Movies and programs that capture the atmosphere of the city.
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Toronto has posed as New York or Chicago in countless Hollywood productions, but has seldom played itself. Here’s a shortlist of productions that sees the city out of costume:
Bollywood/Hollywood (2002)
A campy, color-soaked romp from local Indo-Canadian (and Oscar-nominated) director Deepa Mehta. Set in Toronto, the film pokes fun at traditional Indian stereotypes and is livened with a silly series of song-and-dance Bollywood numbers.
Degrassi (1987-present)
The popular Canadian teen drama currently airing on CTV and rebroadcast on The N in the U.S.—Degrassi: The Next Generation—is the latest incarnation of a program that began as a miniseries in 1987. Now claiming a cultish international following, Degrassi is set in the city’s east end and tracks the tumultuous lives of students attending the eponymous school.
Exotica (1994)
A dark, seamy tale set in and around a strip club in the outskirts of Toronto, from Oscar-nominated Toronto director Atom Egoyan. Follows the disparate lives of people interconnected through Exotica strip club. Stacked Canadian cast includes Sarah Polley, Mia Kirshner, Victor Garber, and Arsinée Khanjian.
SCTV (1976-1984)
Set in the fictional town of Melonville, this sketch comedy show, an offshoot from Toronto’s Second City improv comedy troupe, featured a dream team of mostly Canadian (and then unknown) comedians: Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, and Catherine O’Hara.
