Mayerthorpe (film)
| Mayerthorpe | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Andrew Wreggitt |
| Directed by | Ken Girotti |
| Starring | Henry Czerny Brian Markinson |
| Theme music composer | Jonathan Goldsmith |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Tom Cox Tim Gamble Jordy Randall Michael Shepard Jon Slan |
| Cinematography | Michael Storey |
| Editor | Michele Conroy |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production companies | SEVEN24 Films Slanted Wheel Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | CTV |
| Release | February 10, 2008 |
Mayerthorpe, also known as Menace or To Serve and Protect: Tragedy at Mayerthorpe, is a Canadian dramatic television film which was directed by Ken Girotti and broadcast by CTV in 2008.[1] The film is a dramatization of the Mayerthorpe tragedy of 2005, in which four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were shot and killed while executing a search warrant against an illegal marijuana growing operation on the Mayerthorpe, Alberta, farm of James Roszko.[2]
The film stars Brian Markinson as Roszko, and Henry Czerny as Cpl. Alex Stanton, a fictional character who was inserted into the story to provide a narrative centre.[3] Its dramatic focus laid the blame squarely on Canada's justice system for inadequacies in dealing with repeat criminal offenders due to Roszko's prior criminal record.[4]
The cast also included Ben Cotton, Ty Olsson, Adam MacDonald and Gord Rand as the murdered officers Leo Johnston, Brock Myrol, Peter Schiemann and Anthony Gordon, Diane Ladd as Roszko's mother, and Waneta Storms, Landon Liboiron, Shaun Johnston, Peter MacNeill and Dan Petronijevic in supporting roles.
It was shot in Alberta, in and around the towns of Cochrane and Irricana.[4] The families of the slain officers were given a private advance screening of the film.[5]
The film was broadcast by CTV on February 10, 2008.[2]
Awards[edit]
| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Nominees | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Awards | November 28, 2008 | Best Television Movie | Jordy Randall, Tom Cox, Jon Slan | Won | [6] |
| Best Actor in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries | Henry Czerny | Nominated | [7] | ||
| Brian Markinson | Nominated | ||||
| Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Ken Girotti | Nominated | |||
| Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries | Andrew Wreggitt | Won | [6] | ||
| Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Fiction Program or Series | John Blackie | Nominated | [7] | ||
| Best Achievement in Casting | Rhonda Fisekci, Susan Forrest | Nominated | |||
| Alberta Film and Television Awards | 2008 | Best Made-for-TV Movie or Miniseries | Mayerthorpe | Won | [8] |
| Best Performance by an Alberta Actor | Landon Liboiron | Won | |||
| Best Screenwriter, Drama | Andrew Wreggitt | Won | |||
| Directors Guild of Canada | 2008 | Best Direction in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Ken Girotti | Won | [9] |
| Best Picture Editing in a Television Movie or Mini-Series | Michele Conroy | Nominated | [10] | ||
| Best Production Design in a Television Movie or Mini-Series | John Blackie | Nominated | |||
| Writers Guild of Canada | 2009 | WGC Screenwriting Award | Andrew Wreggitt | Won | [11] |
References[edit]
- ^ Dawn Walton, "Mayerthorpe movie heartbreaking for relatives". The Globe and Mail, February 6, 2008.
- ^ a b Ryan Cormier, "Mayerthorpe massacre comes to small screen". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, February 9, 2008.
- ^ Bill Harris, "'Huge sense of loss'". Ottawa Sun, February 10, 2008.
- ^ a b Andrew Chung, "Taking aim at the courts; Tonight's CTV film about Mayerthorpe gives Mounties a pass". Toronto Star, February 10, 2008.
- ^ Alexandra Burroughs, "Emotions drove Mayerthorpe; Filmmakers, families shared tears". Calgary Herald, February 9, 2008.
- ^ a b Alex Strachan, "Mayerthorpe among Calgary's TV winners". Calgary Herald, October 23, 2008.
- ^ a b Alex Strachan, "Mayerthorpe gets seven Gemini nods; CTV's retelling of RCMP tragedy up for best TV movie". Edmonton Journal, August 27, 2008.
- ^ Elizabeth Withey, "Mayerthorpe docudrama takes three Rosies at award show; Edmonton's NFB office wins four, including two for The Dogwalker". Edmonton Journal, April 27, 2008.
- ^ "Directors Guild honours Cronenberg". Victoria Times-Colonist, November 9, 2008.
- ^ Etan Vlessing, "Cronenberg, Podeswa lead DGC noms". Playback, August 18, 2008.
- ^ "Screenwriters honoured at annual ceremony". Nanaimo Daily News, April 23, 2009.
External links[edit]
- Mayerthorpe at IMDb
- 2008 films
- 2008 television films
- Canadian drama television films
- Canadian crime drama films
- English-language Canadian films
- Gemini and Canadian Screen Award for Best Television Film or Miniseries winners
- Canadian films based on actual events
- Films shot in Alberta
- Films set in Alberta
- 2000s Canadian films
- CTV Television Network original films