Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Ambitious, mature look at dying filmmaker's life & regrets.
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Oh, Canada
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In OH, CANADA, Leonard Fife (Richard Gere) is dying. He's a famed documentary filmmaker who achieved legendary status by moving from the United States to Canada as a conscientious objector rather than being drafted into the military. He agrees to let former students Malcolm (Michael Imperioli) and Diana (Victoria Hill) make a film about his life; they're accompanied by young Sloane (Penelope Mitchell). Leonard insists that his much younger wife, Emma (Uma Thurman), also a former student, be present at all times. As filming begins, it becomes clear that Leonard has no intention of answering any prepared questions; he wants to use the time and the platform to clear the air about his own past—and perhaps find forgiveness.
Is It Any Good?
Perhaps one of filmmaker Paul Schrader's most personal movies, this mishmash collage of death, filmmaking, guilt, and redemption-seeking is an ambitious, unruly jumble. Oh, Canada reunites Schrader with Gere, the star of Schrader's 1980 film American Gigolo. Schrader also returns to the work of the late novelist Russell Banks, whose Affliction provided the basis of Schrader's excellent, same-named 1998 movie. (Oh, Canada is based on Banks' 2001 novel Foregone.) Reminiscent of Citizen Kane, the movie's nonlinear timeline not only jumps from past to present seemingly at random, but also switches out Gere for his younger self—played by Jacob Elordi—and vice versa, within those timelines. Likewise, both Thurman and Mitchell play characters in both timelines.
It can be difficult to follow what's going on, especially since many of the characters have "A" names (Amanda, Alicia, Amy). But Schrader has never been one to be concerned about what audiences think. Still, Oh, Canada comes together as a complex whole, a feeling or a sensation of what this person, this Leonard Fife, might have been like, rather than just a list of facts. Of course, through all of this, Schrader is really talking about himself, which is one of the boldest things an artist can do.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Oh, Canada depicts drinking and smoking. Are they glamorized? Are there realistic consequences? Why is that important?
How does the movie address death? How do characters react to it?
Do you think Leonard Fife is a hero? Why, or why not?
Do you think the character finds forgiveness or redemption at the end? Why, or why not?
Are documentaries objective? Or can human choices change the way the story is told?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 6, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : January 21, 2025
- Cast : Richard Gere , Uma Thurman , Jacob Elordi
- Director : Paul Schrader
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Kino Lorber
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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