These Girls

Tanya! What a kind and wonderful message you posted - thank you! I hope you enjoy the film - it certainly is a romp for me! Your portrayal of Caroline remains an inspiration - you gave her such a good "kick" in the Ottawa production - really focused her and brought into her own. I will always appreciate you for that.

A note - her role and rationale has been modified for the film version - she's now "Keira" - but her wry humor that you really woke me to in your performance, and that I tried to capture in the subsequent draft for the Calgary production at One Yellow Rabbit, has absolutely made it all the way to big screen.

Right On, Tanya! Hope all is well with you, Viv

Keira St. George (Caroline Dhavernas) is a freshman in university recalling what she did during the summer. Her best friends back in her small town are Glory Lorraine (Amanda Walsh) and religious ballplayer Lisa MacDougall (Holly Lewis). Keith Clark (David Boreanaz) is a local with a wife and kid. He's friendly with Gordon Gruber who is a bit slow. Gordon tells Keira about Keith growing pot in his backyard. Keira and Lisa go to steal a few leaves and peep Keith having sex with Glory. Glory tells Keira that she loves Keith and he's a great lover. Keira is bored and decides to have sex with Keith. Lisa also wants to have sex with Keith before she's baptized as born-again. Keith has enough of the girls and tries to end it. Instead, the three girls blackmail Keith and make up a schedule to share him.

First of all, these girls are no teenagers. The youngest Amanda Walsh is mid-20s while Holly Lewis is pushing 30. It's very odd when women who don't look like teenagers try to act like teenagers. This tries to be funny by turning the usual sexual ideas upside down. It doesn't really get there. It tries to end with wild screwball fun but it doesn't get there either. Caroline Dhavernas has a sly sensibility which I love. It's not as edgy or as funny as it could have been.

This movie starts out a little slow but kicks into comedic gear quickly. Each of the three "teenage girls" offer their own believable, distinct, assertive and entertaining personalities. I particularly enjoyed the dialog and interaction between Keith and Lisa. If one looked beyond the superficial "action" that was taking place, Keith's character treated Lisa's "deflowering" with tenderness and consideration. The comic development that followed was also pulled in expertly in my opinion. David Boreanaz gives a wonderful performance as the adult male who clearly gets himself into more trouble than he can handle. Dialogue was sharp, quick and flowed nicely. The director and writer of this film clearly showed how none of the main characters got to claim the moral high ground after all the shenanigans they pulled. Although the movie appears light on the surface, it reflects all the gray areas of becoming an adult, human emotions and desire.

I had the Pleasure of attending the Toronto international Film Festival and the extended pleasure of watching the World premier of "These Girls". I must say I am thoroughly impressed at the work of the team and ecstatic at the fact that this movie made history as the first New Brunswick film in TIFF history.

John Hazlett's directing technique and Alex Vendler's Cinematography made for excellent artsy eye candy. The film had a pleasing flow with nearly flawless editing and the talent were a most entertaining team.

David Boreanaz's work never surprises or excites me, however, his performance in this comedic role has given me a new outlook on his work... I quite liked this bumbling burnt-out character. The three girls pulled their own as well and presented terrific chemistry with each other and Boreanaz. Also, it is to my understanding that most other roles besides the four were played by local talent who were by all means wonderfully talented.

"These Girls" will do well as a result of Boreanaz's fan base and the success of the whole team to make a VERY entertaining film.

I had the pleasure of watching this two chairs down from (one of?) the Executive Producer at the Atlantic Film Festival, Which was interesting because he laughed at very different times than the rest of us.

Filmed in Atlantic Canada, the movie is about three teen-aged girls who in one of their last summers of their youth, devote a large deal of energy to sleeping with a married 30-year old man, despite much protestation.

It's definitely worth a watch, but the humour was geared a completely different demographic than the one I inhabit (Male 18-25), so I was shaking my head at the character's antics rather than laughing. Inspite of this, the story is strong enough to hold up for itself make it entertaining, without so much laughing.