The Boys of St. Vincent

Director John N. Smith
Year 1992
Run Time 186min
Genre Drama
This hard-hitting miniseries was based on real events that took place at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in Canada’s largest sexual abuse scandal.

At the heart of this powerful film is a remarkable performance by Henry Czerny as Brother Peter Lavin, who transformed his own difficult childhood into a cycle of abuse and pain for others in his charge. Director John N. Smith grapples with this difficult subject with remarkable sensitivity and honesty, turning a dark chapter in Canada’s history into a thoughtful and affecting docudrama.

Director

John N. Smith

Smith’s credits include award-winning TV docudramas such as The Boys of St. Vincent, Dieppe and Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, as well as numerous feature films, including Dangerous Minds, A Cool Dry Place, Geraldine’s Fortune and Love & Savagery among others. Sitting in Limbo won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at TIFF 1986.

Writers

Sam Grana, John N. Smith, Des Walsh

Cast

Henry Czerny, Johnny Morina, Brian Dooley

Producers

Claudio Luca, Sam Grana

Genre

Drama

Interests

Classics, History, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English