New Waterford Girl (1999)

Director:

Allan Moyle

Writer:

Tricia Fish (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Get Pregnant Now. Lose Virginity Later.

Plot:

A gifted teenager, dreaming of life beyond her small town, becomes inspired when a 15-year-old girl from New York moves in next door. |

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Father Daughter Relationship | Coming Of Age | Teenage Girl | Vomit

Awards:

4 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Liane Balaban	...	Moonie Pottie
Tara Spencer-Nairn	...	Lou Benzoa
Mary Walsh	...	Cookie Pottie
Nicholas Campbell	...	Francis Pottie
Cathy Moriarty	...	Midge Benzoa
Andrew McCarthy	...	Cecil Sweeney
Darren Keay	...	Lexter Pottie (as Darren Kaey)
Kevin Curran	...	Joey
Krista MacDonald	...	Betty-Anne Pottie
Cassie MacDonald	...	Darlene Pottie
Adrien Dixon	...	Felix Pottie
Patrick Joyce	...	Darcy Benzoa
Lorne Pardy	...	Father Madden
Mark McKinney	...	Doctor Hogan
Susan Dalton	...	Sandra (as Susan Laney Dalton)

Also Known As:

La fille de New Waterford (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Sienna Films

Trivia:

When writer Tricia Fish moved to New Waterford at age 13 with her family, her six-year-old brother ran into their kitchen one day all bloody, and happily said, "I made a friend!" She incorporated this into the movie, in an identical scene with the character of Darcy, Lou's little brother.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie is set in the 1970's, and as the two girls (Moonie and Lou) are driving along the coast to the bonfire place, there is a visible blue Dodge Neon parked in one of the houses. Dodge Neon was introduced the mid-1990's.

Quotes:

Lou Benzoa: Hey, this the boxing club?
Boxing Trainer: Yep.
Lou Benzoa: So, you guys use standing eight-counts or what?
Boxing Trainer: Let them kill each other, pretty much.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

How many times have I watched this now?

Many, many, times. And I have to say, it gets better each time you watch it. The nuances of a Cape Breton accent (I was pleased that the writer and several of the actors came from Cape Breton, and even from New Waterford itself), the expressions on the faces (Liane Balaban's face is VERY expressive, so make sure you remember that other people are in the movie, too), and the various little relationships. For instance, take the character of Joey, who obviously follows Mooney around as much as he can (near her at the wedding; standing outside the church when she comes out, following her to a party... They don't show it in the film, but I imagine he probably stood outside her house sometimes, hoping she'd come out).

This movie is very much worth watching if you're the type who watches a movie three times over one weekend. Or if your like me, trying to transcribe less-popular movies so people who love the movie can read the transcript and remember what the dialog sounded like, and enjoy the experience of the movie again and again, even if we don't have the DVD (or the tape, if you like it like that).

Unless you already love independent films of one variety or another, this movie may not be for you. It IS a bit quirky (I've read complaints about that), but the quirkiness isn't overbearing. It's just an accurate portrayal of the freaks and psychoses that people in a small town develop over time, with lack of contact to "people from away." (Father Madden, for example, and Dr. Hogan) If you like this movie, try Lawn Dogs, or The Quiet Room, which are still more independent than Hollywood, but will get you into the Independent genre without making it too difficult.