''Booky's Crush'' is a 2009 Canadian

made for TV A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

drama film directed by Peter Moss. The

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

was written by

Tracey Forbes Tracey Forbes is a Canadian television writer and producer. She has worked on numerous Canadian and American television shows including '' Flashpoint'', '' The Bridge'', '' Spider-Man: The New Animated Series'' and ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. ...

and based upon the

Bernice Thurman Hunter Bernice Thurman Hunter, (November 3, 1922 – May 29, 2002) was a Canadian children's author. Life and career Born in Toronto, Hunter spent her adult years as an Eaton's employee, and did not publish her first book, ''That Scatterbrain Booky'' ...

novels ''That Scatterbrain Booky'', ''With Love From Booky'', and ''As Ever, Booky''.

Background

First announced in 2008, ''Booky's Crush'' is the third in a series of made-for-TV films about Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson, a little girl growing up in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

during the

depression era The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Her parents are played by real-life husband and wife

Megan Follows Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows (born March 14, 1968) is a Canadian-American actress and director. She is known for her role as Anne Shirley in the 1985 Canadian television miniseries ''Anne of Green Gables'' and its two sequels. From 2013 t ...

and Stuart Hughes. The first in this series covered a timeframe when Booky was a

teenager Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

. ''

Booky Makes Her Mark ''Booky Makes Her Mark'' is a made-for-TV movie that is based on the books by Bernice Thurman Hunter, starring Tatiana Maslany. The family film also features Megan Follows, Roberta Maxwell and Lally Cadeau. Filmed in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada an ...

'' (2006) starred

Tatiana Maslany Tatiana Gabriele Maslany ( ; born September 22, 1985) is a Canadian actress. She rose to prominence for playing multiple characters in the science fiction thriller television series ''Orphan Black'' (2013–2017), which won her a Primetime Emmy ...

as Booky at 15 years old. The subsequent films in the series, both ''

Booky and the Secret Santa ''Booky and the Secret Santa'' is a 2007 Canadian family television film directed by Peter Moss from a book adapted by Joe Wiesenfeld and written by Bernice Thurman Hunter. It stars Rachel Marcus and Megan Follows. The film first aired on Dece ...

'' (2007) and ''Booky's Crush'' (2009), were set in an earlier timeframe, with Rachel Marcus starring as Booky at 11 years old.

Plot

The Thomsons are a

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

family living in Toronto during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Parents, Thomas Thomson ( Stuart Hughes) and Francie Thomson (

) struggle to provide for their children, Willa (

Sarah White Sarah White is a singer-songwriter based in Richmond, Virginia, whose music can be roughly characterized as folk or alt-country. Biography Sarah White was born in Warrenton, Virginia, and relocated as a child to Monroe County, West Virginia. Wh ...

), Arthur (

Dylan Everett Dylan Phillip Everett (born January 24, 1995) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles in ''How To Be Indie'' (2009–2011), ''Wingin' It'' (2010–2013), ''Degrassi'' (2012–2013), and '' Open Heart'' (2015). Life and career Evere ...

), Beatrice (nicknamed Booky) ( Rachel Marcus) and Jakey (Noah Ryan Scott). 11-year-old Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson is showing her strength in reading and spelling, and has been asked to tutor Georgie Dunlop (

Connor Price Connor Price (born November 11, 1994) is a Canadian-American actor and hip hop artist. Beginning his career as a child actor, he is best known for his roles in the films ''Cinderella Man'' (2005) and ''Good Luck Chuck'' (2007). Career Price's c ...

), an older sixth grader. This thrills Booky, as she has a crush on Georgie and hopes he will ask her to a school dance. But after Georgie gives her a strange gift, she begins to re-evaluate her feelings toward him. Booky's older sister Willa Thomson, has a part-time job as a librarian. While at work, Willa meets and is attracted to Russell (

Marc Bendavid Marc Bendavid (born June 12, 1986) is a Canadian film, television and stage actor. Early life Bendavid was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a Belgian-born mother and a Moroccan-Jewish father. He attended Unionville High School and was subs ...

), a medical student. With her senior year in high school beginning, and even though she knows her family cannot afford it, Willa gives thought toward attending medical school after she graduates. Arthur has an artistic aptitude, and though his parents are supportive of his dreams, his father encourages him to consider a more stable profession, which places a strain on their father-son relationship. Booky goes to the dance with Georgie. He turns up late and surprises her. He kisses her and that's all she talks about.

Cast

Recognition

Maria Kubacki, of the ''

Calgary Sun The ''Calgary Sun'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is owned by Postmedia. First published in 1980, the tabloid-format daily replaced the long-running tabloid-size newspaper ''The Albertan'' soon after it was acq ...

'' notes that modern audiences can relate to the hardships faced in the 1930s when she writes "''Booky's Crush'' might have been conceived as a nostalgia piece far removed from modern reality but given the current economic meltdown, CBC's Depression-era family drama suddenly seems strangely relevant."

Accolades

* 2009,

Directors Guild of Canada The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assistant ...

nomination for ' DGC Team Award' * 2009,

Gemini Awards The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States a ...

nomination for

for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series' * 2009,

nomination for Stuart Hughes for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series' * 2009,

nomination for Rachel Marcus for 'Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series' * 2009,

nomination for Aidan Leroux, for 'Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Fiction Program or Series'

References

External links

* *{{IMDb title, 1331298 2009 drama films 2009 television films 2009 films Canadian drama television films CBC Television original films English-language Canadian films 2000s Canadian films 2000s English-language films