Canadian Bacon (1995)

The U.S. President, low in the opinion polls, gets talked into raising his popularity by trying to start a cold war against Canada.

Director:

Michael Moore

Writer:

Michael Moore

Stars:

John Candy, Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Candy	...	Sheriff Bud Boomer
Alan Alda	...	President of the United States
Rhea Perlman	...	Honey
Kevin Pollak	...	Stu Smiley
Rip Torn	...	General Dick Panzer
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Roy Boy
Bill Nunn	...	Kabral
G.D. Spradlin	...	R. J. Hacker (as G. D. Spradlin)
Steven Wright	...	Niagara Mountie
James Belushi	...	Charles Jackal (as Jim Belushi)
Brad Sullivan	...	Gus
Stanley Anderson	...	Edwin S. Simon
Richard Council	...	Russian President
Wallace Shawn	...	Canadian Prime Minister
Michael Copeman	...	Panzer's Aide

Storyline

The US economy is in a rut, and so is the president's approval rating. What we need is a good war, but the Russians aren't interested. Hey -- how about that big polite country to the north? Niagara Fall Sheriff Bud B. Boomer takes this all a bit too seriously, though.

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Plot Keywords:

niagara falls | canada | u.s. president | anti propaganda | motorcycle cop | 

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Taglines:

Help America fight the Canadians

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kanadiko bacon

Filming Locations:

Buffalo, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$178,104 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dog Eat Dog Films, Gramercy Pictures (I), Maverick Picture Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene, the characters played by John Candy, Bill Nunn and Kevin J. O'Connor sit around a campfire and discuss films in which black characters are killed before their white co-stars. O'Connor mentions Forrest Gump, which was released six months after principal photography on "Bacon" was completed, and four months after Candy's death. The line was looped in after the scene was shot.

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Goofs

When Honey is making the CN Tower out of mashed potatoes, the antenna disappears from the top between shots.

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Quotes

Smiley: How do you know that was a nuclear facility?
General Panzer: Well, they tricked us on that one. That's a hospital. But it's a hell of a strike!

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Crazy Credits

No Canadians were harmed during this production.

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Connections

References Witness (1985)

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Soundtracks

"Friend From Quebec"
Written by Don Ralph
Published by Stingy Brim Music
Performed by Life In A Blender
Courtesy of Fang Records

User Reviews

Brilliant Satire

While it had some flaws, mostly in some incomplete development of themes and failing to make full use of the story's potential, this is a brilliantly funny satire that mostly succeeds wonderfully on many levels.

The idea to have the US pick on Canada, internationally one of the world's least offensive and bellicose countries is itself brilliant. It wonderfully picks on the US, and more generally, on any rather belligerent nation that likes to throw its weight around and create excuses for doing so.

It also picks on the use of propaganda and even on mass media and mass mob hysteria. This is especially true in the way the film portrays how the American media discusses Canada and how some members of the public react, so that the whole idea spins out of control of those who began it for their own personal reasons. I was barely able to breath with laughter throughout the whole period when the US was flashing its propaganda about Canada and showing how threatening they are, especially how they claimed the Canadians were "infiltrating" American society and were "massing" on the border. This is wonderful satire on sensationalist news stations and their willingness to use information in a wildly inaccurate and misleading manner in order to rile people up.

The film picks on everyone involved, Canadian and American alike. It attacks the stereotypes of both, highlighting their differences yet also attacking the misconceptions about both peoples. To have a number of Canadians in the film is another flash of inspiration, too, since there are Canadians playing comically stereotypical (i.e., polite, white bread, well-spoken) Canadians and Canadians playing comically stereotypical (i.e., redneck, belligerent, crude) Americans. It adds to the irony since one of the American's propaganda tools is that there are Canadian actors everywhere in the US as such integral parts of the American entertainment industry that they are taken for Americans, and lo and behold, here some are playing various people in this film.

Some parts of the film were simply silly, with jokes that were more gags rather than actually furthering the satire and points of the movie, and this is a weak spot. While some were funny and worked, others were a bit inane and the film would have been more successful had they stuck to developing the real themes and satire of the film, which are what make it great.

Anyway, despite some weak points, this film is a brilliant satire that contains a number of parts that are utterly hilarious. It did not fulfill its full potential, but it is not too far below perfect and the good parts are really, really good.