Score: A Hockey Musical (2010)

It opened the Toronto International Film Festival this year. It features the country's most beloved sport. It also features the best known hockey dad in the world. What could be more Canadian than a musical about hockey? Score: A Hockey Musical follows in the footsteps of great Canadian filmmaker Paul Gross, director of Men With Brooms and Gunless, and presents the audience with a thoroughly and stereotypically Canadian film.

Score is the story of Toronto teen Farley Gordon who has lived his entire life sheltered from the real world by his hippie, non-conformist parents who do not believe in organized sports. This creates complications for Farley as he earns a place on the Brampton Blades with his Sidney Crosbylike skills on the ice. Farley proves to be his parents' child, however, and his pacifist life choices don't mesh with the ultraviolent world of hockey. Farley experiences the ups and downs of growing up and ultimately finds the strength to be himself in whatever circumstances he finds himself, in an unoriginal yet heartwarming conclusion. Score may seem more like a 1930s musical with its predictable plot and good clean fun, but it also brings back a sense of youthful innocence to the audience. The obvious songs that describe exactly what is occurring in the scene coupled with simple and often rhyming lyrics contribute largely to this atmosphere of childishness, although at times this goes too far, discrediting the viewers' intelligence.

Entirely shot in Toronto, the flick features a likable Canadian cast. Relative newcomer Noah Reid takes the lead as Farley, with support from Olivia Newton John and Marc Jordan as his granolaeating, homeschooling parents. Allie MacDonald gives an adequate performance as Eve, the girl next door. Score features numerous cameos of recognizable Canadian faces including Nelly Furtado, Hawksley Workman, George Stroumboulopoulos and, of course, The Great One's father, Walter Gretzky.

Shot with a low budget and no special effects — save for one dream sequence in which Farley is forced to wonder aloud “Why is Walter Gretzky in my dream?” — Score remains true to its Canadian cinematic heritage. Realism and Canadiana abound; the two things we Canucks excel at when making movies about ourselves.

Although this movie is Canadian through and through, it may not be every Canadian's cup of tea. Not many fans — particularly the most hardcore fans— of hockey are very likely to be campy musical fans. And Score is no light musical fare. The music is fully integrated into the story; characters burst into song at random moments in daily life. It may not be to everyone's liking. Conversely, many musical fans are not very likely to be hardcore hockey enthusiasts. However, if you can cast aside your preconceived notions about what genre you prefer and allow this crazy mash-up to happen, you will find that Score: A Hockey Musical will have you smiling and feeling particularly patriotic towards the Great White North, at least for a moment or two.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5