One Week

One Week casts Joshua Jackson as Ben Tyler, an elementary school teacher who learns that he has stage four cancer and subsequently embarks on a cross-country trip across Canada. Writer/director Michael McGowan has fashioned a road movie that packs an unexpected emotional punch, as the filmmaker places as much of an emphasis on Ben’s emotional journey as his physical one. And while McGowan occasionally skirts the line of egregious quirkiness (eg Ben’s encounter with the Stanley Cup itself), it’s hard to deny that such interludes ultimately fit into the film’s overall modus operandi. The movie, which is steeped in a myriad of references that only a Canadian crowd will fully be able to appreciate (eg Tim Horton’s “roll up the rim to win” promotion, a cameo appearance by The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downey as a pot-smoking cancer survivor, etc), certainly benefits substantially from Jackson’s unexpectedly layered and downright immersive performance, as the actor generally does an effective job of ensuring that the proceedings stay grounded even through its more overtly off-kilter moments. The end result is an effort that one can easily envision certain viewers finding intolerable, admittedly, yet for those willing to go with it, One Week ultimately comes off as a moving and tremendously involving piece of work.

***1/2 out of ****