As the only gas station for 40 kilometres around in any direction, Corner Gas is the hub of life in the small fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan. Besides being a place that all of Dog River’s residents pass through at some point, it is a necessary pit stop for people low on gas passing through the badlands of rural Saskatchewan.
Corner Gas began as a highly successful Canadian sitcom created by Brent Butt (who also stars at the main character, Leroy), and the movie is due to hit the big screens in early December.
Corner Gas: The Movie follows the same characters as the television series. It is a feel-good film about the importance of community that can definitely be appreciated by everyone, but will be especially funny and exciting for people who have already seen the original television series.
The last episode of Corner Gas aired in 2009, so this movie is a nice extra tidbit wherein viewers get to revisit their favourite characters five years later, as they face their biggest crisis yet. Even if you never followed the series, this movie stands well on its own two feet; never wasting a minute, Corner Gas is propelled by riveting, well-developed characters and well-paced humour.
The movie features a cast of mostly loveable, very distinct characters, from sarcastic, deadpan Leroy (the owner of Corner Gas) to his best friend Yarbo, the unemployed perpetual dreamer often heralded as the village idiot, to Wanda, an incredibly intelligent — and brilliantly brazen — single mom who is always up to some crazy shenanigans.
The interactions between these very authentic characters are not only super fun to watch, but also provide a commentary, however light-hearted and comedic, about the struggle between community and the self.
This 90-minute feature explores the importance of duty to one’s community, even if it goes against one’s self-interest; through a tug-of-war perspective, it demonstrates both the good and bad consequences as its characters walk that line.
What I especially liked about the film was its location, and the fact that it focused on slow, small-town life. The fact that the main characters were not just friends but neighbours, and that much more intertwined, increased the sense of community.
I personally like the atmosphere of the prairie landscape that was the backdrop throughout the film — the sprawling, open plains, the electric powerhouse in the middle of nowhere, the tall blades of grass drifting in the wind.
Corner Gas displayed the breadbasket of Canada in an enthralling way; I would be very proud to call this a uniquely, distinctly Canadian film.
