BEING CANADIAN (Robert Cohen, Canada/U.S.). 89 minutes. Rating: NN
Having lived in the U.S. for a couple of decades as a writer for such shows as The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory, Alberta-born Robert Cohen decides to explore what it means to be Canadian by driving a minivan across the nation, asking ordinary people how they view themselves, and eating poutine.
Filled with easy jokes and semi-comical historical observations, Being Canadian is more of a pandering stunt than a proper documentary, That would be fine except that many of the famous Canadian friends Cohen interviews for talking-heads segments (among them Mike Myers, Alan Thicke, Dave Foley, Cobie Smulders and Rush) take his questions more or less seriously, discussing their identity and cultural responsibilities in thoughtful answers that Cohen then dismisses with a shrug and a hockey joke. A real letdown, eh?
