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Ordinary Magic

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Ordinary Magic
Directed byGiles Walker
Written byJefferson Lewis
Based onGanesh
by Malcolm Bosse
Produced byPaul Stephens
Starring
CinematographyPaul Sarossy
Edited byRalph Brunjes
Music byMychael Danna
Distributed byCineplex Odeon Films
Release date
  • October 21, 1993 (1993-10-21)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Ordinary Magic is a Canadian drama film, directed by Giles Walker and released in 1993.[1] The film stars Ryan Reynolds, in his film debut, as a young boy who was raised in India by his father, who experiences culture shock when he must return to Canada following his father's death.[2]

The story is based on the novel Ganesh by Malcolm Bosse,[3] with Canada substituting in the film for the book's Midwestern USA location.

Plot

Jeffrey/Ganesh (Ryan Reynolds) has been raised with the ideals of social activism as part of his everyday life. His father spends the better part of their lives fighting for social justice in India. After his father dies, fifteen-year-old Jeffrey is sent to live with his aunt Charlotte (Glenne Headly) in the small town of Paris, Ontario. Through several comedic situations and with considerable effort, he manages to make friends and fit into his new, much smaller world. However, when his aunt receives an unfair eviction notice from her sleazy landlord (Paul Anka), every bit of his background and training comes into play, as he works with her to put on a well-publicized hunger strike, or Satyagraha, which wins the admiration of the local citizens.

Cast

Actor Role
Ryan Reynolds Jeffrey "Ganesh" Moore
Glenne Headly Charlotte Moore Strepski
Paul Anka Joey Dean
Cara Pifko Lucy Smith
David Fox Warren Moore
Heath Lamberts Mayor Walton
J. Winston Carroll Chief Billy Halstead
Mark Wilson Mr. Harris
Denawaka Hamine Vani
Henry Jayasena Priest
Keith Dinicol Mayor’s Sidekick
Catherine Fitch Doctor

Awards

Jefferson Lewis received a Genie Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 15th Genie Awards in 1994.[4]

References

  1. ^ Bill Brownstein, "Filming magic on a shoestring; Despite little fanfare, Canadian movies can hold their own". Montreal Gazette, January 15, 1994.
  2. ^ Christopher Harris, "Film Review: Ordinary Magic". The Globe and Mail, November 8, 1993.
  3. ^ "GANESH by Malcolm J. Bosse". Kirkus Reviews. April 1, 1981.
  4. ^ "The 1994 Genie nominees". Playback. November 7, 1994. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.