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The most influential English-Canadian film of its generation with superb acting performances by McGrath and Bradley, Shebib’s first feature film is still, today, an impressive piece of realist cinema. With an intelligent blend of fiction and documentary realism, Goin’ Down the Road probes the lives of people unable to realize or even to cope with their own aspirations, but does so without a loss of human dignity. It was produced in 16mm at a very modest cost of $87,000 and was well received by both critics and audiences when it was first released.
Pete (McGrath) and his pal Joey (Bradley) are two Maritimers who set out in a battered Chevrolet to find a better and easier life in Toronto. But Toronto’s glitter is not gold and they soon end up with temporary work in a soft drink factory and living in a rundown apartment. Joey marries a woman he has made pregnant and all three move into an expensive apartment and buy everything on credit. For a brief moment their material dreams seem within reach, until they both lose their jobs, leading to a botched attempt to steal groceries and a decision to leave Toronto and continue their trip "down the road" in a continual search for a better life. Awards: 1970 Canadian Film Award for feature film.
Credits:
Director: Don Shebib
Producer: Don Shebib
Production Company: Evdon Films
Writer: William Fruet
Photography: Richard Leiterman
Editing: Don Shebib
Sound: James McCarthy
Music: Bruce Cockburn
Cast: Doug McGrath, Paul Bradley
Jane Eastwood, Cayle Chermin
Nicole Morin, Pierre La Roche,
Don Steinhouse, Ted Sugar,
Ron Martin.
Holdings:
National Archives of Canada holds original 16mm colour reversal (A& B rolls of Ektachrome) and 35mm internegative picture, magnetic and optical soundtrack elements, as well as new preservation prints from 35mm elements. All stored in –18C/4F and 25% RH in the state of the art Gatineau Preservation Centre.
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