katrinaolson.ca - Hunting Pignut

Posted on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 12:00 PM

Movie: Hunting Pignut

Hunting Pignut

Review by Katrina Olson-Mottahed x CalgaryMovies.com

A KO Review by Emily Mody

Hunting Pignut is a feature length narrative film directed by Martine Blue. This coming-of-age story follows a teenager named Bernice Kilfoy (played by Taylor Hickson) who lives in rural Newfoundland. As she struggles to fit in at school and home, her life takes a drastic turn when her estranged father (played by Ryan Patrick Walsh) dies of a heroine overdose. When Bernice’s family holds a funeral for her father, they are visited by the people who he spent his last moments with including a man named Pignut (played by Joel Thomas Hynes). After a dispute breaks out at the funeral Bernice is confronted with the fact that Pignut has stolen her father’s ashes. Longing to get her father’s ashes back and learn more about where she came from, Bernice decides to leave home and seek out her father’s former friends.

I really enjoyed Hunting Pignut. The quality of the acting far exceeded my expectations. The story was interesting and the characters were very engaging. The writing was also very strong in this film. At this point in my life I am finding more and more that I’m beginning to have reservations about coming-of-age stories. Usually I find those types of films are very isolating to a particular demographic and I was definitely wary going into it. I am happy to say, however, that Hunting Pignut was a pleasant surprise. The characters demonstrated traits that were very relatable to various age groups. There is such an honest and human quality to the way the story is told. There is something in this film for everyone.

Hunting Pignut shares many similarities with 10,000 Saints directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Both films follow teens as they struggle to deal with the death of a loved one. They both fall into a new crowd that is completely different from the community that they had originally known. In both films, this new group is in opposition to societal norms and therefore forces the teens to grow up very quickly. The main difference between these two films lies in the genre classification. I would consider Hunting Pignut a coming-of-age film and 10,000 Saints to be a drama film. Although there is a strong focus on growth and change in 10,000 Saints it is not limited to youth but rather includes many of the adult characters as well. If you enjoyed 10,000 Saints I would definitely recommend Hunting Pignut because the similarities are unquestionable.

I would recommend Hunting Pignut to anyone that is interested in coming-of-age stories that involve a rejection of societal norms. If you do not normally enjoy coming-of-age films I would still recommend this film to you if you enjoy stories about existential change. This film does include sex, drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse, and bullying involving children and teens so if you are a sensitive viewer that is important for you to note.

Hunting Pignut opens in Toronto, St. Johns, Halifax, Winnipeg, Whitby, Kanata, and Kelowna. There will be a sneak peek screening of Hunting Pignut in Calgary and select theatres on September 13, 2017 as a part of The Canadian Indie Film Series. Calgary screenings to be announced.

Calgary Showtimes: Hunting Pignut >