Film Review
Title: Junior 

2 ½ Stars

Reviewed By: Amanda Waschuk 

Although lacrosse has been Canada's national sport for ages, ice hockey is definitely one to compete and became Canada's official winter sport in 1994.  Many parents put their children in the sport at a young age, nurturing and encouraging them to make it to "the show."  Playing junior hockey is a major step on the path to the NHL, and this film takes a look at the behind the scenes aspects it takes to play the game. 

We see every facet of junior hockey from the rage of a coach attempting to motivate a losing team, to the puppy love crushes of two young fans.  An important side to see is the role of the family, as we see one parent lectures his son over and over claiming either he played terribly and telling him how he should play, or claiming he played superb and would surely be drafted.  Another "outside coach" is the agent.  At such a young age, these boys are susceptible to the influence of any advice given, but in the end it is really only the coach who matters.

Based on the Quebec Hockey League team the "Drakkars," Junior follows the stories of a few young players forced into maturity in order to achieve the dream of being drafted into the NHL.  Although it is a bit difficult to follow (and not just because the movie is in French with English subtitles), the viewer gets the jest of what is being portrayed in this added effects-lacking, home video-like documentary. 

The main theme of the movie is that at the young age of 16-20 these players are expected to act as adults.  By signing onto a team, they are signing their life over to the coach and dedicating their whole selves to achieving success and being committed to the team, the fans, and ultimately their dream of making it to the NHL.

The theme is made evident in the first scene of the movie.  We see a young player being given a pep talk by his father, with the following words standing out: "Grow up fast.  Only true adults get ahead."  This boy is 17.   

The next player proves that the coach holds all authority.  After a night of partying, as most teens this age would be doing, RJ finds himself at the mercy of the coach and kicked off the team.  But it's not just partying that's out; having a girlfriend is frowned upon as well.  It just goes to show that if you don't commit 100% then you will never make it.

Two other hidden hardships that are brought to our attention include what it's like to have an injury and what it's like to be traded.  An injury is definitely a hindrance on the path to greatness.  Not only does the player need to sit out during healing, but this time away also moves him back in the lineup as his skills won't be as sharp as they once were.  As we see in junior, this can be so disheartening to a player that they may even want to quit.  As for being traded, if it is to a place you don't want to play, then this could be the most disheartening of all. 

This movie sets out to prove that there is more to hockey than meets the ice.  More than just the skills are needed to succeed, and a successful player must be mentally strong for himself and the team.  Junior does an accurate job at bringing its audience into the world of junior hockey, although at the end I'm left a little scattered as the story of each boy jumped around a lot.  If a viewer is unfamiliar with the game, they may have a difficult time understanding the points being made.  But all in all, Junior is an interesting movie for those hockey fans who want to know what it takes to go all the way.