's best for the produce he grows (in this case, canola), bringing a necessary emotional centre to the film. I'm not sure how accurate his accent was, as American and Canadian accents sound almost identical to me, but I did feel he did a decent enough job convincing me that he was from North of the border. It was also nice to see Christina Ricci in a supporting role, as I consider her to be highly underrated. Ricci is one of those actresses whom I've never seen give a bad performance in anything she's in, and this film is no exception. I liked how her character remained a loyal ally to Percy, even accompanying him on international ventures to promote his cause. Zach Braff, on the other hand, wasn't featured as often as he should have been. This is a shame as I enjoyed seeing his character standing up for Percy and farmers everywhere based on his own moral principles rather than for monetary reasons. He is only prominently seen during the first and final acts of the film, which leads me to believe he was likely written in as a mere afterthought.

While the film is nothing groundbreaking, it's still a decent enough drama to hold one's attention for its short duration of 99 minutes. It proudly wears its anti-capitalist morals on its sleeve so anyone who likes movies that try to "stick it to the man" should derive enough entertainment from something like this. As for me, I liked the acting the most, mainly from Walken and Ricci, so I hope those two will work together on something else in the future.

I rate it 6.5/10.

When steely-eyed, shock-cropped Christopher Walken pumps his shotgun at the menacing bad guys, you know he means business. And that business, is a long, drawn out legal battle debating the legality of farming certain seeds. You may now sit back down.

In typical Canadian prairie fashion, "Percy" is more about wide landscapes, small community life, and a farmer's dedicated connection to the land, than inflammatory court room drama. Based on the true story of Saskatchewan Percy Schmeiser who wound up with Monsanto seed seeding itself on his land and then having the conglomerate giant bullying him into ruinous payment. Unyielding and stoic to a bankrupting fault, and against all sensible advice, Percy takes the case all the way to the Supreme Court.

As a juicy David vs Goliath fable, "Percy" moves at a snail's pace, generating it's lure through the perseverance and dogged determination of a man not necessarily pushing back, but standing defiantly in the way. As usual Walken is quite good, even in a calm, reserved role, one that doesn't require any shouting, gun play, or dancing. Who woulda thunk it?

A nice historic piece, "Percy" is not for everyone. But those happy to settle for an old school story that presents a cloudy subject in clear black and white, peppered with classic Canuck manners and pacing, will not be sorry.

• hipCRANK

Greetings again from the darkness. When one thinks of casting a farmer in a legal drama, surely Oscar winner Christopher Walken (THE DEER HUNTER, 1978) is not even on the first two pages of the casting director's list. However, lest we forget, a great actor will make a role their own, which is exactly what Mr. Walken does here. Director Clark Johnson (known mostly for his TV acting and directing) is working from a script by co-writers Garfield Lindsay Miller and Hillary Pryor, and it's based on the true story of Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser, who fought corporate giant Monsanto all the way to the Supreme Court.

Walken as Percy admits, "I save my seeds." If this were the story of canola seeds that some farmer saves each year for his crops, I'm guessing there would be little interest. But of course this is the story of one independent farmer standing up for the rights of all farmers against agricultural giant Monsanto. This is the age old story of "the little engine that could", or the high hopes of 'the little old ant who thought he could move the rubber tree plant.' Percy and his wife Louise (Roberta Maxwell) are grounded folks - he mostly keeps to himself, and she is known locally for her pie-baking expertise. These are good folks who are working the same land that's been passed down for generations in his family.

The lives of Saskatchewan farmers Percy and Louise get rocked when, in 1998, Monsanto sues them for the presence of a patented formula in Percy's canola crop. He's no dummy, and Percy knows that he has always carefully collected his own seeds each season ... just as his father taught him. He's also a fighter, so Percy enlists local attorney Jackson Weaver (Zach Braff) to handle the case against a sea of Monsanto white man attorneys (yet another battle pitting a little guy against big money). Overly enthusiastic environmental activist Rebecca Salcau (Christina Ricci) offers help to Percy from her organization, and this leads to multiple speaking engagements for him as he literally travels around the world. Their objectives are different - Rebecca wants safe crops (not sprayed with harmful chemicals), while Percy wants independence to farm. Monsanto is there to protect their patented process that increases yields and profits.

There is a 2009 documentary that focuses on Percy Schmeiser, but I have no idea where to find it. The story is fascinating, as it involves unusual characters and the safety of food crops. Supporting work is provided by Luke Kirby and Martin Donovan, though neither are given much to work with. The joy here is in watching Christopher Walken dig in to a role that demands much from him. It's far removed from the caricatures he often plays these days. Veteran Cinematographer Luc Montpellier (CAIRO TIME, 2009) is stuck in the courtroom a bit too much, but when the camera heads outside, he does his best work. Percy died in October 2020 at the age of 89, and director Johnson includes a photo of Percy and Louise over the closing credits. He was quite a little engine that could ... and did.

In Select Theaters, on Digital and On Demand April 30.

Christopher walken has never been my favourite actor, he managed to mash that potato in ''the deer hunter'', but here he is acting out pretty freely, stubborn as usual, but also very content and extreme colourful acting. Its a based on a true story film, so the plot layout is already there, but the dynamics and caracterbuild up is good, cast works all over, and the filming is held in a colourful ambien glow all the way, beutiful scenic views, and gives a great insight how farming in the midwest is and has been, a fight from daybreak till dawn.

Having just devoured this stub of realistic stubborness, the grumpy old man gives an allmighty acclaim for the production crew and the actors with a strong 7.well told story and therefore a recommend.

Being from Saskatoon just west of Bruno Sask. I remember this story well and think this man is more than a local hero he's an international hero. To stand up against a major Goliath of a corporation as he did took more guts than most people have .I have family who farm in Sask. And Ab. And one who runs a minor seed and feed company West of Saskatoon and the outcome of this case impacted them as well .He to me should be held in the highest regard alongside. Erin Brockovich and others who stood up for what is right but because this was a story that took place in Canada rather than the U. S. A. It is not as well known. Erin Brockovich Stands up against giants but does not have a dog in the fight as Percy did and had a lot more press coverage to feed a larger group. So for a small time Farmer and community he is the gIant.