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Wilby Wonderful (2004)

6.7
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Ratings: 6.7/10 from 1,078 users  
Reviews: 20 user | 15 critic

A day-in-the-life dark comedy concerning a group of islanders, their respective secrets, and one man's plan to kill himself quietly.

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Title: Wilby Wonderful (2004)

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2 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Dan Jarvis
...
Mayor Brent Fisher
...
Buddy French
Rebecca Jenkins ...
Sandra Anderson
...
Carol French
...
...
Duck MacDonald
...
Stan Lastman
...
Deena
Mary Ellen MacLean ...
Irene
Susannah Hoffmann ...
Elaine Fisher
...
Mackenzie Fisher
Caleb Langille ...
Taylor
Terri Sanderson ...
Reporter
Chris Saunderson ...
Photographer
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Storyline

Wilby is the name of a small island in the Canadian Maritimes and the name of the main town located on the island. According to residents, there are two types of people who live on Wilby: islanders (people who were born on Wilby) and non-islanders. Among the townsfolk of Wilby are: single mom and recently returned islander Sandra Anderson, who was known as the girl in town with the reputation, something that has not changed in her adult years; Sandra's teen-aged daughter, Emily, who doesn't want to end up like her mother but can only think about making out with her new boyfriend; Buddy French, the local police officer who is having unspoken marital problems with his non-islander wife, Carol, the town realtor whose controlling behavior is pushing her and others around her on the verge of a nervous breakdown; the Mayor, Brent Fisher, who is secretly planning for his life post politics; dyslexic Duck McDonald, the town handyman; and recently separated non-islander Dan Jarvis who, because... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Everybody gets a second chance.

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

9 September 2005 (Spain)  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 2,500,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Gross' two children Hannah and Jack Gross appear in the background of the movie. See more »

Quotes

Duck MacDonald: Aren't you your mother's daughter.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Skippy Johnson, Head of Security See more »

Soundtracks

"Statement"
Performed by Reg Vermue (as Gentleman Reg)
Written by Reg Vermue
Courtesy of Three Gut Records
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Underwritten
18 April 2005 | by (Irving, TX) – See all my reviews

The best thing this has going for it is the mood. The quiet evocation of a small island/town is pretty much dead on, with the slightly shabby businesses, people with small-scale ambitions, and hidden strings connecting everyone and everything. There are also some excellent performances, especially Sandra Oh, Rebecca Jenkins, and Callum Keith Rennie (for once showing his awkward, charming side rather than playing another psychopath).

There's both too much and too little going on, if that's possible. The various plot threads wander around before finally getting to what turns out to be the main plot. By that time, there have been a few too many scenes of people walking around while the soundtrack music plays. Some of the characters take too long to register, as well. The one who might be the most important, Dan Jarvis (the suicidal, soon-to-be-outed video store owner), never really registers at all--he never amounts to much of anything besides vague melancholy.

I don't blame the actors, really.....the ones we don't know well enough simply haven't had enough dialogue to let us know them. Fewer subplots and a little less wistful scenery montage would have helped the through-line considerably.

Put most simply, this has too much atmosphere to be a Plot Film and too much plot to be an Atmosphere Film. Not that it would ever have a chance to happen, but I think Wilby would have worked much better as a series.


12 of 16 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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