Scarborough

 "Scarborough" won the 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best Picture; deservedly so. What's is all about? It revolves around the children of three families who attend a drop-in reading centre in, you guessed it, in Scarborough. This is Canada's version of "The Florida Project" - if you are unfamiliar with that movie, then let me describe it this way: It's a gritty realistic portrait about families living in poverty, specifically kids. In the hood of Scarborough, the film gives us snap-shots of drug addition, mental illness, racial biases, white privilege, and some undiagnosed autism. It also addresses the broken system of social services for those who have no power, money, or privilege. It's grim, and yet despite some horribly tragic events which take place, there is a kindness to the film, and dare I say, maybe even a little hope. The child actors are phenomenal - Anna Claire Beitel as Laura (the daughter of a meth-head mom and an impoverished neo-Nazi dad) was a standout for me. If you are looking for great Canadian cinema, the take a trip to "Scarborough." Catch it a your local rep cinema or on DVD or Streaming services.