More than you might initially imagine, successful sports films have been produced in Canada or by Canadians over the years. The relationship between the film industry and professional and amateur sports in our country is long-standing and fascinating, and it goes far deeper than you probably anticipated.
The recent rumors indicate that we might soon be treated to a few more unforgettable, intense sports-themed films from the Canadian film industry. This region’s strong film industry constantly pushes the envelope while receiving attention for some of its earlier popular films.
1. Goon
In “Goon,” we follow the trajectory of Doug Glatt, who was adopted by a Jewish couple (as well as his gay brother Ira) but didn’t do very well in life. He works as a bouncer at bars in his small town Orangetown (Massachusetts), always looking to find something he’s truly good at. It seemed impossible.
While watching a hockey game one night with his crazy friend Ryan, Doug fights with one of the players and headbutts him until he passes out (remembering that the player was wearing a helmet). The coach of the Orangetown Assassins then makes the intelligent decision to sign him. Doug would eventually discover a skill. At least in the Minor League, where the bug truly takes hold, he starts his ascent to the top of hockey history using punches and knocked-out teeth.
Fighting in hockey is a part of the game and nowadays you can even place bets on the outcomes live from Canadian sportsbooks that’s licensed in the country.
Bodyguard or gang member intimidation is meant by the term “goon.” Hockey slang is used to describe pros who don’t actually play but instead defend aggressively against attackers. For those unaware, hockey’s most exciting aspects—tactically and in terms of “entertainment”—involve violence. It’s the only sport where everyone, including the referees, pauses to watch a fight.
2. Chokeslam
Robert Cuffley is the director of the Canadian romantic comedy movie Chokeslam. Before his high school reunion, Corey Swanson (Marquette) is the movie’s subject. He becomes a professional wrestler while also attempting to get back together with a woman who publicly dumped him.
Ten years after graduating from high school, clerk Corey Swanson (Chris Marquette) is still haunted by his high school sweetheart Sheena DeWilde’s humiliating public rejection of his marriage proposal (Amanda Crew). Sheena is a successful, albeit troubled, professional wrestler visiting the area for her high school reunion.
Corey arranges one final match in the city’s wrestling ring when she declares retirement to win her back. Corey attempts to make the event a success for Sheena and to remind her of what they once had, frustrated by the efforts of her overbearing mother (Gwynyth Walsh), well-intentioned friend Luke (Michael Eklund), who is masking his motivations, and Sheena’s cheeky boyfriend/manager Tab (Niall Matter).
3. The Grizzlies
In the true-life drama “The Grizzlies,” played by Schnetzer, a Canadian professor named Russ lives in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, one of the world’s most isolated communities. Being a member of a tribe, he was sent there with only two days’ notice to complete the necessary community service hours while he waited for a job at a posh high school. The “comforts” of contemporary life that distance a native from its customs virtually wreck it.
This is one of the more recent Canadian sports-themed films released in 2018. The documentary Grizzlies tells the tale of an Inuit youth lacrosse team founded. It’s an intense yet thrilling film that will capture your interest immediately. Good enough to compete with any ice hockey movie.
The opening scene shows us what initially appears to be a boy and a dog taking an idyllic stroll through unexplored, snow-covered landscapes. But it quickly turns tragic, and we find that this region has the highest rate of teen suicide in North America, along with widespread domestic violence and alcoholism.
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