Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story (2005)

Director:

Dean Bennett

Writers:

Walter Gretzky (book)
Carole Hay (written by)

Release Date:

6 November 2005 (Canada)

Genre:

Family | Drama

Plot:

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Tom McCamus	...	Walter 'Wally' Gretzky
Victoria Snow	...	Phyllis Gretzky
Tara Spencer-Nairn	...	Kim Gretzky
Matthew Edison	...	Ian Kohler
Kristen Holden-Ried	...	Wayne Gretzky
Robert Bockstael	...	Butch
David Brown	...	Eddie Ramer (as Dave Brown)
Shaun Johnston	...	Rob Coyne
Mark Krysko	...	Keith Gretzky
Darren Bachynski	...	Glen Gretzky
Carey Feehan	...	Brent Gretzky
Gill Hawkins	...	Young Wayne Gretzky
Jessica Renman	...	Kim Gretzky at 10
Lessia Petriv	...	Mary Gretzky
Brian Paul	...	Dr. DeVilliers

Also Known As:

Longue absence, La (Canada: French title) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements.

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Accent Entertainment Corporation

Trivia:

Based on the book "On Family, Hockey and Healing" by Walter Gretzky

Movie Connections:

Features "Hockey Night in Canada" (1952)

A sleepy melodrama

Why was this film even made? No disrespect to Walter Gretsky, but countless people have been felled by strokes. Other than his near celebrity status as the father of hockey legend Wayne, Walter's story just isn't that interesting -- or that well executed - to make a decent movie. The wooden dialog and homespun feel the filmmakers were obviously looking for teetered on the brink of melodrama. I found looking into the Gretskys' private life, and conversations between friends and family members (as imagined by the writer), somewhat disquieting. The filmmakers seem to have overlooked the fact that you can't make a good movie without a good story And this one just doesn't cut it.