The Bay Boy

In 1937, Donald Campbell (Kiefer Sutherland) is a sensitive 16-year-old boy coming of age in a dark and uncertain time for both his community and life. His mother (Liv Ullmann) wants him to continue his education after high school and become a priest, but Donald is more interested in girls than prayerbooks. After an unsuccessful attempt by a visiting priest to molest him, followed by losing his virginity to a local girl, Donald politely informs his mother (without revealing why) that he is not going to be a priest.

Meanwhile, when he is not in school, Donald spends his time helping his father (Peter Donat) dig a bootleg pit; helps care for his older brother, Joe (Peter Spence), who was the brightest boy in his grade until he got sick and was left disabled; and pursues Saxon Coldwell (Leah Pinsent), one of police Sergeant Coldwell's two daughters. Sergeant Coldwell's wife died a few months earlier.

Donald lives a hard-working but fairly happy life, until the night he witnesses Sergeant Coldwell shoot and kill the Jewish couple who are his landlord and landlady. The chief of police is a relative, so Donald feels comfortable admitting he saw the killing but he says he did not see who did it, because he is afraid of Sergeant Coldwell - especially after Sergeant Coldwell lets Donald know that he is aware that Donald did see who committed the murder (because he could not have seen the shooting without also seeing who did it). When the Sergeant comes home and finds Donald (innocently) visiting with his daughter Dianna, he snaps mentally and tries to kill the boy - with the result, his secret is revealed and he is arrested for the murder of the Jewish couple, child abuse, and attempted murder of Donald.

After all this happens, and in spite of his strong attraction to both of Coldwell's daughters, Donald loses his virginity to the sexually experienced Mary, the other brightest student in his class, who invites him to study with her as a pretext for seducing him while her parents are away. It's a happy experience for both of them, but doesn't lead to any lasting relationship, though they agree to future trysts. The Coldwell girls have to move away, and Donald sadly bids farewell to them, while preparing to leave home himself to study--but not to become a priest, as he finally tells his mother--which she accepts philosophically.

The film also depicts the daily lives of the eccentric locals and tight-knit families.

The movie was filmed entirely on location in Cape Breton, and primarily in Glace Bay. Many of the extras are performed by local residents. Principal photography took place from November 3 to December 17, 1983.

The film won the Genie Award for Best Canadian Film, Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Alan Scarfe), Art Direction, Costumes and Sound

The film was released on home video in the United States under the title Bad Company.

• Canadian Film Encyclopedia [A publication of The Film Reference Library/a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group]
• The Bay Boy at IMDb
• The AV Trust's newsletter PreserVision. Issue 7 (Spring 2006) features an article on The Bay Boy and "losing" films.
• The Bay Boy at Rotten Tomatoes