My American Cousin

Having just seen the disturbing '95 teen film Kids and then the '71 pre-teen coming of age romance Melody, I grabbed one of my brother's tapes and watched for the first time the Canadian coming-of-age movie from 1985 that takes place in the summer of '59, My American Cousin. The "My" of the title is one Sandy Wilcox (Margaret Langrick), a twelve-year-old going on thirteen tired of being treated like a child by her parents. Suddenly, a cousin from California named Butch (John Wildman) arrives to the surprise of her parents. During the day or so he stays, Butch takes Sandy and her friends for a ride while also heavily flirting with a girl named Shirley. I'll stop right there and say this was for the most part light-hearted and fun with great performances by both Langrick and Wildman. Worth seeking out if you see it in listed in an upcoming TV section of your local paper.

It's the summer of 1959. Twelve year old Sandy Wilcox (Margaret Langrick) hates being treated as a kid. Her family lives on a pastoral farm. Her American cousin Butch Walker from California visits driving a red Cadillac convertible. He's everything cool that she wants to be. She's nothing more than a kid to him. He's a James Dean wannabe. He has a fling with Shirley Darling which angers her boyfriend Lenny McPhee. In the end, he's simply a skirt chasing runaway driving mommy's car.

Margaret Langrick is an intriguing young actress but John Wildman is no James Dean. At best, he is pretending. That may be the point but there are better ways to do it. Sandy Wilson has written a sweet coming-of-age story but her directing leaves a lot to be desired. She spends more effort in getting the time period than getting great performances. The acting and style are a bit amateurish. The story is there but the movie doesn't quite arrive.

I saw this movie in 1988 because Gene Siskel said that Hollywood needed to make movies like this. (the other title he mentioned was Sweet Lorraine). I saw it with my wife while we were dating, and just saw it again, 16 years later. I liked it as much this time as before, although my emotions are filtered through some nostalgia for our dating.

But since dating and nostalgia are what the movie is about, it fits in well.

Funny story of an American boy, about 16, who's run away from home and struggling to be cool amongst Canadians in a a small British Columbia town, circa 1959. The lead character, his Canadian cousin, who is almost 13, is perfectly acted by Margaret Langrick, capturing the angst and adventure of puberty. She has a crush on her cousin, as do all the other girls.

It is a little campy, but doesn't have the ironic detachment of most camp. There's loads of irony here, and tons of humor, but there is a lot of affection (and attachment)for the characters that made it, for me, touching.

Our five children liked it, too.

A sweet, warm coming of age story set interestingly in British Columbia, a place that in Hollywood productions usually stands in for somewhere else. However, this is a decidedly Canadian film, right down to its reflexive and crude anti Americanism of the final 15 min which this vulgar Yank, at least, found off putting. Doesn't ruin the film, by any means ,but sure as hell doesn't lift it into the rarefied air of excellence either. Give it a B minus.

I just saw this movie and I loved it. Sandy Wilson is a really good Canadian Director by telling of her real life in 1959 was great, it made the movie feel more realistic. Margaret Langrick playing Sandy Wilcox was great a real break through performance to bad she hasn't acted since 1996 but her performance will be memorable forever. One of the best things in this movie is the scenery I know this because I live in British Columbia were this movie was filmed so it set the feel of the movie since around that time there were only trees and some house around, so anyone would want to get out of that place and have fun. So anyone who wants a campy movie go and rent My American Cousin Fast.