Review

So class is over for the year! Yeah! I can't wait till summer begins and I get to enjoy the weather! But first, review for the exam.

The theme that has really circled each unit studied in this course would be Canada's struggle for identity. Because Canada is so close to America, and America owns so many businesses and enterprises in Canada, we struggle to be different from the United States. Canadians identify with American music, movies, magazines and tons of other products including food and household items. An issue that Canada struggles with is media consumption. At least 90% of TV, movies and music listened to by Canadians is American owned and made. Although Canada can identify with a few Canadian actors and musicians, they all have to travel to the United States in order to become super stars and make a lot of money.

Because of the age of technology, Canada no longer wants to identify with the wilderness and our Canadian symbol of the beaver for example. Canada wants to be like America in this technological age. America identifies with their popular culture or entertainment industry. America has the biggest english speaking entertainment industry in the world. Canada wants this identity. Canada wants to identify with the media and entertainment. They no longer want to identify with the country, they want to identify with American popular culture.

The problem with Canadian Popular Culture is that, as a Canadian, we have lost sight of our nationality. It seems that the borders between America and Canada have blurred and we all consume the same products. Canada needs to fight to be individual and we need to take control of our own nation. It seems pathetic that Canada relies so much on American popular culture.

Personally I think there should be a nice in between. Canadians should be allowed to consume American products (including movies) but Canada needs to come up with their own to support our own economy. Being a film student and a future filmmaker for this country, I'm concerned about the film industry in this country. Because all theatre enterprises in Canada are American owned Canadian films can't get distribution. None of the exhibitors have faith in the Canadian film which is rightly believed after the disaster with One Week, but they need to give other films a chance. And Canada has to figure out some way to be able to put more money in their films if they are ever to compete with American big budget films. The least the American exhibitors could do would be have an evening once a week to play a featured Canadian film. At least give Canada the opportunity to see their own nations films.

So this is my final blog and all I can say is... it has been......... interesting.

Shania Twain

"Inside every Canadian, whether she or he knows it or not, there is, in fact, an American. The magnitude and effect of this American presence is us all varies considerably from person to person, but it ubiquitous and inescapable" - John Meisel

-I somewhat agree with this statement. I do agree that everyone has a little of American spirit in them whether they want to or not. I mean it's hard not to in Canada. America is our neighbour and they have taken over so many industries in Canada and influence us like crazy! Each individual person is influenced by America.

-However I'm not sure I agree that the film viewed in class: Shania Twain: A Life in Eight Albums, reverses this statement. When viewing her childhood I guess I could agree with this statement because they included scenes with her Native Grandfather and Mom's Husband which takes us back to the roots of Canada when the Natives ruled the land. And her home was very Canadian-esque, or what I would think to be Canadian. There is one scene in the film where Eileen (Shania) talks to her mom about the moose meat they had sent her and how it was killed after being hit with a truck. That to me seems very Canadian. I could be uneducated in this manner but does America even have moose? And even though I HATE moose meat, my Grandfather and Uncle are hunters and I share a similar story involving a moose being hit and then cut up for meat. Totally gross and I wish I didn't have a similar story but I do. Anyways back to my point. The movie definitely shows her Canadian culture but I don't agree that she has been Americanized. In the film she tired country music but didn't like it so she wanted to sing in a rock band, and when I think of rock bands I think of America. So maybe she wanted to be American. Yes she didn't do well in Nashville but I don't think that had anything to do with her nationality. She was just young and inexperienced and no producers were interested. But after working more and trying new things, she finally got a record deal and it was with an American Country producer in Nashville. So yes in a sense she became American because she signed with an American producer, but I don't think she ever lost sight of her origins in Canada. Just because she was/is an International success does not mean she gave into the 'American presence'

-Overall I think yes the movie brought our her Canadian origins with the references to her Native family but I disagree that Shania has even been obscured as being Americanized. She's famous. So are you stating that if you are famous you have to be American. If a Canadian becomes famous in America does that make them American? If an American becomes famous in Canada does that make them Canadian? most definitely not!

-I think the intended audience for this film would be her fans. People always want to know about how stars got to where they wanted to be. In terms of nationality, it could be for both nationalities, maybe more American just because American's are more unfamiliar with Shania's Native-Canadian background, and Canadians know more about her. Or at least I do. I grew up listening to Shania Twain and I love her. My family told me all about her life story when I was a child, like how she was Canadian and lived in Timmons which is a smaller town then where I am from, and how her story is SO successful because she was from such a small town and became very famous.

-The film could connect Canadians together because it shows the real life that most Canadians lived back in the 80s/90s, struggling to survive during the tough times. The film would connect the most with Natives I supposed, since it shows more of their struggles. But I'm really unsure of how the film really connects with Canadians other then the fact that it is a Canadian film about a Canadian star.

-I think the more Shania grows up the more glitzy and glamourous she becomes but thats necessary to become success and be noticed by the people that matter in the industry. I don't think the film becomes more glitzy in order to be more connected with Canada because that wouldn't make sense. When we think of glitz and glamour we think of America, do we not? Canada is boring to Canadians, which is why all Canadian's have a piece of America in them because they think their life would be boring if they were all Canadian.