Loyalties (1986)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Anne Wheeler

Writers:

Sharon Riis (screenplay)
Sharon Riis (story)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Lily and her three youngest children join her husband David Sutton, a doctor in an isolated northern Alberta town...

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Kenneth Welsh	...	David Sutton
Tantoo Cardinal	...	Rosanne Ladouceur
Susan Wooldridge	...	Lily Sutton
Vera Marin	...	Beatrice
Diane Debassige	...	Leona
Tom Jackson	...	Eddy
Christopher Barrington-Leigh	...	Robert Sutton
Jeffrey Smith	...	Nicholas Sutton
Meredith Rimmer	...	Naomi Sutton
Yolanda Cardinal	...	Lisa
Dale Willier	...	Jesse
Wesley Semenovich	...	Wayne
Janet Wright	...	Audrey Sawchuk
Don MacKay	...	Mike Sawchuk
Paul Whitney	...	Joe Pilsudski

Also Known As:

Double allégeance (Canada: French title) (TV title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18A (Ontario) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation

Maltin's Summary Belies Excellent Film

I can't agree with Mr Maltin that this splendid movie is either "predictable", or defined by the hiring of a half-Indian woman.

Astute as I am, I had no idea who was going to prove loyal (or not) to what, or whom, until the proper time - at the climax of the always interesting yarn...from the various synopses studied beforehand, I anticipated that there would be some kind of family "secret" exposed by the interaction with the h-I woman, and her family, and this proved to be the case, but not, I maintain, necessarily because of the association between the two families, English, and semi-Native...for me, the "secret" as such, would have outed, eventually, under any circumstances, it being so much a character trait e.g.if one or more in the characters in the movie had been predatory by nature, sooner or later, someone is going to be preyed upon.

The s-N family does play a large part in the movie, and it is very heartwarming to see how these rough and ready Canadians, get along with their oh-so-proper English counterparts. As a rock-ribbed old right-winger myself, I was struck by how I identified with those characters in the movie, of a different race from mine...I have the usual WASP prejudices and reservations about those who look different from me and mine, but if they act, and sound like real Canadians, or Brits, then I become most comfortable with them...they're really "one of us, after all"...go figure. All the characters in this film rang true, as real Canadians, or proper English.

Neither did the film beat one over the head with the "secret". when finally revealed...nobody gave speeches, or delivered lectures on the subject...it was all very subtly put over -it was all DEPICTED for the viewer to interpret...the most significant phrase for me, at the climax was an outraged "What kind of woman are you...?"

I found the film riveting from start to finish...I spent many years working, and living in small Canadian towns like the one depicted, and can vouch for the environment suggested by the sets, costumes, behaviour, and dialogue - it especially reminded me of the Ladner region of the Fraser Delta, as it was thirty-some years ago.

I am very proud of this Canadian-made film - it was a credit to all taking part, in front of, and behind the camera. Well done, indeed, folks!