DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN (Donald Shebib). 84 minutes. Opens Friday (October 21). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: N
Goin’ Down The Road, Donald Shebib’s drama about two Cape Breton buddies who strike out for Toronto only to be chewed up and spat out by the big bad city, is a seminal work of Canadian cinema.
Down The Road Again, sadly, is not. Returning to the characters he created in 1970, Shebib has made a wheezy, flat and unnecessary follow-up that tries in the clumsiest way imaginable to slap a happy ending on the first film’s downbeat story.
Easygoing Pete (Douglas McGrath), now a Vancouver letter carrier facing retirement, learns that his old pal Joey has died and entrusted him with a mission to deliver a letter to Joey’s ex, Betty (Jayne Eastwood) in Toronto, and then go on to Cape Breton to scatter his ashes and open a final letter.
The entire concept is hobbled by the 2003 death of actor Paul Bradley, whose Joey is seen here in clips from the original film. His absence leaves a hole that Shebib can’t fill the whole movie hangs on McGrath’s slumped shoulders, and his blank, shrugging presence just isn’t enough to drive it.
Kathleen Robertson brings some energy to the role of Joey’s estranged daughter, but Shebib’s script is only interested in her symbolic function. Cayle Chernin, in her final performance, gets even less to do as Betty’s pal Selina.
It’s all such a waste.
