This summer, Barry Hertz, the Globe’s chief film critic, set out on the seemingly impossible task of ranking the 100 best Canadian films ever made.
We asked Globe readers to join our list. Naturally, there were many opinions. Here’s what you’ve told us about movies you missed or didn’t deserve to be on the list.
(Post has been edited for length and clarity.)
Fabulist! He shot nearly all of the most influential, innovative and important Canadian films of all time. The only glaring omissions for me are The Red Violin (1998) and Kissed (1996). -Jeff Neil, Yarmouth, NSW
One of my favorite Canadian films is François Girard’s The Red Violin (I was a teenager playing in a youth orchestra at the time, so I may be biased). Set over several centuries in Italy, Prussia, England, China, and Canada, the film’s scale and ambition certainly warrants its status as one of Canadian cinema’s finest. The scale and sophistication of The Red Violin certainly stands out in a Canadian film industry dominated by films that tell small, local, intimate stories. -Yuheng Zhang, Montreal
paperback hero. This 1970s film is a moving depiction of small-town Canada, “big fish in a small town,” masculinity and mental health issues, and community transition, with a dash of hockey thrown in to complete the prairie landscape. Gordon Lightfoot’s hit song and Keir Dullea’s leading man both add something special to the mix. -Gord Enemark, Victoria
paperback hero. A hockey talent from a small town in Saskatchewan never came to light in the 1970s. An ode to all of us who thought we were special. -Alan Parkinson, Comox, British Columbia
Readers didn’t like eXistenZ, David Cronenberg’s weird little sci-fi meditation on technology and virtual reality, which was on Barry Hertz’s Top 100 list.Supplied
I’m into genres, so I think Hobo With A Shotgun or Wolfcop could fit in here, but the list is pretty complete (and great!). Big thumbs up for eXistenZ, mind you, it’s probably David Cronenberg’s worst work! -Kyle Menzaroid, Toronto
eXistenZ is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. A great work missing from the list is Les 12 travaux d’Imelda by Martin, Denis Villeneuve’s brother. This is one of the funniest Canadian films ever made, with the main character, Imelda, played bravely by Martin Villeneuve himself. -Vincent Gardner, Sherbrooke
I can’t believe my favorite movie of all time, Ann Wheeler’s wonderful “Bye Bye Blues,” isn’t included. Also very appropriate in these times of suffering from my American cousin, Trump. -Patricia Hocker, Victoria
Humanist Vampire Seeking Suicide’s ConsentSupplied
Humanist Vampire Seeks Suicide Consenter is included in the list of Top 50 Canadian Films and the Top 50 Vampire Films of the World. A fun comedy that combines Quebec, youth, and vampires! -John Anderson, Boston
Jesse Noah Gruman in 2020’s Detective Kid.level film
Detective Kid. Funny and heartbreaking. I don’t know if it met the criteria for funding, but it was filmed in North Bay. I watched this movie 3 or 4 times and cried at the last scene every time. The gag about hiding in the closet is great. The execution is incredible. -Shannon Farrell, Toronto
White’s Wedding (1972). At the time, there were very few quintessentially Canadian Canadian films. -Peter Arnold, Victoria
Helena Bonham Carter and Clive Russell at Margaret Museum.HO / Canadian Press
The missing Canadian film I should have included is “Margaret Museum.” A beautiful film of struggle and compromise set in Glace Bay. This too was personal. My mother left Glace Bay in 1961 at the age of 18 and was shaken when sirens blared in the old Capitol Theater north of Ellington Avenue and the whole town stopped, waiting for news of the mine collapse. -Carl Bourassa, Port Elgin, Ontario
You Are Here (Daniel Cockburn) – Intelligent, existential, poetic, absurdist, like a brilliant Zen koan. I could see it in an infinite loop.
The Twentieth Century (Matthew Rankin) – I loved Universal Language, and Rankin’s debut is hilarious and screams Canadianness (in a good way) from start to finish.
Brand in your brain! (Guy Maddin) – My favorite Maddin (although I haven’t seen them all).
Genese (Philippe Lesage) – A fearless and charming introduction to Theodore Pellerin. -Trevor Ball, Toronto
The 1984 documentary The Waterwalker deserves a place on any list of the 100 best Canadian films. For some people, myself included, watching this movie (on the NFB site) has become an annual ritual. The film follows film director, artist, and naturalist Bill Mason (1929-1988) on a canoe trip through the Ontario wilderness around Lake Superior. Narrated by Bill himself, with haunting music by Bruce Cockburn, the NFB describes it as “an ode to the majesty of nature”. The film was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award (then known as Genies) and was Bill Mason’s last film before his untimely death. -Louise Schwartz, Ottawa
Harmony Cats is one of my favorite Canadian movies. It’s a great story about a brash symphony orchestra violinist who loses his job and has to join a country music band where he plays bass to make a living. -Robert Udell, Cumberland, British Columbia
What happened to “Highway 61,” directed by McDonald and starring McKellar? The ultimate Canadian road trip. Canadian road trips often begin in Canada and end in the United States. Especially relevant today. If there is such a thing, it should win the Post-Canadian Film Award. -Andrew Kooiman, Markham, Ontario
Highway 61 is one of the funniest movies ever made in Canada. -Brent McInnes, Macksville, ON
Still Mine is a beautiful movie. James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold play a gorgeous and poignant role together, supported by a great cast. A farmer and carpenter battles small-town bureaucracy to build a vacation home for his wife, who suffers from dementia. It’s just amazing. (92% on Rotten Tomatoes, if anyone cares…) – Holly Stewart, Kingston, Ontario
There are two omissions from the list, probably because they are short films. The first is Paddle to the Sea, a 1966 NFB production. When I was a kid in Scouts, I saw it shown on the little screen in the gymnasium where we had weekly parades. It stayed with me, and years later, I was able to reaffirm myself through the internet. The second is another short starring Buster Keaton, The Railrodder. Follow him as he crosses Canada in a train speeder. Another must-see spot for Canadians. -Dave Morgan, Ottawa
Ticket to heaven. I still think about it all these years later. Fear struck me at how scary cults are and how difficult it is to leave a cult. -Bonnie Haggis, Toronto
Owning Mahowny (2003), directed by Richard Kwitniowski. Winner of the 2004 Gemini Award for Best Canadian Picture. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Hurt, Maury Chaykin, and Sonya Smits, this film is based on the true story of a Canadian embezzler. Anyone who likes gambling should watch this movie. It would have been number 1 on my list. -Paul Armstrong, Ottawa
Falcon Lake (2022), directed by Charlotte Le Bon, is an incredible coming-of-age film made with great precision and nuance. It definitely deserves to be listed alongside films like Blue Heron and The Maiden. The Strings (Ryan Glover, 2020) is also the first micro-budget, self-financed feature that uses its limitations to its advantage to create a well-crafted sense of existential dread. It also features a great performance from Teagan Johnson, the first actor and musician to write and perform music on film, and stunning cinematography that shows Prince Edward Island in a bleak winter. -Krista Jarodinski, Toronto
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