Goin' Down the Road (December 8/98)

Starring Doug McGrath and Paul Bradley, Goin' Down the Road tells the story of two very unlucky Nova Scotia residents who decide to head to the big city, Toronto. However, when they get there, it's not the idyllic paradise they had counted on.

Made in 1975, Goin' Down the Road is still surprisingly relevant today. Most of us can relate to the idea of moving to another town, only to discover it's not exactly what we might have expected. In the case of Goin' Down the Road, the two protagonists set their standards awfully high, though. Before leaving, they're under the impression that everyone who goes to Toronto automatically lives an exciting, carefree life.

The hard reality is, though, that Toronto has the same problems that any other town has, except it's bigger. They move into a tiny apartment, and get low-level, grunt-work type of jobs. They try their hardest to make the best of this situation, but to no avail. The film relies less on plot and more on character development to keep the viewer engaged. We see how drastically these two fun-loving, beer-drinking party boys are affected by their newfound life of poverty.

Goin' Down the Road has been called the quintessential canadian film - a statement that's awfully difficult to argue with. Not just because the two stars say "eh" a lot, but because it shows the reality of life in a big city like Toronto. There's no sugar-coated resolution here. The two protagonists eventually turn to a life of crime, and there's no easy way out for them after that point.