A marvelous period piece set in a small town in 1966 Québec about an eighth-grade class and one boy's love of the game of hockey and his coming of age; remarkable cinematography; adapted from the novel by Eugène-Melchior Vogüé; in French.
The three lead roles are played by 14-year-old Joël Dalpé-Drapeau, 13-year-old Patrick Thomas (Counter Punch aka Fish out of Water aka Witness, English-language), and young Maude Gionet (Lassie, English-language TV series 1997).
At this point the only way to view the movie is by DVD, which comes in wide-screen in French language or, on the same disk, English-language dubbed version in 4:3 aspect ratio. The dubbing is of excellent quality -- no womens' voices for the boys, for example -- but since dubbing does have inherent limitations, viewing in French is preferred, if possible. Altho it is admittedly difficult to determine without doubt, at least Joël Dalpé-Drapeau and Patrick Thomas appear to dub their own parts for the English-language DVD version.
This film is in no way exclusively for Québecois audiences. On the contrary, it presents a universal attraction through an intimate familiarity with local color and family life in Québec in the sixties -- beguiling and amiable -- and through the faithful representation of the piquant local Gallic dialog of the time.
The three lead roles are played by 14-year-old Joël Dalpé-Drapeau, 13-year-old Patrick Thomas (Counter Punch aka Fish out of Water aka Witness, English-language), and young Maude Gionet (Lassie, English-language TV series 1997).
At this point the only way to view the movie is by DVD, which comes in wide-screen in French language or, on the same disk, English-language dubbed version in 4:3 aspect ratio. The dubbing is of excellent quality -- no womens' voices for the boys, for example -- but since dubbing does have inherent limitations, viewing in French is preferred, if possible. Altho it is admittedly difficult to determine without doubt, at least Joël Dalpé-Drapeau and Patrick Thomas appear to dub their own parts for the English-language DVD version.
This film is in no way exclusively for Québecois audiences. On the contrary, it presents a universal attraction through an intimate familiarity with local color and family life in Québec in the sixties -- beguiling and amiable -- and through the faithful representation of the piquant local Gallic dialog of the time.