THE VILLAGE THE VILLAGE

interview |
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Kelly and Jacot
thought, considering that it was
CHUM’s first attempt at making a teen
comedy, they may have wanted to play it
a little safe, but I think these comedies
only work if they are taken to extremes,
when you’re either grossed out, or
think it’s hilarious. There’s a lot of both
in our movie.”
For the film’s veteran director, Mark
Griffiths, the assignment brought back
memories of the first film he directed,
the 1984 jiggle-vision sex romp
Hardbodies, and he wasn’t so sure he
wanted to revisit that territory.
“I hadn’t done a sex comedy in 20
years,” says Griffiths on the phone from
his Los Angeles home. “I thought, ‘Am
I ready to do this?’ Was I going to be
able to let go, have fun and enjoy the
experience for what it is? And add in
the fact you’re making a comedy, which
is the hardest thing you can do.
“But then you have to say, ‘Yeah, let’s
go for it, let’s have fun,’ and we did. Of
course, we were sleep deprived, shooting
the film in 28 days and through
four time zones.”
What’s striking about the film, aside
from it’s unabashed randiness, is that
it’s a gorgeous film, bursting with postcard-pretty
shots of Canada.
“It’s an extraordinarily beautiful
film,” says Boehme. “But I’ll tell you,
when I talked to Mark [Griffiths] and
said, ‘We want to make this road movie
that goes from coast to coast in Canada,’
Belleville (left) and Shawn Roberts
he said, ‘Wow, what a great idea! That’s
never ever been done before.’
“And then, when we were driving
with the crew bouncing around on an
obscure little highway in the middle
of nowhere, I said, ‘Remember Mark
when we had that conversation? Well
now we know why it hasn’t been done
before… it’s friggin’ hard to do! This is
From Left: Jackie Burroughs,
Matt Frewer and Kate Luyben
famous 28 | august 2004
a really big country [laughs].’”
So, will Canadian teens be lining up
to see this bawdy travelogue? Unlike
Porky’s, which was funded by 1980s taxshelter
money that came from cagey
Canadian doctors, lawyers and business
folks looking to spread out their earnings,
Going the Distance cost CHUM
about $9-million to make, although the
company did have some help from
Telefilm Canada and the Canadian
Television Fund.
“That’s quite a lot of money for a
Canadian film,” says Boehme, “especially
when it’s been financed entirely
within Canada with no international
co-partners whatsoever.”
“All I want is audiences to come out
of the theatres and say, ‘Man, that was a
really funny movie,’ and tell their
friends,” says Griffiths. “Do I think this
movie will be a breakthrough? No. But
I do hope it opens the doors for others
to make commercially viable Canadian
comedies.”
It’s fitting that the last word should go
to Jacot, who, like his on-screen character,
isn’t afraid to lay it on the line.
“There’s a stigma against Canadian
movies, but I think our movie polishes
that off. Our movie is as funny, or funnier,
than American Pie or Road Trip.
“I think it has the potential to blow
up and be huge. We’ll be anxiously
waiting to see what the first weekend’s
box-office will be.”