Films to Love: Community is Essential

Back in January of last year, I wrote a post about the importance of community (see post here). With all the upheaval of 2020, particularly with the inordinate amount of isolation so many of us have had imposed upon us during this time, community is more important than ever. 

Today I want to talk about two films that highlight why community is so important and how our current culture can lose sight of it all too often. 

The Grand Seduction was one of this gem finds for my family and me. We knew nothing about the movie, but thoroughly enjoyed it.

Place: Tickle Head, a harbor village somewhere off the eastern coast of Canada (we’re not precisely sure where, but it’s remote to say the least)

The story begins with a remembrance from Murray French, the main protagonist of the story. He recalls his childhood when his father, a fisherman, would go out in the early morning to fish the seas and bring back his pay check to support his family. He waxes on about how his hard laboring father man their lives possible and how, at the end of the day, though he worked hard, his father was a fulfilled man. Every man desires the satisfaction of sitting down with his family at the end of the day knowing that he’s put in a hard days labor in order to enjoy the resultant fruits of said labor. His father, you see, had a purpose in life, a reason to get up in the morning.

Fast forward to the present where we see a grown Murray waiting on a long line to get his government check. He’s out of work. So is most of the harbor. Fishing is no longer a viable source of income. And there are no jobs to be had. In fact, the mayor of Tickle Head is so disconsolate that he himself is moving his family to that larger town in order to seek a better future for his family. 

Murray doesn’t want to give up on the place where he was born or the community that he prizes. But, when his wife takes a job in the town of St. John’s, Murray has a fire lit within him. Something must be done and soon. 

At a town meeting, the mayor makes reference to a petrochemical factory that might be willing to come to Tickle Head. The factory would provide a major of influx of jobs and stimulation to the economy. There’s just a few problems, chief among them the fact that Tickle Head does not have a resident doctor. 

Enter Dr. Paul Lewis, a plastic surgeon traveling home to Chicago from a cricket tournament. The mayor of Tickle Head, who works as a customs officer at the airport in St. John’s, finds a small stash of cocaine in Dr. Lewis’ possession. Instead of reporting him and have the authorities deal with him as he so deserves, he enacts a form of blackmail. Dr. Paul Lewis must serve a sentence of one month in the harbor town of Tickle Head or face jail time. 

When the people of Tickle Head hear about Dr. Lewis’ impending arrival, they clamor to give him a hearty Tickle Head welcome. They give the village a facelift, which amounts to a lot of funny vignettes. They even go so far as to learn how to play cricket to make it seem like Tickle Head is the idyll of Dr. Lewis’ dreams. 

And, once the doctor arrives, they lay on the charm full force in an effort to seduce the doctor to stay in their town. And, as if the way with such tight knit communities, Dr. Lewis’ does find himself enraptured by and endeared to the people of Tickle Head.

But, there are numerous complication, many dealing with all the stipulations the petrochemical factory have. But, there’s also the fact that Tickle Head hasn’t been fully honest with Dr. Lewis. And deception can wrought all sorts of trouble. 

I’ll leave it at that for you where the plot is concerned. I don’t want to to give too much away. But I will say that is fill is chock full of gentle charm and heartwarming humor. It also possesses a lot of truth about mankind that I believe makes it a worthy movie to add to your viewing queue.

Fisherman’s Friends is a new addition to Netflix, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Unlike The Grand Seduction, it is actually based upon a true story.

Place: Port Isaac, Cornwall (one of my favorite places - see post here)

It starts off in the dark hours of the early morning, with a fisherman in his kitchen making tea and listening to the weather report. He’s dressed for his day in his heavy Aran cable sweater and waders. And, as is the way with the British Isle, he’s making his morning tea. Another fisherman is looking for the talisman he carries to sea each day; he’s misplaced it, again, if his wife’s mock irritation at being enlisted to help find it is anything to go by.

The next scene we see a troupe of fisherman on their boat, baiting their traps, readying their nets, and sharing with each other the newest sea shanties they’ve learned. Then they begin to sing. And they sing remarkably well. 

We learn rather quickly than this group of fishermen comes from a line of fishermen. In fact, there’s several generation on the same boat- fathers and sons and cousins and kin. And their greatest pastime after a day at sea is to mosey up to the local pub, The Golden Lion, thrown back a few pints, and harmonize and sing old and new sea shanties. They share the stories about these songs and we learn rather quickly that sea shanties, at least to these people, are part of the fabric of their community, a way of keeping their history alive as well as paying homage to the strength and resilience of their people. 

Enter the modern music business. A group of music execs on a stag weekend happen upon this fishermen holding a little concert in the town. As part of a practical joke, they trick one of their group to stay behind and sign this motley group of salty seamen to a record contract. 

At first, the fishermen are dead set against it. They don’t like these modern types coming into their town and making fun of their ways. They’ve seen these types before. (In fact, it’s a somewhat age old argument between those of us who live in the city versus those who live in the country.) I particularly enjoyed this portion because having once lived in a major metropolis and now living in a somewhat rural community, I’ve seen first hand the very things these fishermen object to from the Londoner in their midst. 

However, as tight knit communities so often to, the Londoner becomes thoroughly enamored with Port Issac and her mariner community. And, in turn, the fishermen and their families find themselves welcoming this unlikely man into their midst. 

I think I’ll stop there, as, again, I don’t wish to give too much away. However, I encourage you to give this one a watch for several reasons. First, the colloquial charm of the film is fantastic; it’s like a mini submersion into an almost lost culture. Second, the story really is fun; you grow with the characters and understand their very real cares and concerns. Third, the music is absolutely fabulous. My husband, who is a sailor, loves to sing sea shanties, so this movie was a perfect find for us. But, I believe you, dear readers, will appreciate the history of this film, too. 

Both these movies will leave you with a sense of wellbeing at their conclusion. And since Thanksgiving is a time in which we are to count our blessings, preferably together in our gathered communities (see post here), I think these movies might be just the thing to share with your families and friends this holiday- whether you do that in person or virtually is entirely up to you and what you’re comfortable with. But, share them with someone. And, once you have, if there’s any films you think should be added to this list, please share them with your community here at Whiskers on Kittens in the comments below (or on social media, the links are below, too).

Have a blessed Thanksgiving, dear readers.