Les Boys
Les Boys | |
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![]() Home video cover art | |
Directed by | Louis Saia |
Written by | Christian Fournier Louis Saïa |
Produced by | Richard Goudreau Jeffrey Tinnell |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Sylvain Brault |
Edited by | Yvann Thibaudeau |
Music by | Normand Corbeil |
Distributed by | CFP International |
Running time | 107 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | French |
Budget | CAD3,300,000 (estimated) |
Box office | $10,602,341[1] |
Les Boysis a 1997Quebec-madecomedyfilm directed byLouis Saia.It has spawned three sequels and by any measure (profit,box officeor attendance) is the most successful Quebec made film series of all time, and one of the most successfulCanadian-made film series of all time.
Plot
[edit]The plot revolves around the players on ahockeyteam ( "Les Boys" ) that play in a low levelamateurhockey league. They are made up of a wide variety of professions and personalities, including apolice officer,a barely competentdoctor,amechanic,anunemployedhockeytriviabuff who has lost his confidence as agoaltender,a shifty real estate salesman and acloseted gaylawyer.The team is sponsored by a pub owner, whose son desperately wants to play hockey with the older men. The film starts at the time of the league championship, at which time the team is soundly thrashed in the final.
Meanwhile, the pub owner is losing at poker to the head of the local organized crime syndicate, to the tune of $50,000. Given the opportunity to pay him back, the owner can only raise $25,000. After threatening to break his leg, the crime boss proposes another wager - a game between Les Boys and his own team. If Les Boys win, the debt is settled, but if they lose, the crime boss gets the pub.
In the week leading up to the big game, a number of sub plots emerge. Chief among them is the fact that most of the partners of the hockey players are starved for affection and intimacy, including the effeminate partner of the gay lawyer. Their primary complaint is that their men are either consumed by work or hockey to the exclusion of their relationships. Meanwhile, the doctor is attempting to get the pub's attractive waitress to notice him, but she only has eyes for the team's best player, the hunky, but married, mechanic.
When game day arrives, the waitress has waylaid the mechanic on the pretext that her car needs work. The rest of the players show up (including the goalie, who has previously vowed retirement) to find themselves faced with a team of ringers, including players they recognize from various minor leagues. Bewildered by the competition and handicapped by the lack of their best player, they quickly fall behind until the pub owner finally discloses the wager, and the mechanic shows up when he learns from his teammates that his wife is looking for him at the rink. Naturally, they overcome all obstacles and triumph, the gay lawyer is outed by his reunion with his lover, and the waitress finally sees the doctor without his cheaptoupeeand likes what she sees.
English translation of title
[edit]Translating "Les Boys" to English poses obvious difficulties as the word "Boys" is borrowed directly fromEnglish.As with most examples of English words borrowed intoQuebec French,it is treated grammatically as a French noun, and given the proper plural, definite article. Literally, the title could be translated as "The 'Boys'", and this is the title used for English versions onvideotapeorDVD.
Film as part of Quebec culture
[edit]Surprisingly, this is one of very few Quebec made feature films to deal with ice hockey, a near obsession for many in Quebec since the beginning of the 20th century. Outsiders often underestimate the importance of hockey toCanadian culture,and particularly toQuebec culture.A film about aging immature men pursuing their sport on a serious amateur level is not a new one (seeThe Longest Yard,Mystery, Alaska,etc.), but it struck a responsive chord with Quebec audiences, many of whom obviously saw a piece of themselves in the characters.[citation needed]
Box office success
[edit]Les Boyscost about $3,300,000 (CAD) to make, and took in domestic box office of over $6,000,000CADand another $4,000,000USDin theUnited States.Given the size of the Québec market (the film saw limited release in English Canada), a $6 million box office is the approximate equivalent of over $250 million for a domestic U.S. release, assuming a population ratio of about 1:40. Its three sequels were also the best performing films at the Québec box office in the years they were released.[citation needed]
Reception
[edit]French audiences generally enjoy the film far more than English audiences. This is no doubt partially because most English versions of the film have a badlydubbeddialogue, whereas the French dialogue is far more realistic.[citation needed]
Sequels
[edit]Due to the success of the movie at the Quebec box office, Louis Saïa directed two additional sequels,Les Boys IIandLes Boys III.The third sequel,Les Boys IV,was directed by George Mihalka.
The second movie is about the team playing in a tournament inChamonix, France.During the movie, the team's equipment is stolen in Chamonix. They manage to get their equipment back and to win the tournament in a shootout.Daniel Russojoin the cast of the movie. It grossed $6 million in the United States and Canada, including $3.8 million in Canada.[2][3]
The third one is more complex, as Stan's team members are demoted to a team managed by one of Stan's friends. During a matchup between the remaining Boys members and former Boys members, it is revealed that Stan's friend wants to use land around Stan's bar to build condos. The former Boys turn against their new team and Stan takes over his friend's bar. In this movie, the Boys play a game against theCanada women's Olympic teamconsisting mainly of players from Quebec (Kim St-Pierre,Caroline Ouellette,Danielle Goyette,Gina Kingsburyand others). The Boys are easily defeated by the girls.
The fourth movie is again a tournament in which the Boys' team ends up in a game against the French Legends Team (lesLégendes du Hockey). Some of the legends in the movie includeGuy Lafleur,Mike Bossy,Ray BourqueandMartin Brodeur.Also during the movie, after a bad game, Stan takes his Boys into a wooded location and nearly gets them lost in the area.
Television series
[edit]A spin-off TV series titledLes Boys: La sériedebuted on October 1, 2007 onTélévision de Radio-Canada.Most of the regulars have returned to reprise their original roles, includingRémy Girard,Marc Messier,Paul Houde, Michel Charette, Yvan Ponton, Patrick Labbé and Pierre Lebeau.
A second season debuted in January 2009. Pierre Verville and Patrice Belanger joinedLes Boysas new players. Paul Houde will not be back as the Boys goalie Fernand Rivest, as he is killed off in the season premiere.
The show ran a total of 5 seasons and ended its run in 2012.
Prequel
[edit]There was also the prequel to the saga calledil était une fois les boisreleased in 2013.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Les BoysatBox Office Mojo
- ^"Les Boys II".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedDecember 29,2022.
- ^"Canada".Screen International.10 December 1999. p. 30.
External links
[edit]- Official Radio-Canada website
- Canadian Film Encyclopedia[A publication of The Film Reference Library/a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group]
- Les BoysatIMDb
- Les BoysatRotten Tomatoes
- 1997 films
- Quebec films
- Canadian sports comedy films
- Ici Radio-Canada Télé original programming
- Television shows set in Montreal
- 2007 Canadian television series debuts
- 2012 Canadian television series endings
- Films scored by Normand Corbeil
- Films shot in Montreal
- Films set in Montreal
- Lionsgate films
- 2000s Canadian sitcoms
- 2010s Canadian sitcoms
- Canadian ice hockey films
- Ice hockey television series
- French-language Canadian films
- 1990s Canadian films