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      A Simple Curve

      2005 1 hr. 32 min. Drama List
      63% 8 Reviews Tomatometer 57% 100+ Ratings Audience Score Jim (Michael Hogan), a former hippie, runs a small woodworking business with his son Caleb (Kris Lemche) in a remote Canadian town. He disdains money and cares only about the artistry of his craftsmanship, leaving practical Caleb to prevent them from going bankrupt. One day, Matthew (Matt Craven), an old family friend who joined the corporate world, makes Caleb an offer that could be very profitable, as long as they can keep it a secret from the disapproving Jim. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member All my favorite themes - quality of craft versus economic compromise, old hippie father raising rebellious son, life and love and bonding oneself to a small mountain town, the flaws of idealistic parents, consequences of the Vietnam War among those who opposed it - thrown together with gorgeous photography of Canadian mountains and woodshop porn (only the lumber is naked, and it'll make you drool). The son is looking for love in a too-small town while his father is ruining their woodworking business by his stubborn perfectionism. Then a couple of young hippies set up a tipi in the back yard, and the son is exposed to an overdose of counterculture - and a deep family secret. The question is whether the son will learn to tell his father to "f**k off" (to use the technical phrase of the script). No explosions, no car chases, no guns. Wonderful scenery, good acting, and character-driven drama. The ending is a little too jam-packed and ambiguous, but it's a great ride. I love it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Kris Lemenche is too weak an actor to hang a movie off of. Matt Craven is good, but his role (and the associated conflict) is poorly-defined. Michael Hogan (the whole reason I even bothered with this movie) was suitable as Jim, but its as though he was never really allowed to sink his teeth into the part, so he doesn't seem very engaged throughout much of the movie. I expected more on the woodworking angle to make me fall in love with the craftsmanship of these men, but that only came in a couple of brief, insufficient vignettes and almost nothing was done to convince me that Caleb was anything more than a helper, despite claims he's almost as skilled as his father. The scenery is nice, but the story has no arc and the ending was dull & pointless. The script is broody & conflicted without really, fully explaining why. People keep advising Caleb to tell his dad off-what do they know that we viewers do not? Sure, Jim makes choices based on his heart, not his head, which makes it hard to keep the business afloat, but you never really get the sense that Caleb wants to strike out on his own. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member A Beautiful And Moving Film. Great Dialouge, Albeit Some Questionable Plot Directions. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member A Simple Curve is one of those low-key, coming of age, Canadian dramas we've come to expect out of Telefilm Canada. It does its job well enough though. At least I wasn't bored. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Oh! Canada! ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶♥ Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member A surprisingly solid piece of Canadiana, telling the story of post-hippie life in the Kootenays. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      A Simple Curve

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      Critics Reviews

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      Ken Eisner Variety A refreshing take on an overused theme -- dysfunctional father-son connections -- starts gently and gets more compelling as it glides along like a woodworker's sharpened plane over smooth surfaces. Feb 3, 2006 Full Review Peter Howell Toronto Star Possesses wisdom that is rare for film these days, let alone a debut. Rated: 3.5/4 Feb 3, 2006 Full Review Liam Lacey Globe and Mail Yes, there's craft in Nealon's writing, but it seems more suited to the riffing non-sequiturs of episodic television than the narrative arc of a film. Rated: 2/4 Feb 3, 2006 Full Review Dorothy Woodend The Tyee (British Columbia) This is a young man's film. . .In this film, women are either dead, or not central to the process. Still it deserves its due; it's clean, well made and a nice piece of craftsmanship. Aug 24, 2017 Full Review James Wegg JWR Living what comes naturally Rated: 2.5/5 Jun 28, 2009 Full Review John A. Nesbit Old School Reviews paint-by-numbers script that just doesn't trust the audience enough Rated: C+ Apr 29, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Jim (Michael Hogan), a former hippie, runs a small woodworking business with his son Caleb (Kris Lemche) in a remote Canadian town. He disdains money and cares only about the artistry of his craftsmanship, leaving practical Caleb to prevent them from going bankrupt. One day, Matthew (Matt Craven), an old family friend who joined the corporate world, makes Caleb an offer that could be very profitable, as long as they can keep it a secret from the disapproving Jim.
      Director
      Aubrey Nealon
      Screenwriter
      Aubrey Nealon
      Production Co
      Canadian Television Fund
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Dec 9, 2016
      Sound Mix
      Dolby