One Week is a 2008 Canadian film directed by
Michael McGowanMichael McGowan is a Canadian filmmaker who wrote directed the feature films One Week and Saint Ralph...
and starring
Joshua JacksonJoshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
,
Liane BalabanLiane Balaban is a Canadian actress. Her film debut was in New Waterford Girl , playing Agnes-Marie "Moonie" Pottie, and has since appeared in the films Definitely, Maybe , Last Chance Harvey , and the independent drama One Week .-Early life:Balaban was born in North York, Ontario, the daughter of...
, and
Campbell ScottCampbell Scott is an American actor, director, producer, and voice artist.-Life and career:Scott was born in New York City, the son of George C. Scott, an actor, director, and producer, and Colleen Dewhurst, a Canadian-born actress. He graduated from Lawrence University in 1983. His brother is...
. The film debuted at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8, 2008 and was released theatrically on March 6, 2009.
Jackson plays Ben Tyler, who has been diagnosed with
cancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Requiring immediate treatment, he instead decides to take a motorcycle trip from
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
through the Canadian prairies to
Vancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. Along the way, he meets several people that help him reevaluate his relationship with his fiancée Samantha (played by Balaban), his job and his dream of becoming a writer.
The scenic backdrop of the Canadian landscape as well as an all-Canadian soundtrack serve as prevalent influences in the film.
Joshua Jackson won Best Actor at the 2010
Genie AwardGenie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
s for his portrayal of Ben Tyler. Liane Balaban was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Plot
Ben Tyler (
Joshua JacksonJoshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
) is an
elementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
English
teacherA teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
living in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Sitting across from his doctor, Ben is told that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of
cancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in its fourth and final stage. With a ten percent chance of survival and likely two years to live, the doctor recommends that he go into treatment immediately to give himself the best odds.
Soon after leaving his doctor's office, he encounters an elderly man selling his 1973 Norton Commando
motorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
from out of his garage in a back alleyway. Ben is offered a test drive, but explains that he is not in the market for a motorcycle. The narrator notes that his fiancée, Samantha Pierce (
Liane BalabanLiane Balaban is a Canadian actress. Her film debut was in New Waterford Girl , playing Agnes-Marie "Moonie" Pottie, and has since appeared in the films Definitely, Maybe , Last Chance Harvey , and the independent drama One Week .-Early life:Balaban was born in North York, Ontario, the daughter of...
), despises motorcycles. Nevertheless, he inevitably takes up the offer and upon returning from his test drive, buys the motorcycle. Finishing a
Tim HortonsTim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
coffee, he rolls up the cup's rim, as part of the fast-food chain's popular yearly promotional contest, to a message that reads "Go west young man."
After celebrating his father's 60th birthday with his family, he breaks the news of his cancer to Samantha, as well as his desire to take a two-day vacation riding his newly-purchased motorcycle. She implores Ben to reconsider a vacation, reasoning that the longer he waits to go into treatment, the worse his chances for survival are. Unwilling to "become a patient", possibly for the remainder of his expectedly short lifetime, he asks Samantha to come with him.
Ben ultimately sets out from Toronto by himself. Reviewing the contents of his packed motorcycle, he takes out of a folder a children's book he had written about a mythical creature his father had told him stories of as a child called Grumps. His father had explained that children who manage to find the elusive Grumps are granted enormous capacities, which Ben later interprets as he grows up as meaning and purpose. Beginning his road trip, he does not, however, make it far before beginning to question the trip's worth in comparison to the potential value of immediately receiving treatment. He begins to make his way back to Toronto when he is encountered by two young men asking him for the closest
Canadian TireCanadian Tire Corporation, Limited is one of Canada's 60 largest publicly traded companies. The firm operates an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retailing hardgoods, apparel and petroleum as well as financial and automotive services, employing more than 58,000 people across Canada...
. The two friends explain to Ben that they are in the midst of a bet in which someone has challenged them to bicycle across
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
with no more than four hundred dollars for a case of beer. Inspired once more by a sense of adventure, Ben reconsiders his return home and again sets off westward.
Early on in his road trip, Ben has a conversation with a man (Gord Downie) staying in the same hotel who was also diagnosed with cancer earlier in his lifetime and overcame it. They begin talking about the man's wife and family when Ben asks how he knows he supposes one knows they are in love, alluding to his fiancée, to which the man replies that if one has to ask, they're not. Continuing on the road and without an itinerary, Ben makes stops at various landmarks, including giant novelty lawn chairs, paperclips and tee-pees, taking pictures along the way.
Passing through
Arborg, ManitobaArborg is a town located in the Rural Municipality of Bifrost in Manitoba's Interlake Region, 103 kilometres north of Winnipeg.The picturesque setting along the Icelandic River was first settled more than 100 years ago...
, while stopped at an
ice rinkAn ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
, Ben is caught off guard by the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
sitting on a pedestal at centre ice with nobody around. Ben walks onto the rink and begins reading the inscriptions on the historic
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
trophy, when an
Anaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
hockey player (a fictional player portrayed by
Gabriel HoganGabriel Hogan is a Canadian actor.Hogan is best known for his continuing roles on Canadian hit dramas Traders and The Associates.- Background :...
) skates onto the ice. (The Ducks player serves as an allusion to Jackson's early roles in
The Mighty Ducks film seriesThe Mighty Ducks is a series of three live-action films and one animated film released in the 1990s by Walt Disney Pictures. The movies revolve around a Twin Cities ice hockey team, composed of young players that stick together throughout various challenges...
.) Having won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks the previous year, he is entitled to a day with the trophy. After being allowed to kiss the Stanley Cup, Ben watches as the Ducks player skates around with the trophy alone on the ice.
Still in the
Canadian PrairiesThe Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
, Ben's motorcycle breaks down on a road driving through Saskatchewan and, abandoning it, starts down the highway on foot. He cannot help but think that this would not have happened had he not visited the worlds largest prairie camel in
Glenboro, ManitobaGlenboro is a village in Manitoba, Canada, located about 80 km southeast of the city of Brandon. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of South Cypress. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 656...
. He encounters a dead dog and, by way of the collar tag, contacts the unknowing owner, who picks Ben up, along with his motorcycle and the dog. The middle-aged, female owner takes him back to her ranch, where she inspects the motorcycle, revealing only minor problems. The two begin talking and she divulges to Ben that she is unmarried with a son who she rarely sees because he is working in Fort McMurray, AB and a four-year-old grand-daughter she has only seen once. After she takes Ben on a horseback ride to a beautiful panoramic view, she repairs his motorcycle and Ben continues on his way. The narrator reveals that after meeting Ben, inspired by their conversation, the lady travels to visit her son to Fort McMurray and despite missing him, she coincidentally meets the "love of her life" who asks her "can you tell me where Dawson Street is?"
As his road trip extends well past his initially-planned two-day vacation, Ben makes it to scenic
Banff National ParkBanff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
in
AlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Staying in the
presidential suitePresidential suite and royal suite are common names for the most expensive suite in a luxury hotel.It gained its name during the Woodrow Wilson presidency because on each of his political trips away from Washington, he would insist on having a hotel room conform to specific requirements for his...
of a local hotel, he goes through numerous voice messages on his cell phone from his fiancée and parents, begging him to come home. Ben calls Samantha who tells him that she will come to see him and will book a plane for the next morning. Later that day, Ben encounters a
backpackerBackpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
(
Emm GrynerEmm Gryner is a Canadian singer-songwriter and occasional actress.-Biography:Gryner's childhood was spent in Forest, Lambton County, Ontario. Her father was of half Irish heritage and her mother was Filipina....
) exploring the
backcountryA backcountry area in general terms is a geographical region that is:* isolated* remote* undeveloped* difficult to accessThe term may apply to various regions that are reasonably close to urban areas but are:* not immediately accessible by car...
with her dog and spends the night at her campsite. Conversing around a campfire, Ben reflects on his aspirations to be a writer and his failing to publish his first novel. They make love in her tent and Ben blissfully wakes up the next morning.
Unbeknownst to Ben, Samantha had managed to catch a flight immediately and spent the night waiting in the hotel lobby. When Ben finally returns to the hotel, he tells her about the previous night. As the two begin walking away from the hotel, Samantha tells Ben that although she is upset and hurt, she would rather focus on the matter of Ben's cancer. She continues to question Ben's motives for leaving and, in the midst of the arguing, Ben reveals that he has not loved Samantha completely. Forbidding Ben to follow her, she takes off.
Left behind in Banff, Ben pushes into
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Unable to sleep in his motel, he finds a pub. After some time, he stumbles out onto the street, vomiting. Regaining his composure, he is met by a panorama of the
northern lightsAn aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
across the horizon and proceeds to call his mother.
Ben makes his way down to
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and takes a
ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to
Vancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
where he drives to Tofino on the west coast of the island. Sitting in a
dinerA diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
, he struggles to find the appetite to eat his meal. In the meantime, a truck backs into Ben's motorcycle outside the diner, rendering it undriveable. From there, he heads for a beach frequented by
surfersSurfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
with his own rented
surfboardA surfboard is an elongated platform used in the sport of surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding a breaking wave...
and
wetsuitA wetsuit is a garment, usually made of foamed neoprene, which is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports, providing thermal insulation, abrasion resistance and buoyancy. The insulation properties depend on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material,...
. Looking out towards the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, a couple approaches Ben and asks him to take their photo. They tell him that he lives in "one of the most beautiful countries in the world." Setting out on his surfboard, Ben does not, however, get up to ride a wave, but rather continues swimming further west, aimlessly. Finally, he stops and, sitting upright on his surfboard, witnesses a
humpback whaleThe humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
breaking out of the water. Awe-struck, Ben remembers that his father would tell him as a child that it was not known what Grumps actually looked like, but that those who searched for Grumps knew who it was him when he was found. Concluding that he had, in fact, found Grumps, Ben returns home.
Lying in bed with Samantha, they talk about his chances of overcoming his cancer and their inevitable breakup. He takes a cab to his parents' home. Exiting the taxi, he is met by his mother, father and sister waiting for him on the front steps, anticipating his return.
The final scene reveals the movie's narrator (
Campbell ScottCampbell Scott is an American actor, director, producer, and voice artist.-Life and career:Scott was born in New York City, the son of George C. Scott, an actor, director, and producer, and Colleen Dewhurst, a Canadian-born actress. He graduated from Lawrence University in 1983. His brother is...
) who is recording the final chapter for an audio book. The camera pans to the title of the book as "One Week" by Ben Tyler. The same book appears as a bestseller in a bookshop window, a silhouette of Ben and his motorcycle on its cover.
Soundtrack
"A very music-heavy film," as described by director
Michael McGowanMichael McGowan is a Canadian filmmaker who wrote directed the feature films One Week and Saint Ralph...
, the soundtrack and score provides an integral role in
One Week. Making a concerted effort to have the soundtrack reflect the Canadian-heavy theme of the film, McGowan assembled an all-Canadian ensemble of artists, notably
Sam RobertsSam Roberts is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rock singer-songwriter, whose 2001 debut release, The Inhuman Condition, became one of the bestselling independent releases in Quebec and Canadian music history.-Life and career:...
, the
Great Lake SwimmersGreat Lake Swimmers is a Canadian band built around the melodic folk rock songs of singer-songwriter Tony Dekker. Originally from Wainfleet, Ontario, the band is currently based in Toronto....
,
WintersleepWintersleep is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Background:Wintersleep formed in 2001 and released two albums with Dependent Music, a music label and artists' collective that began in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1994....
,
Patrick WatsonPatrick Watson is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and the name of the band which he fronts, whose blend of cabaret pop and classical music influences with indie rock has been compared to Rufus Wainwright, Andrew Bird, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and Pink Floyd for their experimental musicianship.-...
, Stars,
Luke DoucetLuke Doucet is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He writes and performs both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock band Veal....
, the
Sunparlour PlayersSunparlour Players are a Canadian alternative/folk rock band. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the band consists of Andrew Penner on lead vocals, guitar, bass, banjo, organ pedal, and kick drum, Dennis Van Dine on bass, keyboard, clarinet, banjo, glockenspiel, percussion and backing vocals, and Michael...
and
LightsLights Valerie Poxleitner is a Canadian electronic musician, signed to her own personal label, Lights Music. Her most notable singles include "Ice", "Second Go" and "Toes". In 2009, she was awarded the Juno Award for "Best New Artist".-Early life:Lights was born in Timmins, Ontario. Her parents...
.
Joel PlaskettJoel Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician originally from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and now resides across the harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia...
,
Gordon DownieGordon Edgar Downie is a Canadian rock musician, writer and occasional actor. He is the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. He has released three solo albums, Coke Machine Glow in 2001, Battle of the Nudes in 2003; and The Grand Bounce in 2010...
, and
Emm GrynerEmm Gryner is a Canadian singer-songwriter and occasional actress.-Biography:Gryner's childhood was spent in Forest, Lambton County, Ontario. Her father was of half Irish heritage and her mother was Filipina....
also appear in the movie as actors.
Cameos
Cameo appearances are made by
Gordon DownieGordon Edgar Downie is a Canadian rock musician, writer and occasional actor. He is the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. He has released three solo albums, Coke Machine Glow in 2001, Battle of the Nudes in 2003; and The Grand Bounce in 2010...
and
Joel PlaskettJoel Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician originally from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and now resides across the harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia...
, of Canadian rock bands
The Tragically HipThe Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
and The Joel Plaskett Emergency. Also
Emm GrynerEmm Gryner is a Canadian singer-songwriter and occasional actress.-Biography:Gryner's childhood was spent in Forest, Lambton County, Ontario. Her father was of half Irish heritage and her mother was Filipina....
plays a hiker that meets Ben out in Banff.
Release dates
One Week screened at the
Toronto International Film FestivalThe Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
in September 2008 and in October at the
Edmonton International Film FestivalThe Edmonton International Film Festival is a nine-day film festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, hosted at Empire Theatres at Edmonton City Centre....
. It is the opening night film for the
Kingston Canadian Film Festival. Its Canadian theatrical release was on March 6, 2009.