Canadian doc The Movie Man is a beautiful ode to theatres in the digital age

One of my absolute favourite things to do is go to the movies.

Yes, there’s a convenience factor and price benefits to streaming, but for me, that feeling of kicking back in a nice, cool theatre, putting away your phone and fully immersing yourself in a motion picture on the big screen really can’t be beat. And by the time the credits roll, you feel like you’ve been on this grand journey with a group of strangers who laughed and cheered and cried with you, creating a communal experience unlike any other.

The Movie Man, a new documentary from Toronto filmmaker Matt Finlin (We Day), is a magnificent tribute to that theatrical experience. The film tells the incredible story of Keith Stata, the septuagenarian who owns and runs the storied Highlands Cinemas independent movie theatre in Kinmount, Ontario. (If you haven’t heard of that small Kawartha Lakes village, you’re most assuredly not alone, as it has a minuscule population of about 500.)

Certainly an odd place to run a movie theatre, then, but one that’s proven to make quite an impression around the world. Besides being executive produced by Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson, a longtime fan of the Highlands, the film has even garnered the attention of The West Wing star Martin Sheen, who recorded a glowing introduction for the documentary. That’s to say nothing of the many everyday people who travel hours, sometimes even from the U.S., to pay a visit. One lady has even made regular trips to the Highlands all the way from Cincinnati for 31 years now.

So what makes the theatre so special? Over the course of the nearly 90-minute film, Finlin (who also served as director of photography) unpacks the labour of love that went into the Highlands, starting from Stata’s humble beginnings as a young boy in small-town Ontario who was obsessed with cinema. We even get a charming glimpse at the early amateur films he makes with friends, including one about teens who are transported to a future dystopia. (A recurring motif of the film is the idea of time travel, stemming from Stata’s earnest belief that movie theatres can offer such a transformative experience.)

However, Stata needed to actually make money, of course, and so he trained to became a construction worker. It’s through those skills that he would eventually open the Highlands Cinemas in 1977 in an effort to share his love of film with others. It was, quite literally, the house that Keith built. And what started off as a single 58-seat theatre in this newly constructed house would later expand to a five-auditorium multiplex over a roughly 20-year span. Mixing his handyman talents with his love of movies, Stata also made sure that each theatre looked appropriately classical, from the ornate flower-like patterns on the ceiling to the thick velvet curtains sandwiching each screen.

But nowhere is that feeling of time travel more prevalent than an attached museum that Stata has meticulously added to over the years. It’s a veritable treasure trove of cinematic goodies, housing Canada’s largest collection of projectors, all sorts of movie props and posters, mannequins and more. I got to tour the museum alongside The Movie Man screening and it was truly magical.

All of that has helped the Highlands Cinema continue to go strong for nearly 50 years — a testament to the commitment of Stata, a lovably eccentric senior whose passion for movies is matched only by his sharp wit. Whether it’s his likening the maintenance of an old projector circuit board to “wiggling in and out like sex” or struggling to locate a poster for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (“What’s strange is where is it?”), Stata is always an incredibly likeable figure in The Movie Man, even during cantankerous exchanges with his younger friend who helps him run the place.

This is only enhanced by Finlin’s wise decision to frame the film almost entirely from Stata’s perspective rather than break away for B-roll, narration or intertitles. In this way, we get to follow along with him day-by-day for a fascinating and intimate look at all of the unique challenges of keeping a theatre in the middle of nowhere running. In one scene, Stata unpacks his unique popcorn recipe, a fan-favourite of attendees that he insists is better than anything from the bigger chains. In another, we see him having to use leftover popcorn to feed the wildlife — including one bear that he affectionately dubs “Lard Ass” — that threaten to enter his rural theatre should they go hungry. At the same time, Stata has taken it upon himself to foster some 50 cats — many of whom were abandoned in the area as kittens — who also all have their own extensive feeding routines. (Spotting one of his many feline friends has become a highlight of any trip to the Highlands, especially for kids.)

Then, of course, there’s the COVID-19 pandemic. Production on the film began in 2018, so the bulk of the early footage is taken from the two years before lockdowns, although Finlin occasionally cuts to snippets from 2020 to highlight the impending struggle. Admittedly, this does lead to a bit of a jarring flow at times, with the 2018-2019 scenes somewhat awkwardly being interjected with those from the following year, but it’s not a significant issue on the whole.

Once we do get to the COVID era, though, the film becomes much more emotional as it explores Stata’s sadness and stress while he desperately tries to keep the Highlands afloat and feeding his cats (and dog) without an income. With his theatre only being open for a number of months during the spring and summer periods, the closures are particularly damaging. There’s one poignant shot of him solemnly sitting in a wheelchair in his home with his dog after having broken a leg during lockdown yard work that will stick with you.

But above all else, The Movie Man succeeds by showing us the heartwarming sense of community that Stata has fostered over the years. A packed opening night Solo: A Star Wars Story screening attended by a local Stormtrooper. A group of teenage girls who all started working at the theatre together and who are clearly reverent of Stata. The people who light up seeing him walking in local stores like a bonafide folk hero.

Seeing all of Stata’s hard work, as well as the impact it has had on people, is truly lovely, especially at a time when Canadian indie theatres are threatened by Cineplex’s monopolistic business practices, the prevalence of streaming platforms and, most recently, greedy landlords. All in all, The Movie Man is a wonderful celebration of small businesses, the unifying love of cinema and one man’s unwavering dream. Hopefully, the film helps the theatre continue to enthrall people for many more years to come.

The Movie Man is available to stream on Hollywood Suite via Prime Video or television service providers. On the former, a $4.99/month subscription to the Hollywood Suite channel is required on top of a Prime Video subscription.

Image credit: Door Knocker Media