Escape to Canada (2005)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Albert Nerenberg

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

A fight for freedom in the 21st Century

Plot:

A look into Canada's incredible strides with progressive politics, while at the same time the U.S. has...

Plot Keywords:

Canada | Gay Marriage | Drug War | Civil Rights | Freedom

Cast

Pierre Berton	...	Himself
Bono	...	Himself
George W. Bush	...	Himself
Tucker Carlson	...	Himself
Marc Emery	...	Himself
Stephen Harper	...	Himself
Bill Maher	...	Himself
Watermelon	...	Herself

Also Known As:

Land of the Freer

Runtime:

Canada:80 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company:

Documentary Channel

Movie Connections:

Features Watermelon's Baked & Baking (2002) (V)

Good documentary, though too narrow a lens on Canada.

I wish it had been a great documentary. And it would have been if the viewpoint had not been so narrow. The main focus was on gay marriage and legalizing marijuana and Canada is so much more than that.

With credit to the director, however, he starts well, showing Canada and the post 9/11 Bush USA veering further and further away from each other politically and culturally. As the USA becomes more fundamentally Christian, Canada becomes more 'hedonistic', with freedoms that embrace all.

Many Iraqi soldier veterans are shown applying for landed immigrant status here,others joining them who are uncomfortable with the marijuana laws in the States.

However, and it is a huge however, this narrow spectrum does not encompass the many other freedoms here which are never shown. I wanted more on the consistently and comparatively low crime-rates, medical care, educational systems, our treatment of the aboriginal peoples, the tolerance for ethnic diversity, the safety of our cities, the high per capita percentage of artists and writers, etc., i.e what makes this great country work so well with so little crime.

The doc title was also different in the opening tonight, it was called 'Escape to Canada.' It was a fun opening, the packed audience truly showing the diversity of our citizenry, capped beautifully by a butt-naked male streaker running outside through traffic on a very busy Bloor Street after the show. 7 out of 10.