• Wide Release
• Director: Ralph L. Thomas
• Written by: Victor Nicolle , Brian L. Ross
• Running Time: 92 minutes
• Language: English
• MPAA Rating: PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Cast: R.H. Thomson, Christianne Hirt, Kate Trotter, Gil Bellows, Lochlyn Munro, Tony Pantages, Dwight Koss, Shawn Clements, Rob Roy, Barbara Russell, George Josef, Stephen E. Miller, Joel Price, Kevin McNulty, James K. Stevens, Andrew Markey, Jim Byrnes

Almost a character unto itself, the stirring waters off the coast of British Columbia are given nearly as much, if not more, screen time than most of the leading actors in the overwrought Canadian tearjerker “The First Season”. It’s just too bad that a more compelling story wasn’t offered to chaperon such beauty. Treading familiar territory, Ralph L. Thomas, the man who brought us the heart-wrenching “The Terry Fox Story” is less inspired this time around – offering up melancholy as entertainment, and barely delivering much of anything interesting. "The First Season” is one of those manipulative ‘triumph of the heart against all odds’ movies that comes along every once in awhile, featuring characters overcoming hardships to come out better more fulfilled people on the other side. The problem this time around is that so much of the 'hardships' here feel forced or are overcooked to such a degree that you simply can't help but tune out. There's lots of great rural Canadian dramas but surely, this is not one of them.

Mired in a series of unfortunate mishaps, a down and out fisherman, Frank Cauldwell, Dwight Koss (1989’s “The Trial of the Incredible Hulk”) decides the best course of action is to simply off himself. Forget the fact that he has a beautiful wife, Jodie (Christianne Hirt) and a feisty daughter, Alex (Kate Trotter) at home. Sadly, with his untimely passing, they have nothing to keep them afloat financially that is until Jodie, through her grief, musters up an idea. In an attempt to keep their family’s livelihood intact, they decide to seek out a tightly-wound former Vietnam War veteran, Eric Anderson (R.H. Thomson) who has been tucked away in his modest little wooden shack for god knows how long. One might deduce that this is not the best course of action but alas Eric’s an old fisherman from way back and a former friend of Franks and, after some intial himming and hawing, he reluctantly agrees.

There are plenty of the usual personality conflicts to contend with here beginning almost immediately when Alex is repulsed by the musty odours emanating from Eric’s seaside shack. It doesn’t improve upon actually meeting him. Once aboard the Cauldwell boat, Alex strangely begins to sense that Eric is attempting to replace her father, taking offence to just about everything he does and happily admonishing him for standing in those sacred spots where her father once stood. Gaining Alex’s respect is an uphill battle for which Eric has virtually no chance of winning.

Eric himself isn't easy to like, rather, he's an angry and bitter fellow, who seems capable of exploding into a rage at any minute, something that worries Jodie. Add to that the conflict which arises between mother and daughter. Since Alex is completely opposed to Eric’s presence on the boat and in her life, noting the parental pinch-hitter implications of it, she’s begun to resent her mother. Jodie herself is just trying to keep things civil until they catch enough fish to start bringing in the money. The emotional impact of suicide and the toll it takes on a family is given great weight here, considering. Thomas handles this aspect of the story quite well, but, sadly, it doesn't necessarily make for great cinema.

If that weren't enough, there’s also the added problem of a group of local boys lead by Ronnie played by a young Gil Bellows (of Ally McBeal fame) who has been causing Alex and her mom all sorts of trouble including some verbal harassment and the occasional theft. This thread bare storyline culminates in a rather violent sequence that pits Eric against the entire crew of hoods. In an interesting turn, one of the boys, Jeff, played by Lochlyn Munro (curiously credited here as Rick Munro) is quite fond of Alex but is reluctant to let her know, choosing instead to act as the voice of reason in their various skirmishes. Sadly, this is a promising avenue that is never explored for reasons only obvious to the writer or, in this case, writers.

Plenty of time is spent out fishing, but much of the fundamental stuff happens back on the shore. Hmm, I'd rather have stayed out to sea but that's just me, I guess. There’s the usual point arrived at where the characters must come to terms with their past in order to move forward in their present; For Alex that means understanding why her father, who presumably loved her, would want to kill himself. For Eric that means acknowledging what happened ‘over there’, namely his direct involvement in a friendly fire incident. For Jodie that means simply accepting the loss of a life partner. All of it adds up to some sappy contrived schmaltz, none of which feels genuine despite the sincere and honest performances from the cast.

R.H. Thomson (1979’s “An American Christmas Carol”) is one of those Canadian character actors you see popping up in countless films and for good reason -- he’s simply amazing in whatever part he takes on. Playing Eric Anderson, he brings to the table a brooding and deeply scarred character, still punchy from an ugly incident in Vietnam. Holed up in his shack for years on end, it’s the personal interaction with Alex and Jodie that finally allows Eric to reclaim his humanity. The person we meet in the beginning is not the person we leave at the end. It’s his transition that is the most fun to chart.

Kate Trotter (1996’s “Golden Will: The Silken Laumann Story”) as Alex is also quite adept in her character but since so much of her time is spent either crying or getting into hysterical fits, it’s easy to dismiss it as a poor performance. Personally I had trouble connecting with her. Christianne Hirt (1985’s “Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story”) as Jodie is delicate in her performance. Her scenes with R.H. are filled with understanding and compassion, while her scenes opposite Kate are more skewed and off the mark emotionally.

Shot off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, this is some of the most beautiful scenery you’re likely to see in any Canadian film, or any other film for that matter. In fact, so much screen time is devoted to showing off the lushness of the area that, after awhile, it seems to become almost another character. In my opinion, that's a very good thing. Regardless, like the often grey skies on display here, this film is too depressing and moody for its own good. “The First Season” is hardly a film I’d go out of my way to recommend especially if you're looking for light and fluffy, but it is interesting as a Canadian curiosity -- one of those films that came and went with nary any notice. It’s not an easy film to locate on DVD, or VHS, but if you do happen to come across it, get it for the scenery and the performances.