''Jack'' is a Canadian television film, which debuted on
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
on March 10, 2013. A
biopic
A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
of the late
Jack Layton
John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian politician and academic who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on T ...
Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow (born March 24, 1957) is a Canadian politician who has been the 66th and current mayor of Toronto since July 12, 2023. Previously, Chow served as the New Democratic Party (NDP) member of Parliament (MP) for Trinity—Spadina fro ...
. The film was originally announced in 2012 as ''Smilin' Jack: The Jack Layton Story''.
The film was directed by
Jeff Woolnough
Jeff Woolnough is a Canadian film and television director. His career began in the early 1990s and has won numerous awards directing multiple episodes of a variety of television series. His most prolific work has been with '' The Expanse'' and '' ...
, and written by Shelley Eriksen and
Andrew Wreggitt Andrew Wreggitt (born 1955) is a Canadian television writer and producer from Calgary, Alberta.Ken McGoogan, "Wreggitt keeps poetic fire burning". ''Calgary Herald'', February 21, 1998.
He began his career as a writer for the television series ''Th ...
.
The Parachute Club
The Parachute Club was a Canadian band formed in Toronto in 1982. They released three top 40 hits in Canada between 1983 and 1987, including "Rise Up", "At the Feet of the Moon" and "Love Is Fire" (which featured guest duet vocals from John O ...
's 1983 hit single " Rise Up" is the opening theme music.
Both Roberts and Lee won
Canadian Screen Awards
The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...
for their performances at the
2nd Canadian Screen Awards
The 2nd Canadian Screen Awards were held on March 9, 2014, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media production in 2013.Rick Roberts as
Jack Layton
John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian politician and academic who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on T ...
Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow (born March 24, 1957) is a Canadian politician who has been the 66th and current mayor of Toronto since July 12, 2023. Previously, Chow served as the New Democratic Party (NDP) member of Parliament (MP) for Trinity—Spadina fro ...
*
Zachary Bennett
Zachary Bennett is a Canadian actor and musician.Rita Zekas, "It was good to be King; Road To Avonlea prankster now an object of Desire". ''Toronto Star'', February 6, 2002.
Early life
He was born in London, Ontario. He is the second youngest of ...
Karl Bélanger
Karl Bélanger (born 1975) is a former political operative.
He was the interim National Director of the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada from January 23, 2016 to September 12, 2016.
He was principal secretary to NDP Leader Tom Mulcair du ...
*
Wendy Crewson
Wendy Jane Crewson (born May 9, 1956) is a Canadian actress and producer. She began her career appearing on Canadian television, before her breakthrough role in 1991 dramatic film ''The Doctor''.
Crewson has appeared in many Hollywood films, inc ...
Erin Karpluk
Erin Karpluk (born ) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her portrayal of Erica Strange on the CBC Television series ''Being Erica'' from 2009 to 2011.
Early life
Karpluk was born in Jasper, Alberta to a mother who was a high-school princ ...
and Diana Ha also appeared.
Production and filming
Film for ''Jack'' was announced on November 17, 2011. ''Jack'' was filmed in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
.
Reception
''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'' called ''Jack'' a "varnished version of Mr. Layton", while John Doyle of the same periodical, wrote " ack Laytonmoved us; the biopic
n him
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...