The Grizzlies is a movie that has a lot going against it. First of all, it’s a small scale Canadian release set in Nunavut (which is a place so alien to most Canadians it might as well be another country), it has a white saviour by way of Freedom Writers complex as its plot, and it’s an underdog sports movie about lacrosse of all things. So it has an uphill battle in terms of audience attention and critical appraisal; and that’s not even addressing the fact it’s centred on an Inuit community, an area of focus that will always struggle against stories about white people. And The Grizzlies is certainly weakened by some of its choices that either repeat well-worn tropes or compromise its material to pander to white audiences, however there is a silver lining to it that renders it not dismissible.
Based on a true story, the film follows Russ Sheppard (Ben Schnetzer) a high school teacher suddenly given an appointment to the remote Nunavut town of Kugluktuk. Attempting to apply his customary southern teaching methods doesn’t work on his students, many of whom don’t even show up for school and have an immediate disrespect for them. Discovering the town has a high suicide rate and wanting the kids to have a positive force in their life, he introduces them to lacrosse. Gradually the kids become interested, eventually forming a team, with a chance even to play in a national convention down in Toronto.
This movie can’t get away from the fact that it’s another in a long line of white saviour stories where the problems of First Nations people are solved by a white man, which is at the very least a tiresome if not directly off-putting trope in media today. It’s worth noting that the film is to some degree aware of this though. Sheppard isn’t much of a likeable character, and at least at first, it’s intentional. He’s seen to be obtuse with his class early on and refuses to adjust to the local way of life. He’s a representative to both them and us of everything wrong with southern white privilege, and the movie’s not afraid to call him out on his presumptuousness a couple times (by Tantoo Cardinal, who is terrific as the no-nonsense principal). However the remnants of this behaviour persist further into the film when narratively he’s supposed to be coming to an understanding with the kids. There’s a scene where he turns down an offer to join a family dinner and a couple instances where he makes an insulting comment about the land that feel less self-aware. He’s driven by a clear ego, taking it upon himself to assume what’s best for these kids right up till the end.
This might be unbearable if not for the characters and stories around him. Whenever the plot veers into the troubled lives of the students the movie’s a lot more interesting. I’m way more invested in Zach (Paul Nutarariaq), Adam (Ricky Marty-Pahtaykan), Spring (Anna Lambe), Kyle (Booboo Stewart), and Miranda (Emerald MacDonald) than I am in Sheppard; because there’s genuine drama there, compelling issues to be addressed, and the actors are all doing a great job. Nutarariaq is especially captivating and sympathetic as the sardonic, short-tempered, and troubled Zach. But each one of them is handling tough material aptly, each one of them has a story and conflict that is worth exploring. By the end you understand these kids and where they’re coming from arguably better than Sheppard. But it is still Sheppard’s story. He’s the one with the straightest character arc and the focal point of the narrative. The Grizzlies is certainly a movie made for white audiences, incorporating white values and storytelling devices, and not ultimately following through with the socio-political and racial themes it presents. However in this regard, it is much better than something like Green Book, owing perhaps to the skillfulness of director Miranda de Pencier, whose work to highlight the cultural disparity ensures the film isn’t completely robbed of authenticity.
And credit where it’s due, this movie believably sells lacrosse as something teenagers would be into. It doesn’t present the sport and the teens own relationship to it in any unique way though, so the lacrosse-oriented scenes tend to be among the dullest. By its own admission the film omits several female players and doesn’t take any chances in structuring the teams’ journey. Even the ending, which is much more of the Cool Runnings variety than The Mighty Ducks, is very generic.
There is something to be said though for exposing audiences to a world that’s incredibly unfamiliar to them. Most Canadians have never been to Nunavut, let alone Kugluktuk, and so The Grizzlies did good by showcasing that environment and its customs. Despite the sometimes grim nature of the subject matter, it’s not as devoid of recognition as we might presume. Hopefully we’re not completely ignorant southerners too. I also admire the movie for opening with a trigger warning, which is bound to be mocked by idiots, over a couple scenes of domestic violence and suicide. This is a movie that wants to be a PSA, and I think including a notice like that is very considerate, and worth looking into as a substitute for a pre-movie MPAA sticker.
The Grizzlies is a mediocre movie with lots of little great movies showing up now and again throughout its runtime. The lives, drama, and significance of the Inuit students are wonderfully engaging, and showcase a lot of rising talent I’d like to see more of -and who alone make it a film worth seeing. But they’re bound within a tame execution and drearily placed focus that does little justice to a pretty inspiring story.
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