Comedy writer Robert Cohen returns to Canada and sets out to find answers about Canadian identity,[1] and the stereotypes and ignorance he encountered while living abroad.
[5] Outsider perceptions of Canada are illustrated with interviews and anecdotal evidence, such as the idea all Canadians live in igloos in a barren landscape.
[3] Numerous Canadians who have worked in the US entertainment industry note their nationality was met with confusion or suspicion, which is likened to McCarthy-era paranoia of the invisible outsider.
[4][10] Canadian politeness and propensity to apologize is noted as a true positive stereotype, a reputation as good people that leads to better social treatment abroad – particularly in comparison to Americans.
[13] Crossing into Ontario, the weather suddenly changes and Canadians are shown taking this in their stride with ice skating, art displays, and fishing on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa.
[14][a] Survival in the Canadian climate is discussed in the context of pioneer and modern times, with fatalistic humour raised as a coping mechanism.
[9] Canada's juxtaposition between the dominant British and American cultures is said to provide an outsider perspective for observational humour, satire and parody, with self-deprecating underdog characters and likeable troublemakers.
Cohen visits a psychotherapist as Canada,[2] a child of England and France with an awkward upbringing beside a noisy neighbour, and is told he cannot be happy defining himself with external comparisons.
His research on this issue raised personal questions about Canadian identity and the rest of the world's apparent lack of interest in the country.
[3] The documentary Sherman's March inspired Cohen for the film's structure, which follows a 10-day road trip from Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia.
[12] Cohen stated Americans Griffin, O'Brien and Stiller were fascinated by the subject and wanted to be part of it when they learned of the Canadian celebrities who were participating.
[4] This was because the Californian location of Grainey Pictures, the production company of Canadians Gray and Aarons, technically makes the film a US-Canada co-production.
He found it explores every cliché about Canada with amusing commentary by a large number of Canadian celebrities but does not provide satisfactory answers to the questions it raises.
[30] David Berry of the National Post rated the film one out of four and wrote its jokes and observations are stale, outdated, and tied together with a sloppy narrative.
[13] Norman Wilner of Now Magazine called it "a pandering stunt" and said, through its attempts at humour, the film dismisses the interviewees' considered opinions on identity and cultural responsibility.
wrote the comedy documentary is "a labour of love" full of silliness, and that its underlying message is "Canadians are funny people".
[9] Pat Mullen of Point of View Magazine called the film "unabashedly and amusingly patriotic" and a "fun, laid-back jaunt into our collective psyche" that is told in a manner in which even its omissions are distinctly Canadian.
[11] Stephen Marche, writing for Esquire, took note of the invisible-outsider status of Canadians in the United States, which interviewed comedians say gives them a special edge.