Les Enfants de la rue: Danny

Director: Yves Dion
Screenplay: Luc
Hétu, Jean Barbeau
Producer: Suzanne Dussault

This 50 minute film was made by the National Film Board of Canada, and is still referenced on the website of the Public Health Agency of Canada as a resource for children's social services.  As a public services film, you can imagine that it's big on worthiness and somewhat light on entertainment value.

Here's the plot:
Danny, the teenage son of a well-off family, has turned to petty crime (breaking into cars) and is heading down the road to delinquency.  Despite the efforts of his social workers his crimes escalate, the relationship with his parents breaks down completely, and he runs away from home.  He's soon caught, and at the end of the film is seen rather improbably playing the piano in some juvenile detention centre, which is, presumably, your cue to start discussing the issues, who's to blame, etc. etc.

Burdened with the weight of his responsibilities is Danny's case worker, a middle aged and bearded stereotype played by Gabriel Arcand (Denys' brother).  The rest of the cast is equally uninspiring and/or respectable in appearance, apart from the spectacularly buff Roy Dupuis, playing Ricky, the fence, to whom Danny offloads his stolen gear.  He appears in 3 scenes, each time with his drippy 'blonde' glued to his left elbow. 

If you ever needed confirmation of how Roy got his 'pretty face' tag, this is it.  A definite incentive to stay awake and pay attention.
 


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