Scarborough

source: Scarborough

"Scarborough" is a drama full of clichés, and stereotypes but it works on all levels. It's a very heavy film because it deals with children and the cruel reality of the marginalized people in the Scarborough community. It portrays some inhabitants with brutal authenticity. They suffer and also help each other to cope with their social problems. The film hurts us, and leaves us outraged, angry, and appalled but also hopeful for the future of the youth. Kudos to directors Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson for the level of detail and for bringing so much emotion to the screen. But the entire movie belongs to the child actors, they are simply sublime. They are so perfect in their characterization that makes us believe they are not actors. They are breathtaking in their performances. This movie should be watched by all political and social workers who directly or indirectly are part of these processes so that everyone stops "....continuing to fail her..."

However the scarborough man in me will always wonder how mans dem walked from bellamy and lawrence to Kingston and Galloway so fast tho still. P.s. If you haven't read the book, you should read the book. Scarborough Forever.

6.5 stars Although I enjoyed the movie, the book was much better. It was incredible to see the characters come to life and how similar they were to the image in my head of how they looked(especially Bing). The movie stayed true to a lot of the elements that were beautifully written in the book, that being said there was quite a bit that was left out. When reading the book I had every emotion come out, watching the movie although mesmerizing from how beautifully it was shot it I had no emotional attachment to it. The books ending had me sobbing and full of joy from reading the masterpiece, the movies ending left it feeling incomplete. 6.5 stars.

Being a child who grew up in Toronto Community Housing I have the sincerest appreciation to everyone involved in crafting this film. Those who grew up in low income neighborhoods can relate to the struggle it is to live in poverty - surrounded by abuse, lack of resources, illness, and crime. It's a state of perpetual stress that places a heavy burden on parents and children and the film captures this perfectly. Many will find this film uncomfortable to watch, I hope you try to change your perspective and sit through the film. I hope this film raises more awareness to the conditions children grow up in low-income neighborhoods and the importance of community programs.

As someone who lives in Scarborough, this resonated with my community in ways unimaginable. Flawed, unfiltered and emotional. This story tells the tale of one of the most underfunded and vulnerable communities here in Toronto. From healthcare to basic living inequalities, this film dives deep into the diverse stories of families attending a local drop-in community program. Let's address the folks that found aspects of this movie somehow "distasteful". To do this, we have to first recognize the socioeconomic circumstances of the characters. Let's start with Ms. Mina who is criticized by some viewers as breaking "professional" boundaries. This is not only an extremely narrow-minded and privileged outlook on the portrayal of teachers in low-income community programs but overlooks the aspects of being human. Ms. Mina builds connections with the parents and students to help them have a sense of normalcy in their complicated lives outside the class. These are 'some' of the same critics who would have no problem with Hillary Swank's character breaking boundaries in the movie "Freedom Writers", but when it's a Muslim teacher wearing a hijab, it's somehow controversial. It's tough being a coordinator or teacher for such community programs, some teachers have had to take out of their own wallets just to provide for students like myself when I was a kid, and their actions went a long way for kids like me. Being a compassionate teacher goes a long way, especially for vulnerable students who live under stressful conditions on a daily. It is rare to find a gem who dedicates their heart and soul at government funded community centres, Ms. Mina embodies what teachers should be, the opposite of detached and cold. A few comments also mentioned the stereotypes in this movie, I can assure you they are not residents of Scarborough. These are not stereotypes but the harsh realities and true stories echoed by some in the community. And lastly, if you found this movie "too heavy", that simply is the nature of life. Not everything can be sunshines and rainbows. The world is complex and full of emotions, this movie reflects just that. This movie is no cheesy Hollywood show like "This Is Us". It reflects the realities faced by so many living in low income neighbourhoods. When in Toronto, I encourage you to come to Scarborough, experience the vibrant cultures, food and meet people in the community. Only then can you judge for yourself.

Score contributed to acting and kids performance. Theme just need to be prepared before watch. Heartbreaking is the feeling, if u in good mood, don't let this screw you.

In one "school year", in a low-income neighborhood, 3 children, their single / separated parents, an Early Childhood Educator, and assorted minor characters interact. The cast is diverse in race, religion, and culture, and the children each have their own challenges. The children range from pre-school to early elementary, and often have to amuse themselves. Their parents scramble to do the best for them, which may be inadequate. The ECE often plays social worker, even as her supervisor warns against getting personally involved. I am less enthused with this movie than some other reviewers. I think a big weakness is having the original book author write the screenplay. Consequently, there are too many characters and scenes. Some should have been cut, including some of the interactions between the nail salon employees and clients. For the length, some extra character development in the children would be helpful. Scarborough is an "inner suburb" of Toronto, an area where the poor tend to be pushed out to, as the city core has become gentrified. The time period is set when doctors still prescribed opioids, and Toronto East General Hospital had not been renamed (2015 or earlier). So it is jarring to see some nail salon employees consistently wearing surgical masks. With a set of depressing scenarios, I also found the happy ending to be too much of a fantasy. Can a queer boy sing Whitney Houston's I Want to Dance with Somebody (with no gender change / neutralization) to great applause?

Very real issues + great performances from the child and adult actors = a film worth watching for people who want substance in their films. Not a feel good, happy ending story. Not full of action and other things that some need in a film. Just a ground level story of people trying to survive in very trying circumstances. The 3 lead child actors were beyond great with Anna Claire Beitel outstanding. Shout out to Aliya Kanani for her amazing performance.

"Scarborough" is filmed well, some of the acting is decent, and there are definitely some cute moments in it, but the movie is "This is Us" emotional *. There is little dimensionality to the characters other than how they're struggling against a broken system, and of course, the added layer that every white person is the devil. I believe there were ten total in the movie-yeah, I was counting towards the back half. Nine of them were objectively awful, with the one exception of a sweet little white girl. She was one of the main characters... and she ended up dying in a fire. I could write a comparative essay on 'criticisms of whiteness' in "Scarborough" vs. "Atlanta". There are so many valid and insightful criticisms to make, and plenty of white devils to highlight. But where "Scarborough" is incredibly heavy handed with it, Atlanta does an incredible job in knowing how to balance subtlety with directness, using absurdity and surrealism in the appropriate contexts to highlight a point, and I could go on, but this isn't the place to express my love and appreciation for "Atlanta". The last thing I'll say is that this sort of 'heroism' in people of colour, having lived that life when my family and I first got to Canada in the early 90s, strips the humanity out of us. We're flawed too. There are bad people and good people and good bad people. It's just frustrating because I think representation is so important and it has mattered a lot to me personally, but when it's done in this capacity it feels like we're taking one step forward, and two steps backwards.