Tim Riggins Goes A-Doctorin’, B’ys, in this folksy adaptation of the decade-old French film by Jean-François Pouliot. Directed by Don McKellar (confusing), this
Seduction stars Taylor Kitsch as a Toronto doctor (the hotshot is implied) who is tricked into spending a month in the depressed Newfoundland town of Tickle Head. If he agrees to stay, they’ll qualify as a factory site for a petroleum company. The jobs won’t be great, but better than a whole town on EI. Brendan Gleeson is Murray, the self-appointed leader of the seduction mission, who has another motivation: His wife (Cathy Jones) has just left him for work in Sr. John’s. Michael Dowse (
FUBAR) joins original writer Ken Scott for this version, which ambles along amiably if not excitingly enough, pulling a bunch of well-meaning shenanigans on the doctor to convince him life in Tickle Head is where it’s at. Gordon Pinsent and Mark Critch provide sassy support; poor Liane Balaban, as a post office worker who is literally the only person in her age bracket left in this town (the movie doesn’t care why), is the half-hearted love interest and doesn’t even get to kiss Kitsch.
The Grand Seduction is good-looking, well-cast and funny like an old CBC comedy. Totally fine.