Rob Stefaniuk Movies

When an alcoholic extraterrestrial living in a small Northern Ontario town finds God, his spiritual journey leads him on tour with a local bar in the feature debut of director Rob Stefaniuk. Soon after crash-landing in a remote Ontario town, innocent alien Phil strikes up a warm friendship with an open-minded young boy and a remarkably intelligent beaver. A stranger in a strange land, Phil eventually begins to fit in by drinking plenty of hard liquor and jumping in on jam sessions with the local bar band. Beneath the picturesque natural wonder of Niagara Falls, the General (John Kapelos) at the "Top Secret American UFO Base" plots to bring Phil to his base for a series of grisly medical experiments. Informed by his friend the beaver that there is a ship in Niagara Falls which he could use to get back home, the drunken Phil continues to spiral into alcoholism before attacking a cigarette machine and getting sent to prison. Having found Jesus during his stint behind bars, a rehabilitated Phil sets out on tour with the bar band while attempting to dodge the bullets of the General's feared assassin Madame Madame (Nicole deBoer). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two young people struggling to find happiness in the midst of adversity exist side by side with their alter egos, an older and very unhappy married couple, in this offbeat drama. Beatrice (Sarah Polley) is a supermarket checkout girl fascinated by Henry (Brendan Fletcher), an angry and withdrawn young man whose bitterness stems largely from having been diagnosed with a rare, often fatal form of cancer. Beatrice and Henry fall in love, their passion intensified by the possibility of Henry's imminent death, but Henry's life is saved by surgery and they soon marry. In contrast, Bea (Diane Ladd) and Hank (Sean McCann) are a sixtysomething couple whose love burned out long ago. Bea and Hank have first grown bored, and then bitter, their rancor coming to a head when Hank buys a retirement home without consulting Bea, and she gets back at him by incurring financially ruinous construction and decorating expenses. Living near Bea is her old friend Myra (Shirley Douglas), whose husband Stan (Victor Cowie) is dying of cancer, while Beatrice's best friend Myrah (Kristin Thompson) has fallen deeply in love with Stanley (Rob Stefaniuk), a soldier soon to leave for the Gulf War. The Law of Enclosures was based on the well-regarded novel by Dale Peck and was the first non-gay-themed project from director John Greyson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Alex, an undergraduate art student at a California school, attempts to find meaning and purpose in his life in this satirical Canadian comedy-drama. He decides that the only way to accomplish this is to become a filmmaker. Unfortunately he has no inspiration as to a subject matter until he looks closely at his fringe-dwelling buddy Gnome, a Venice Beach comic-book store owner who considers every aspect of life a political cause to fight against. Gnome is truly a bizarre character and the perfect subject for a film. Now that Alex has a subject, he needs the cash to make his film. Helpful Gnome grabs his life-savings and heads off to Vegas to win some cash for his friend, leaving Alex and his pals to race after him before he destroys his life. During the chase, Alex finds himself falling for punk-rocker Maggie. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi