The film depicts Joshua growing up in his Montreal neighborhood, and then his adventures as a modestly successful writer.

A comedic drama, the film moves quickly without lingering for long on any incident and tells a connected complete narrative.

The cast included Michael Sarrazin as Kevin Hornby (Pauline's brother), Robert Joy as Colin Fraser (Pauline's first husband), Linda Sorenson as Esther Shapiro (Joshua's mother), Alan Scarfe as Jack Trimble, Ken Campbell as Sidney Murdoch, Kate Trotter as Jane Trimble, Alexander Knox as Senator Hornby, and Eric Kimmel as young Joshua.

[2] Joshua Shapiro, successful writer and pundit, in a hospital room, seems to have lost his wife and is in the middle of a sex scandal.

In England in a momentary lapse of reason, Joshua forges letters about a (fake) homosexual affair with a British writer to sell to an American university archive.

Neighbors in the wealthy cottage community around Lake Memphremagog lead him astray with dreadful consequences.

[4] Producers Robert Lantos and Stephen Roth decided to create both a film and miniseries to maximize the project's investment from Telefilm Canada.

20th Century Fox paid $2 million for the film's distribution rights and CBC Television gave additional investments.

[11] A party was held for the film one day before Cannes at Moulin de Mougins with 140 people in attendance and at a cost of $15,000.