Ladies watch Carrie Bradshaw and crew in Sex and the City, drooling over Manolo Blahnik shoes and worrying about life and love. For guys, it's Bubbles, Julian and Ricky, drooling over vintage Chevy Monte Carlos and screwing up another get-rich-quick scheme, in Trailer Park Boys.
Despite outward appearances (Can you imagine über-sophisticated Carrie calling Bubbles her Mr. Big?) these two series have more in common than you might think. They say a lot about maintaining friendship and community while Life throws its punches – and occasional knees to the groin.
Topsail/Atlantis' Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day is the latest – and last – adventure for Dartmouth's finest. Filmed in the usual unhinged documentary style by creator/director Mike Clattenburg, it's a hilarious sayonara to those lovable losers in Sunnyvale.
Mike Clattenburg's Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day Stars Jean-Paul Tremblay, Robb Wells and Mike Smith
Our mysterious documentary crew returns to film live wire Ricky (Robb Wells), man-with-the-plan Julian (Jean-Paul Tremblay) and goggle-glassed Bubbles (Mike Smith) as they're about to be released from prison . . . again. Julian's going straight: he's converting his grandmother's trailer into an auto repair shop. Ricky returns to what he knows best – growing dope – while Bubbles tries to spring his horde of kitties from the local SPCA shelter.
However, their nemesis Jim Lahey (John Dunsworth) has big plans for Sunnyvale Trailer Park, and Julian's property is in the way. Along with his potbellied SO Randy (Patrick Roach), the sober-for-two-years Lahey has a cunning plot to remove Julian from his home so the new Sunnyvale Park can get a much-needed septic line.
Will the Boys' antics threaten Lahey's sobriety? Will Julian, Ricky and Bubbles' plans get frenched by the fickle finger of fate? Will Randy wear a dress? Longtime fans likely know the answers already, and newbies will have a lot of fun finding out.
Half the fun of watching Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day is seeing how the Boys become their own worst enemy. Despite their best (and sometimes worst) intentions, everything goes hilariously wrong for this gang, and for everyone around them. Even the one who technically wins in the end gets no joy: as the character observes, "I'm in Paradise, and in love with the wrong man."
However, the other half is watching how the Boys genuinely care for each other. Ricky may grouse about how he wants to become his own man, and not be stuck to Julian's daffy plans, but when Julian's chips are down, Ricky's there. Heck, Julian's willing to torch his beloved Monte Carlo if it helps Bubbles save up the cash to save his cats.
But what really sets the Trailer Park Boys apart is how they even look out for the people they claim to hate. Ricky will shave Randy's head in one scene, and save him from the cops in another. Julian and Ricky will even risk future and freedom to save the despised Lahey from killing himself (Of course they'll start urinating on each other 5 minutes later, but that's another story).
The Final Analysis
So guys get mayhem and crimes gone wrong instead of Prada bags and breakfast at Tiffany's: Trailer Park Boys and Sex and the City still have a lot more in common than their fans (and possibly their creators) might like to admit. But Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day is a lot more fun, and probably kills a lot fewer brain cells.It gets an 8/10.
(Look for an interview with Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day director Clattenburg and actor Jonathan Torrence [J-Roc] coming soon to Suite 101.)
Fun Fact: While watching the film, look for a cameo by legendary Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson (hint, hint: he's in a dress).
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
Join the Conversation