Pray for Me, Paul Henderson is a Canadian television comedy-drama film, directed by Brad Turner and broadcast by CBC Television in 1989.[1] Set in 1972 against the backdrop of the Canada-USSR Summit Series, the film centres on four high school students — nerdy overachiever Cameron Alexander (Torquil Campbell), his best friend Russell (Richard Chevolleau), poetry-loving hippie Cynthia Maclean (Samantha Follows) and football jock Michael Starnoulis (Yannick Bisson) — who come together to compete as the school team in Reach for the Top and become heroes of their school as they reach the national finals against all odds.[2]
| Pray for Me, Paul Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Teen comedy-drama |
| Written by | Malcolm MacRury |
| Directed by | Brad Turner |
| Starring | Yannick Bisson Torquil Campbell Richard Chevolleau Samantha Follows |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Kim Todd |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | Atlantis Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC Television |
| Release | November 5, 1989 |
CBC journalist Jan Tennant, who had been an announcer for the real Reach for the Top in the early 1970s, reprised her role in the film.[3]
The film aired on November 5, 1989 as an episode of CBC's Magic Hour anthology of youth and family television films.[4]
Hester Riches of the Vancouver Sun praised the film, opining that CBC should consider turning it into a series and concluding that "we might have a Canadian Wonder Years on our hands".[5]
Awards
| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Nominees | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Awards | December 4, 1990 | Best Short Dramatic Program | Nominated | [6] | |
| Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Brad Turner | Nominated | |||
| Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Malcolm MacRury | Nominated |
