The early 1960s: In preparation for his Bar Mitzvah, a Jewish boy, Max Glick (Noam Zylberman) from a small Manitoba community with an overbearing family tries to navigate his coming-of-age with his family’s condescension and bigotry using his sarcastic, Jewish humour. The town’s rabbi dies, and a sub-plot develops in which Max’s father (Aaron Schwartz) and grandfather (Jan Rubes)-both synagogue leaders-are saddled with a traditional Hassidic rabbi who sticks out like a sore thumb among the otherwise assimilated Jewish community. To make matters more difficult, Max likes a Catholic girl (14 year old Fairuza Baulk in just her third film), whom he later competes with in a piano competition. The quirky, fun-loving rabbi tries to help him with his problems, yet harbours a secret ambition of his own.
Filmed in Winnipeg and rural Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada.
Tag: prairie
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Sarah, Plain and Tall
Kansas, 1910. Widowed farmer Jacob Witting finds that taking care of both his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult to handle alone. John takes out an ad in a newspaper for a mail-order bride, to which the “plain and tall” Sarah Wheaton answers, soon traveling from Maine to Kansas to become John’s wife. Despite the love that grows between Sarah and the family, Sarah finds herself homesick, and she must ultimately choose whether or not to stay.
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City Slickers
Three New York businessmen decide to take a “Wild West” vacation that turns out not to be the relaxing vacation they had envisioned.
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The Quick and the Dead
A mysterious woman comes to compete in a quick-draw elimination tournament, in a town taken over by a notorious gunman.
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Beyond the Prairie, Part 2: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder Continues
Laura, her husband Almanzo and their daughter Rose leave South Dakota and head for Missouri in search of a better, more financially stable life. It’s a daunting journey, but they’re sustained by their resolve. However, they’re faced with an even greater challenge after their arrival: an ailing and bedridden Almanzo is unable to tend their new land. With winter fast on its way, Laura attempts to clear the land herself and plant the acres of apple trees that they hope will ensure their future.
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Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy
Muyun Sheng, born from a spirit mother, is the unfavoured sixth son of the reigning Emperor Ming of Duan. Discovering an ancient painting by chance, he is captivated by the spirit locked inside (Panxi), and together, they promise to search for the most beautiful places on Earth. Muru Hanjiang, friend of Muyun Sheng, is the son of General Muru Shuo, famous for conquering the Eight Tribes of Han Province.
Many years later, the descendant of the Eight Tribes Shuofeng Heye sows discord between the Muyun and Muru families. Only when the friendship and loyalty between these two families is rebuilt will the Duan Dynasty be safe from invasion by the Eight Tribes. This drama tells of the loyalty, friendship, enmity and romance between the young descendants during the twilight years of the Duan Dynasty.