The Sweater

"The Sweater" is a beloved and iconic animated short film that hit the Canadian screens in 1980. Directed by Sheldon Cohen, it clocks in at just over 10 minutes but tells a powerful and relatable story that has resonated with audiences for over four decades. Based on Roch Carrier's short story "Une abominable feuille d'érable sur la glace" (An abominable maple leaf on the ice) and narrated by Carrier himself, the film features Roch as a middle-aged man reminiscing about his childhood growing up in rural Quebec in the late 1940s.

Roch Carrier, in his narration, perfectly captures the essence of a young boy's innocent world where hockey is not just a sport, but a religion, and ice is sacred ground. Jean-Guy Moreau is the voice of Roch (the central character), a young boy growing up in a small, hockey-obsessed town of Sainte-Justine, Quebec, during the Richard Riot era of 1940s.

In "The Sweater," Roch is an ardent fan of the Montreal Canadiens, and his hero, Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Richard was not merely a sports star at the time, he was a hero, a beacon of hope and pride for Francophone Canadians. Roch idolizes Richard and, like every child in his town, wears a number nine Montreal Canadiens sweater, the number worn by Richard.

The plot thickens when the well-worn sweater of our young protagonist, worn as a badge of honor and identity, becomes too tattered to wear. With no other options, his mother orders a new one from the Eaton's catalogue. When the package finally arrives, it contains a Toronto Maple Leafs' sweater instead of the expected Canadiens'. What follows is an endearing account of the young boy's struggle with his new sweater, symbolizing his forced allegiance to a team he does not support.

In a place where hockey defines community lines, language, religion, and identity, wearing the wrong sweater bears enormous social implications. Jean-Guy Moreau skillfully brings out the emotional turmoil of Roch, torn between loyalty towards his hero and the pressure to conform. The short film captures the texture of life in a small, snow-dusted town, where kids play hockey on frozen ponds and the radio broadcasts of the Montreal Canadiens games are a community ceremony.

"The Sweater" is beautifully animated, designed in the style of the original illustrations by Sheldon Cohen that accompanied Roch Carrier's short story when it was first published. The artwork is nostalgic, combining watercolors with pencil sketches, allowing the film to inhabit the story's remembered past. As for the music, it sets the mood perfectly. Traditional Quebec folk tunes are interspersed with radio broadcasts of actual Canadiens games, blaring church bells, the slurping of hot soup, and the scraping sound of skates on ice, lending an authentic touch to the film.

The underlying themes of the film are widespread and universal. "The Sweater" explores the primal time in children's lives when they are trying to figure out their place in the world. It deals with conflicts of individual identity in the face of mass culture, as well as the struggles faced by French-Canadians in asserting their cultural identity within a larger English-dominated society.

One particular scene stands out where Roch goes to church, hoping God can solve his 'wrong sweater' predicament. He prays for a lot of moths. It's a heart-tugging scene that truly depicts the depth of feelings that sports can elicit in youngsters, exposing the viewer to an intense passion that transcends age and time.

"The Sweater" is a charming, affectionate reflection on childhood, a bygone era and the place of hockey in Canadian culture. In the years since its release, the film continues to be well received, not only in Canada but also internationally. Its success is a testament to its universality, proving that we all have our version of 'the sweater;' it could be a baseball cap, a football jersey, or anything that connects us to our heroes and our sense of identity.

To sum it up, "The Sweater" is a beautiful celebration of childhood, culture, and the unifying power of sports. Its warm, nostalgic glow appeals not just to hockey fans but to anyone who has experienced the joys and tribulations of growing up.