Paul Spence as Dean Murdoch and Mary Walsh as May in Deaner '89.Alan Fraser/Mongrel Media
- Deaner ‘89
- Directed by Sam McGlynn
- Written by Paul Spence
- Starring Paul Spence, Will Sasso and Kevin McDonald
- Classification N/A; 90 minutes
- Opens in theatres Sept. 6
Critic’s Pick
In 1989, Dean Murdoch (Paul Spence) is a teenager in small-town Manitoba who is banking on a hockey scholarship to catapult him to greater things. That is until he uncovers a key part of his past that sets him on a course paved by heavy metal.
To be clear, Deaner ‘89 isn’t part of or a follow-up to the FUBAR franchise. It isn’t just a new outlet to “give’r!“ or a comedic homage to finding the music that comes to define you. Instead, it’s a comedically sound stand-alone story about grappling with one’s personal and cultural identity. It’s a platform for excellent performances that walk the fine line between campy and compelling. And it’s a history primer for anyone who’s still in the dark about the Sixties Scoop and the Canadian government’s historic mistreatment of Indigenous persons, delivered in a unique and compelling way.
When we cross paths with teen Dean, he’s happy enough with his suburban life. He lives with adoptive parents (Will Sasso and Lauren Cochrane), his sister Jen (Star Slade), and is content to fill his spare time with shot-gunning beers or kicking it with his girlfriend, Kitty (Maddy Foley). Then, in the wake of his estranged father’s passing, he’s left a trunk full of belongings that connect him not only to his father’s affinity for heavy metal, but to his father’s Métis heritage – a fact that had been hidden from Dean over the course of his life.
Too many movies on your to-watch list? Here are the best films of 2023
As expected, this revelation affects the burgeoning hockey star. And as he puts the pieces of his familial puzzle together, he begins to forge a new identity outside of the white and Christian confines established by his adopted family. He pushes back against his racist classmates and authority figures, he reclaims the parts of himself that had been erased, and he shirks the expectations and pressure to abide by the life plan previously mapped out for him. At one point in the film he’s told, “You can be who you are, but you don’t always have to show who you are.” Ultimately, Deaner ‘89 is about celebrating both and the joy rooted in revelling in one’s authenticity.
It is also hilarious. Spence, as the star, scriptwriter, producer and co-composer, commits to the Murdoch persona spectacularly while making him just vulnerable enough to ensure Dean’s arc feels believable. His scenes shared with Mary Walsh as Kitty’s Aunt Meg are a testament to the art of physical comedy, yet the film’s magic is anchored to the moments shared between Dean and Jen.
Deaner ‘89 is a comedically sound stand-alone story about grappling with one’s personal and cultural identity.Alan Fraser/Mongrel Media
As siblings united in reclaiming their Métis and Blackfoot roots, they create a camaraderie that eclipses rhyme, reason or threats made by biker gangs. Slade shines in every scene she appears in, underscoring the importance of Dean’s quest to amalgamate past and present selves, while delivering her lines with a warmth and conviction that truly sells their sibling dynamic.
As Dean narrates decades later, “I wasn’t running away from something, I was running toward it.” And while the aforementioned running admittedly involves an uncountable number of gags, teased bangs, and f-bombs, these all successfully work to capture not only the spirit of youth but the spirit of metal.
It is easy as adults to forget the clueless, teen babies we were the first time we discovered how music led to uncovering precious, new communities. It’s easier still to dismiss the eras in which we used lyrics or art as tools to explain ourselves. Deaner ‘89 is a love letter to those catalytic moments. Metal may not have been the gateway for everybody (especially for those of us partial to Spice Girls), but Dean’s unwavering love for the genre is relatable to anyone who once stood in line at a Ticketmaster kiosk.
Deaner ‘89 is a delight. Or, as Dean might say to those planning on seeing it: give’r.