HOCKEY NIGHT (1984) ᯓ★-- Directed by: Paul ShapiroStarring: Megan Follows, Yannick Bisson, Rick Moranis
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As soon as I saw that not one, but two Canadian legends were in a film together about hockey.. oh, you better believe I was watching Hockey Night immediately. Technically, this was a rewatch for me. I previously watched Hockey Night nearly a year ago on my own, but this time, I was able to share this wonderful film with my sister; watching movies with loved ones always makes the experience far more enjoyable and memorable. And, of course, she’s just as passionate about seeing a young Anne of Green Gables and Detective William Murdoch hit the ice in a Canadian small town with a banger 80’s soundtrack blasting in the background.
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Hockey Night tells the story of Cathy Yarrow (Megan Follows), a city-girl recently moved to the small town of Parry Sound, Ontario following the separation of her parents. Disgruntled with this sudden shift of lifestyle, Cathy comes to the realization that small-town life is vastly different than spending a lively night out on Queen Street, and quickly grows bored of this new, quiet environment. After stumbling upon the local boys’ hockey team, Cathy strives to play alongside them, despite there being no girls’ hockey team in the town. Having previous hockey experience, Cathy finds herself a place on the team as a goaltender and must prove to the team that she deserves the position, solely due to the team’s intolerance to girls playing on the team. Along the way, Cathy faces prejudice and complications — despite her outplaying many of the players — this including the team’s local sponsor threatening to pull back on funding due to her presence on the team. Fortunately, Cathy’s not alone, and, slowly but surely, gains support from her teammates, especially catching the eyes of star player Spear Kozak (Yannick Bisson). In the end, Cathy wins over the game, along with the hearts of everyone in Parry Sound.
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| https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087416/ |
Gosh, where to even begin with this film? Everything about Hockey Night had both my sister and I giggling, kicking our feet, at every single part of this movie. From the classic 80’s soundtrack that smoothly bridges the story from start to finish with catchy transitions, to the realism of hockey culture and the insufferable attitudes of teenage hockey boys, Hockey Night screams immediate comfort film, especially for Canadians and hockey fans alike. Not to mention, the innocence of the budding romance between Cathy and Spear is something definitely everyone at some point in their life has experienced growing up — not understanding social cues and how to end conversations, having trouble finding the words to tell your crush that you’ve taken a liking to them, and just the sheer awkwardness of adolescence, middle-school relationships in general — this movie’s truly got it all. And, who would I be if I didn’t mention the glorious themes of feminism and criticism of the patriarchy, both inside the world of sports and beyond. Cathy’s refusal to step down when the boys underestimate her, the team’s immediate reaction to Cathy being pulled from the final game being to protest in her absence, the coach standing up for Cathy despite the sponsors threatening to pull back on their funding if she continues to play for the team; oh, it’s absolutely beautiful. We love to see some wonderful allyship.
If you need a short, 80-minute film to watch after a long day, something that isn’t too heavy, yet presents some extremely engaging commentary on gender and sports, and is just an overall blast to watch, well, Hockey Night would be the film for you. Something about this film is just so rewatchable. It radiates a certain retro, small-town Canadian vibe that is rarely captured in cinema nowadays, and finds a way to warm viewers’ hearts, even for non-sports fans. It’s a perfect movie to watch with your friends, family, loved ones, or even just by yourself, and you’ll be guaranteed a good time no matter how you watch it.
All in all, I know I’ll definitely be revisiting Hockey Night for a third time in the future. This is certainly a Canadian gem that you don’t want to miss out on.
A compilation of the best quotes from my sister and I during our viewing of this film:
☆ ‘Stoooooop, I love this movie already!’ - my sister, not even five minutes into the movie
☆ ‘Celebrini on the iPad, Spear on the VHS tape, history repeats itself.’
☆ 'They're drinking the forbidden juice..'
☆ 'I literally have Cathy's entire outfit in my closet.'
☆ ‘Yannick Bisson crashout!’
☆ ‘I need that sweater!’ x6
☆ ‘Average conversation between 15-year-olds, to be honest.’
☆ ‘Stranger Things wishes it was Hockey Night.’
☆ ‘I got distracted by Yannick Bisson’s eyelashes.’
☆ ‘Does he have a French accent?’ - ‘Girl, his last name is Bisson.’ - ‘Murdoch Mysteries took his accent away.’
☆ ‘This is so Canadian-core.’
⋆˙⟡ Hockey Night (1984) is available to watch on Prime Video Canada & Kanopy ⋆˙⟡
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