''Between Friends'' is a 1973 Canadian

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by

Donald Shebib Donald Everett "Don" Shebib (born 27 January 1938) is a Canadian film director. Shebib is a central figure in the development of English Canadian cinema who made several short documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada and CBC Televisi ...

. It was entered into the

23rd Berlin International Film Festival The 23rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 22 June to 3 July 1973. The Golden Bear was awarded to the Indian film ''Ashani Sanket'' by Satyajit Ray. Jury The following people were announced as being on the jury for the fes ...

, and was featured in the

Canadian Cinema ''Canadian Cinema'' was a Canadian television series about films which aired on CBC Television in 1974. Premise Feature films from Canada were presented in this series:Dates verifiable from TV listings July–August 1974 from ''The Globe and Ma ...

television series which aired on CBC Television in 1974.

Plot

A botched mine robbery in

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...

involves the troubled quartet of Chino (Chuck Shamata), his American surfing buddy Toby (Michael Parks), his girlfriend's father (Henry Beckman) and Coker (Hugh Webster). While the robbery is being planned, Chino's girlfriend Ellie (Bonnie Bedelia) becomes attracted to Toby.

Cast

Michael Parks Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor. He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series ''Then Came Bronson'', but ...

as Toby *

Bonnie Bedelia Bonnie Bedelia Culkin (born ) is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap opera ''Love of Life'' and made her film debut in ''The Gypsy Moths''. Bedelia subsequently appeare ...

as Ellie *

Chuck Shamata Charles "Chuck" Shamata (born 1942) is a Canadian actor. Early life and education Born and raised in Toronto, he worked at Honest Ed's,"Shamata's riding out acting's ups and downs". ''The Globe and Mail'', October 12, 1974. and studied acting ...

as Chino *

Henry Beckman Henry Beckman (26 November 1921 – 17 June 2008) was a Canadian stage, film and television actor. Career Beckman appeared in well over 100 productions in the United States and Canada, including recurring roles as Commander Paul Richards in th ...

as Will * Hugh Webster as Coker

Reception

Though ''Between Friends'' was a commercial failure for director Shebib, it is "easily his most critically applauded film", some critics going so far as to call it his masterpiece.

Wyndham Wise Wyndham Paul Wise is a Canadian film historian, critic, editor and publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of the film magazine '' Take One: Film & Television in Canada'' (1992-2006). Career Born in London, England, Wyndham Wise was rais ...

called it "a taut, serious dramatic study of loyalty, Canada/US relations and the limitations of male bonding", and asserted the failed heist sequence rivals any American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

. The film was a finalist for Best Picture at the

Canadian Film Awards The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually, except in 1974 when a number of Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation. In the 1970s ...

in 1973,"Fine lineup for Film Awards". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', 9 October 1973. losing to ''

Slipstream A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid (typically air or mustard) is moving at velocities comparable to that of the moving fluid, relative to the ambient fluid through which the object is churning. The term slip ...

''.

References

External links

* {{Donald Shebib 1973 films 1973 crime drama films 1970s English-language films Canadian crime drama films Canadian independent films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Donald Shebib Films shot in Greater Sudbury Films set in Northern Ontario Greater Sudbury in fiction 1970s Canadian films