Cora Watches: Getting Married in Buffalo Jump (1990)
Today on Cora Watches, we journey to the wide-open spaces of Alberta, Canada. Getting Married in Buffalo Jump is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Susan Haley, and it was broadcast on CBC in November of 1990.
No spoilers, so read on without fear!
The basic story
After her father dies, Sophie leaves her life as a musician in Toronto to come back and run the family farm. Running the farm is a challenge; she is helped along the way by Alex, a farmhand she knew in her youth. As she struggles to keep the farm afloat, Sophie is surprised when Alex suggests that they get married for the sake of the business.
Things I love about it
I love so much about this movie.
The cast: Wendy Crewson and Paul Gross, the leads, are outstanding. Both give excellent performances, and their chemistry is real and natural. In fact, Wendy guest-starred in an episode of Due South in 1997.
The location: I love, adore, and cherish movies with great settings, and this movie was shot on location in Alberta. The landscape is beautiful, all vast, expansive farmland and small towns. Beautiful and real.
The writing: This story is a very unusual angle for any kind of romance, but the writing (and the two very solid leads) makes it work. Sophie and Alex are intelligent characters, very real and likeable, and it's wonderful to watch them navigate a complicated situation, figuring themselves and each other out along the way. The conflicts are genuine and compelling, and the story is worthwhile.
Paul Gross: I watched this movie because I love Paul Gross. And he's so CUTE. He's young and fit and beyond adorable in this movie. Look at his little bolo tie:
Do I recommend this movie? Yes. I very much enjoyed it. I went into it thinking it would be some dumb, flimsy romance, but instead I found it to be a compelling story in a unique cultural setting, and seeing Paul Gross all sweaty and hardworking was just a bonus 🤠
As of writing, it's available on Tubi, and can also be found on youtube. I'm not in Canada, so it might be available on CBC streaming as well; je ne sais pas.
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