Silver Screenings

Well, we never thought relations between Canada and the United States would ever be as testy as they are during the current trade disputes.

This bickering is new in our lifetime. There have been disputes between these two nations before, the War of 1812 notwithstanding, but relations today are especially frosty. We realize this situation isn’t just confined to Canada; America has initiated many tariff discussions across the globe.

Anyhoo, part of the reason for this post is Canada is in the midst of a federal election, and the current situation Looms Large in the national discourse. Some of our politicians are Very Grumpy; tempers were not soothed when the U.S. President joked about making Canada the 51st American state.

With this in mind, and to gain insight, we turned to the Canadian cult comedy, Canadian Bacon (1995), directed by Michael Moore, and starring John Candy, Rhea Perlman, and Alan Alda.

This film was made in the days when Canada and America were good neighbours, and trade disagreements weren’t as polemic. Looking at it now, this movie feels both innocent and knowing.

Alda stars as an American President who’s lost his raison d’être thanks to the collapse of the Soviet Union. In order to garner support in the polls, he casts about for another nation to provoke. There are no Looming Threats…but wait. What’s the deal with Canada?

A covert plan is enacted: Fifth columnists are dispatched across the Canadian border to Make Trouble and influence public opinion. How hard could it be to pick a fight with a nation of toque-wearing, maple-syrup-guzzling Canucks?

Canadian Bacon is not a Big Budget flick. Director Moore has no illusions of grandeur, but he gleefully commits to the material. He hands us a political satire of Canadian and American stereotypes, with fabulous cameos. It’s silly, but also genuinely funny.

John Candy and Rhea Perlman play unemployed American law enforcement officers who earn extra cash by scooping people out of the local river. The local munitions plan is closing, you see, due to the absence of war, and depressed, unemployed workers throw themselves off a cliff into the river below.

Candy and Perlman play well off each other, and it’s too bad they never made another film together. As you may know, Canadian Bacon was released soon after Candy’s untimely death in 1994.

Alan Alda is superb as the American President, an affable man who likes everybody and doesn’t seem to realize war – cold or hot – has a dark side.

The catalyst for this movie is acting pro Kevin Pollak, who plays a smart and ambitious presidential advisor. He’s going to get his war with Canada no matter What.

Canadian Bacon makes us laugh, but it also makes us nostalgic for the days when Canada and the U.S. weren’t at each other’s Throats. This film was made during a time when it seemed, briefly, that world peace could be achieved post-Soviet Empire. It was a New Day!

Sadly, lasting world peace continues to elude us, but a love of nationhood remains. Many people feel they live in the best country in the world, regardless of which nation they reside. The characteristics of various nations, in our opinion, bring colour, texture, and intricacy to our human mosaic.

Naturally, we feel Canada is the premier country of the planet, but we admire qualities about every nation we’ve visited, and that includes the United States.

We want to see our two splendid nations become friends again, to return to the chummy days of the early 1990s, when we could watch Canadian Bacon and say, “Nah, that could never happen.”

What say you?

Canadian Bacon starring John Candy, Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman. Written & directed by Michael Moore. Grammercy Pictures, 1995, Colour, 91 mins.