Jack (2013)

The life story of Jack Layton, the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party who passed away in 2011 only months after leading his party to a historic victory.

Director:

Jeff Woolnough

Writers:

Shelley Eriksen (story), Andrew Wreggitt (story)

Stars:

Rick Roberts, Sook-Yin Lee, Zachary Bennett

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rick Roberts	...	Jack Layton
Sook-Yin Lee	...	Olivia Chow
Zachary Bennett	...	Brad Lavigne
Joel Keller	...	Karl Bélanger (as Joel S. Keller)
Wendy Crewson	...	Anne McGrath
Judah Katz	...	Brian Topp
Victoria Snow	...	Nancy Layton
Diana Ha	...	Ho Sze
Erin Karpluk	...	Alison
Brittany Scobie	...	Sarah Layton
Conrad Sweatman	...	Michael
Jack Goldenberg	...	Mike Layton
Ernie Pitts	...	Mountie #1
Will Woytowich	...	Mountie #2
Bryan Clark	...	Dan Leckie

Storyline

NDP Leader Jack Layton was fluently bilingual, glib, sometimes flashy, full of energy and always media-friendly. He loved to entertain and uplift his co-workers with a strum on his guitar and spirit in his voice (which wasn't particularly good but he sang with gusto). Growing up in a political family, Layton was a left-wing Toronto city councillor for 17 years and spent a year as head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He became leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 2003. In his first election as leader the NDP won 20 seats and in the 2008 election the NDP was up to 37 seats. Jack was a happily married man, with wife Olivia Chow who stood by his side, and together they were a political dynamo couple very much in love to the end. Things changed late in the 2011 federal election when a surge in polls in Quebec held and the NDP won 103 seats, 59 of them in Quebec. The NDP became the Official Opposition for the first time in history. Going into the 2011 federal election...

---

Taglines:

The inspirational story of a man who fought for change, love and his life

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 2013 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Smilin' Jack: The Jack Layton Story

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pier 21 Films,Eagle Vision

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Progressive Irrelevance

I do not know what to say about this film, except that it's very creation is unprecedented. It is unprecedented because never before has a full-length film been made about such an unimportant individual. This is a film about a man who nobody outside of Canada has even heard of; and who nobody inside of Canada really cared about.

This film was an irrelevant attempt by irrelevant progressives to glorify a man who was an irrelevant progressive. I can understand making films about famous progressive leaders: Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Castro or even Kim Jong Il. At least they had some real impact on history, even if they were all genocidal lunatics.

You do not even need to watch this film to know it is propaganda. The very fact that a film was made about such an unimportant politician reeks (stinks) of political bias. You can be guaranteed that the political hacks who made this film will not be making a film about Steven Harper, the current conservative Prime Minister of Canada; unless - of course - it is to vilify and destroy him.