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| | Salesrank: 131257
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| Our Price: $13.88 |
| Used Price: $7.95 |
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MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Filmed on location in damp, windswept Nova Scotia and set in the 1970s, New Waterford Girl centers around the attempts of Moonie (newcomer Liane Balaban) to flee the constraints of small-town life. The lanky lass would like to be an artist and is encouraged by her teacher, Sweeney (Andrew McCarthy), to apply for a scholarship that will take her out of Cape Breton. In the meantime, she befriends Lou (Tara Spencer-Nairn), the tough girl next door, who helps her to devise an alternate plan. As in his previous features, Times Square and Pump Up the Volume, director Allen Moyle is interested in pop culture and teens who don't quite fit in. Despite the presence of better-known actors like Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull) and Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall), this is Balaban's film and she carries it with an awkward, yet endearing grace. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
New Waterford Girl Reviews:
So funny I spit out my milk 
2009-03-27 - A story of the teenage town oddball who just wants to get the hell out of Cape Breton.
I grew up in the 70s in a small Irish/French Catholic town in the Maritimes, and I found the movie's portrayal of the town and its people pretty accurate.
Plus, I think I went to college with one of the editors. Good work, Joyce, if it's you!
YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE!
2008-01-19 - I purchased this movie for a present, but by no fault of Amazon, it didn't arrive in time. I will never give it away, but I may purchase it for many friends. This is a FABULOUS film. I thought it was a boxing movie, but you have to watch it for 45 minutes to even see a shred of boxing. This is witty, bright, intelligent, and a simply amazing film. Guys, girls, everyone loves it. We saw "Juno" just before seeing this movie, and they are two films that are worth contrasting. Gee whiz, ya' just gotta see this movie, see the talented actors/actresses, appreciate the dialogue and plot development...ya' just gotta see it. It is definitely one of my all-time favorite films, and I'm really, really picky.
New Waterford Girl
2007-02-21 - To me, this is what family is all about. Moonie's mother and father struggle to understand her. She's weird. She's creative. She's an artist. Their little town isn't large enough for her. Moonie's family push her to give up her dreams, like each of them did. That probably was alright for them. Moonie persists and finally her mother "gets it," not that she understands Moonie's artistic nature at all, just that she understands that Moonie needs to live in a larger world. After all is said and done, the most important thing is that Moonie's mother loves her.
good movie; significant flaw in presentation 
2006-11-03 - Since the mid-'90s, I've been collecting laserdiscs and DVDs. Never before have I had the following problem with a movie: it is cropped on the left, right, TOP AND BOTTOM! As such, "New Waterford Girl" is very strange and distracting to watch. Perhaps one might think that some shots were oddly composed, when this is not true.
It's apparent that the movie's real aspect ratio is 1.85:1.
For this DVD, the 1.85:1 image was first blown up to 1.33:1 (thus cropping the left and right sides). Then, some black bars were slapped on to the top and bottom of the 1.33:1 image to make it *look* 1.85:1 (now the top and bottom of the screen are missing portions of the original, 1:85:1 image).
Proof: The movie often airs on Showtime. I compared this DVD to the version I had taped off of Showtime. In particular, the scene where Mooney's in the bar; just before Lou comes up to her table. On the VHS tape, one can see Mooney's entire right hand. On the DVD, half of it is cut off.
I'm glad that this little-known, 4-Star movie is at least available on DVD (better than nothing). I just wish that it didn't have this significant flaw in presentation.
Fortunately, the rest of the disc is more appealing. The video quality is much better here than on Showtime. [Most obviously when Lou's red coat is on-screen. :)] Also, there's a cool, useful Featurette.
But still, I cannot recommend this DVD. Not until the aspect ratio problem is fixed. Until that point, one's better off seeing "NWG" on Showtime.
Hilarious, Unconventional Look At Growing up In A Small Town
2006-05-10 - Desperate to leave the dreary confines of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, loner Moonie Pottie (Liane Balaban) seeks help from a teacher Mr. Sweeney (brilliantly played by Andrew McCarthy). A supportive (thought slightly lecherous) friend, he helps her win a scholarship to a school in New York City. Unfortunately, Moonie's strict Irish Catholic parents will hear nothing of their 15 year old daughter moving to New York.
When Moonie teams up with another outsider named Lou (Tara Spencer-Nairn), a newcomer to Cape Breton from NYC, they devise an outrageous plan to help Moonie escape. Besides being the champion of Moonie's ambitions, Lou becomes a hilarious force to be reckoned with when less than gentlemanly males betray the girls of the town.
"New Waterford Girl" perfectly captures the nuances of growing up in the 70's with sympathetic, believable characters that might have been clich?d with a less talented writer. Few "coming of age" movies manage to blend laughs with reality this perfectly.
