The Stork Derby (TV 2002)

In 1926, when Charles Millar a wealthy never-married lawyer, died in Toronto, Canada, it was discovered that he had bequeathed a million dollars to the woman in Toronto who would have the ... See full summary »

Director:

Mario Azzopardi

Writers:

Karyn Nolan (screenplay), Elizabeth Wilton (book)

Stars:

Megan Follows, Pascale Montpetit, Terry Simpson

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Megan Follows	...	Kate Harrington
Pascale Montpetit	...	Vivianne Kennelly
Terry Simpson	...	Mike Kennelly
Kyra Azzopardi	...	Maggie Kennelly
Joshua Archambault	...	Bobby Kennelly
Ellen David	...	Gina Bonaggio
Giuseppe Tancredi	...	Tony Bonaggio
Janine Theriault	...	Colleen Brant
Edward Yankie	...	Lenny Maddox
R.H. Thomson	...	Hugh McLean
Eric Peterson	...	Max Macleod
John Neville	...	Mr. Cunningham
Stuart Hughes	...	Sam Gregory
Ian Finlay	...	James Crandell
Joel Miller	...	Reverend Sinclair

Storyline

In 1926, when Charles Millar a wealthy never-married lawyer, died in Toronto, Canada, it was discovered that he had bequeathed a million dollars to the woman in Toronto who would have the most babies in the ten years after his death! This 'news' made headlines around the world and created one of the very first media frenzies that became known as the 'The Great Toronto Stork Derby'. The Toronto Daily Star sponsored race-coverage that spanned more than ten years, culminating in a sensational court case. What was perceived by many as a sick joke, proved tragic for many others, especially the poor and disenfranchised, who saw in this an opportunity to finally break free from the harsh and grueling realities of the thirties. The three front-runners were soon identified. The first was Vivianne Kennelly, a feisty, uneducated woman of French Canadian heritage, a devoted mother who believed that she had psychic relationship with the deceased Mr. Millar and that he had assured her that she ...

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Plot Keywords:

canada | italian canadian | 1930s | canadian history | 1920s | 

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Taglines:

The race begins...

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English French

Release Date:

8 January 2002 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Course à la cigogne

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 87 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Good story, but poorly executed

Three things I noticed about this production:

1. As a previous poster noted, there was too much shouting.

2. It was too preachy. The storyline itself is enough to make one ponder, but the messages were pushed too hard.

3. Plot exposition was handled poorly. Characters had unnatural words scripted for them. I understand that the audience needs to know what is happening and which character is which, but too often one hears characters delivering awkward lines purely for the purpose of exposition. Subtitles explaining things would have been less distracting than characters using words that would not be used in normal conversation.