The Bay Boy

Written and directed by Daniel Petrie (A Raisin in the Sun, Square Dance), this coming-of-age drama introduced current boxoffice favorite Kiefer Sutherland (son of Donald) to film. Set in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, during 1937, the story follows Donald Campbell's (Sutherland) trials and tribulations with the poverty of his family, his flirtation with the priesthood (until he encounters a homosexual priest), and his growing interest in the fairer sex. Running through this sprawling storyline is a central dramatic incident: Donald saw a policeman murder an elderly couple, and has remained silent about the identity of the killer. With the exception of Peter Donat as Donald's hardworking father Will, and Peter Spence as his crippled brother Joe, the cast seems rather lethargic. Liv Ullmann is wasted as the mother, and we never get a sense of what Donald is all about. Ugly events are transpiring all around him--threatening to send the story into gothic horror--but the bay boy seems to take it all in stride, without revealing his hopes, fears, or desires. Nicely filmed, and intermittently engaging, The Bay Boy is not without its merits; but it's an optional purchase. (R. Pitman)