Here's to Life!

Here's to Life! is a Canadian comedy-drama film by Arne Olsen, released in 2000.[1]

Here's to Life!
Directed byArne Olsen
Produced byWilliam Vince
Written byArne Olsen
StarringEric McCormack
James Whitmore
Kim Hunter
Ossie Davis
Music byPatric Caird
Release date
  • 18 September 2000 (2000-09-18) (VIFF)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryCanada

Plot

The film stars Eric McCormack as Owen Rinard, an uptight retirement home administrator in Spokane, who is caught cheating on the company's taxes by a resident, and is blackmailed into taking Gus (James Whitmore), Nelly (Kim Hunter), and Duncan (Ossie Davis) on a trip to Victoria, British Columbia, so that each can experience a long-held dream: Gus wants to go salmon fishing in the Pacific Ocean; Nelly, a former music teacher, wants to attend the symphony; and Duncan, a retired boxer, wants to attend a highly anticipated prize fight in Vancouver.[2] Owen himself, in turn, meets and connects romantically with Carley (Marya Delver), an employee in the hotel casino.[2]

Production

The film's original working title was Old Hats.[3] It was filmed in Victoria in the summer of 1999.[4]

The film's score was composed by Patric Caird.[5] It also included several original songs by Michael Bublé, several years before he rose to international fame.[6]

Critical response

In The Globe and Mail, Ray Conlogue wrote that Whitmore, Hunter, and Davis kept the movie watchable, but concluded that "Here's to Life starts briskly, develops shakily and finishes preposterously. Only those who have been really rotten to their aged parents should see this movie, and then only by way of expiation."[2] Ken Eisner of Variety called it a "by-the-numbers heartwarmer" which had the potential to be modestly successful among older audiences, but was likely to play better on television than in a theatre.[5]

Awards

The film garnered eight Genie Award nominations at the 21st Genie Awards in 2001:[7]

References
  1. "Festival film is old hat to those who recall shoot". Victoria Times-Colonist, September 29, 2000.
  2. "Graceful geezers loosen up grumpy young man". The Globe and Mail, August 24, 2001.
  3. "Old, Old Hats shows up at festival". Victoria Times-Colonist, September 29, 2000.
  4. "Here's to Victoria!: City plays itself in enchanting movie shot here two summers ago. At times you might catch yourself thinking the film was created by Tourism Victoria". Victoria Times-Colonist, August 24, 2001.
  5. "Review: ‘Here’s To Life’". Variety, November 19, 2000.
  6. "Genie nominations a surprise: Buble". The Province, December 17, 2000.
  7. "Cast, crew of film hopes to make winning Old Hat: Here's To Life gets Eight Genie Nominations". Victoria Times-Colonist, January 28, 2001.
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