This evening I’ve been watching a movie most have probably never heard of. I acquired a copy when my local video rental outlet sold the only copy they possessed as a previously viewed VHS Tape. It captivated me at the time and still does.
Jeffrey/Ganesh is a teen raised as a vegan Hindu in India by his hippy missionary parents who is suddenly forced to move to Paris on the Grand in Ontario when his parents die, to live with an eccentric maiden aunt he knows only from a faded photograph buried with some money in an old lunch box under the chicken coop.
He arrives at Malton with all he possesses in one small suitcase wearing sandals and a caftan in the middle of winter. His aunt gets there late in a car that she obviously inherited from her father and has failed to maintain since. As they drive home along back country roads the culture shock that will cut both ways sets in immediately.
What is small-town Ontario to make of a tall, blonde self-possessed lad who speaks English with an Indian accent and turn of phrase, practices yoga, and is steeped in the non-violent philosophy of Gandhi? The ensuing conflicts are handled with sensitivity and humour and the kind of quiet understanding possible only in a community where everyone knows everyone else. His new neighbours may find this new kid kind of strange but they can’t fail to respect the tenacity and courage with which he approaches life.
The movie is loosely based upon the book, Ganesh by Malcolm J Bosse published in 1981 and among its novelties is a turn by Paul Anka as a smooth-talking, scheming land developer. Come to think about it this movie reminds me of The Milagaro Beanfield War directed by a famous actor but equally an independent film about the difference one maverick can make in a small town when he wins the backing of the people. If you can find them I’d recommend both.
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