The Rowdyman
Year: 1972
Language: English
Format: 35mm Colour
Runtime: 94 min
Director:
Peter Carter
Producer:
Lawrence Dane
Writer:
Gordon Pinsent
Cinematographer:
Edmund Long
Editor:
Michael Manne
Sound:
David Howells
Music:
Ben McPeek
Cast:
E Henley,
Stuart Gillard,
Estelle Wall,
Linda Goranson,
Will Geer,
Frank Converse,
Sabina Maydelle,
Gordon Pinsent
Production Company:
Canart Films
Will Cole’s philosophy on life is, “Seduce it if it moves and drink it if it pours.” Will (Pinsent), is in his thirties, lives in a small town in Newfoundland and sees no reason to take life seriously. He constantly has something up his sleeve, but for the people in his life, his pranks and antics bring tragedy and pain. His friend Andrew (Converse) dies because of Will, the only woman he cares about (Goranson) becomes suicidal and the old man (Geer) who was his mentor dies while Will is pushing him in his wheelchair.
The Rowdyman, a comedy with moralistic overtones, is principally the creation of Gordon Pinsent. Peter Carter’s crypto-Hollywood style often seems at odds with Pinsent’s ideas. Like many other Canadian films of the same period, The Rowdyman emphasizes the relationship between environment and the outsider hero, who either accepts the significance of social integration or learns the hard way.
The film was a commercial success, becoming Pinsent’s calling card. The Rowdyman stands up today as up as one of the best films made about life in Newfoundland. An hour�€'long documentary, Action, Cut and Print, was made about the production of the film.