Differences
1986 · 17m · Canada
Directed by John Wright
Genres: coming-of-age, drama, family
Tones: contemplative, tender
Pre-adolescent Chris resents the visit of Emma, an Indigenous girl, to his home, torn between friends who urge him to ignore her and parents who press him to accept her.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
A well-meaning after-school special about acceptance—exactly the kind of film that believes a 17-minute runtime and good intentions can substitute for actual provocation or risk.
Wright's restraint in the 80s NFB tradition pays dividends here; the film trusts the spatial awkwardness of the home and the specificity of pre-adolescent social pressure to do the moral work, resisting the urge to resolve or redeem too neatly.
The performance pull is Chris's face in the background while Emma integrates—that single held shot of private resentment colliding with public compliance is what makes the social architecture of the film breathe.