New Waterford Girl (1999)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Allan Moyle

Writer:

Tricia Fish (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Get Pregnant Now. Lose Virginity Later.

Plot:

A gifted teenager, dreaming of life beyond her small town, becomes inspired when a 15-year-old girl from New York moves in next door. |

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Father Daughter Relationship | Coming Of Age | Teenage Girl | Vomit

Awards:

4 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Liane Balaban	...	Moonie Pottie
Tara Spencer-Nairn	...	Lou Benzoa
Mary Walsh	...	Cookie Pottie
Nicholas Campbell	...	Francis Pottie
Cathy Moriarty	...	Midge Benzoa
Andrew McCarthy	...	Cecil Sweeney
Darren Keay	...	Lexter Pottie (as Darren Kaey)
Kevin Curran	...	Joey
Krista MacDonald	...	Betty-Anne Pottie
Cassie MacDonald	...	Darlene Pottie
Adrien Dixon	...	Felix Pottie
Patrick Joyce	...	Darcy Benzoa
Lorne Pardy	...	Father Madden
Mark McKinney	...	Doctor Hogan
Susan Dalton	...	Sandra (as Susan Laney Dalton)

Also Known As:

La fille de New Waterford (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Sienna Films

Trivia:

When writer Tricia Fish moved to New Waterford at age 13 with her family, her six-year-old brother ran into their kitchen one day all bloody, and happily said, "I made a friend!" She incorporated this into the movie, in an identical scene with the character of Darcy, Lou's little brother.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie is set in the 1970's, and as the two girls (Moonie and Lou) are driving along the coast to the bonfire place, there is a visible blue Dodge Neon parked in one of the houses. Dodge Neon was introduced the mid-1990's.

Quotes:

Cecil Sweeney: Class is over, Joey, go eat some Halibut.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

Growing pains

Allan Moyle, the director of "New Waterford Girl" captures the right atmosphere of a small town in Nova Scotia. He shows us how the people live in this isolated area. The life of the small village, with all its local characters, is presented by Mr. Moyle in a way that affects us into feeling for these people in that barren place.

The best thing going for this movie is the brilliant performance by Liane Balaban. She plays Moonie Pottie, a girl that wants to break away from the boredom of the town and go away to pursue her ambition. This young actress' face registers a lot of emotions going on inside Moonie's mind. She knows the only chance for her to get out of the mediocrity in which she lives is to become pregnant because invariably, those fallen girls are sent away to have their children.

Luckily for Moonie, she finds a friend in Lou, the rebel American teen ager who arrives from the Bronx to hide away with her mother and young brother. This is the only part that doesn't make much sense, but it's a diversion to the story that otherwise would be too confined to just the locals. Lou gives Moonie a confidence that the latter one didn't know she had. Moonie grows up helped by her friendship with the tomboyish Lou, who is too wise for her young age. Tara Spencer-Nairn does a wonderful job in recreating Lou Benzoa.

The film takes a while to click with the viewer, but it will stay in his mind for days after having seen it. The Pottie family is presided by Francis and Cookie. As played by Nicholas Campbell and the always excellent Mary Walsh, this family shows an inner strength, even at times of great crisis.

Andrew McCarthy is also seen briefly as the teacher that wants a better life for Moonie, who inspires her to break away from this small town. Cathy Moriarty plays, yet another, boxer's wife. She has nothing to do in the film.

This small movie will charm those willing to take a trip guided by the sure direction of Allan Moyle.