If you grew up in Canada in the 1980s, you know Terry Fox and his story. He ran the year before I was born, but despite that, I know the legend/myth just like most Canadians my age.

But I didn’t know the story this well, so this was still a new experience for me. It’s interesting to see how different something like this was before the internet. It’s incredible to me that people didn’t know about this when he started, and it’s also worth thinking about how nothing has really changed – people always want to use things for their own purposes, be it political gain, money, or other things.

I guess because this is such a fundamental Canadian myth for those of us my age, that I was barely able to keep myself together while watching it. (A hangover might have helped with that.) I have no idea if it’s this moving for non-Canadians, but seeing the full story is kind of overwhelming: I’m filled with pride, sadness, and a whole host of other emotions.

The film itself is far from perfect. And that makes sense given Nash and his co-director’s lack of filmmaking experience. But despite some clunky moments – particularly in the early goings, when some of the montages and shots are really, really cliche and/or weak – the story is so powerful (at least to a Canadian) that you really don’t care.

PS Good job Quebec. Way to not fight cancer.