Chaindance

Although Michael Ironside and Rae Dawn Chong are credited as the stars of the film, this is far and away Brad Dourif's movie. A low budget, Canadian film, Chaindance ( aka Common Bond) is an independent film. Besides starring in the movie, Ironside was also the executive producer. Knowing this, the movie has been labeled an attempt to advertise Michael Ironside as a leading man. Having played several (good) supporting roles in the past, Ironside put on the executive producer hat in order to star in a movie. Ironside is a great supporting actor. Then again, he is far from the star of this film, even though he is the main character. Brad Dourif, who plays the supporting role, steals the show with his over the top and very convincing role as a handicap. A good movie, one of Dourif's better roles.

This is a film that truly shows that Brad Dourif can act. This also shows that Michael Ironside, could have a character that truly could be "loveable".

Brad Dourif's performance as a man with Cerebral Palsy was flawless, and it was equal to Daniel Day-Lewis' Cerebral Palsy performance in "My Left Foot" released the year before. Truly this was showing a true insight into the character, since neither actor (Dourif or Day-Lewis) had the other performer's work to look upon given the production schedules and release schedules of both films.

This is high praise for me, because, I have not really been a Brad Dourif fan. I appreciated his 'Billy Bibbit' role in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), and his role as 'Piter De Vries' in David Lynch's version of "Dune" (1984) which was made with the on set assistance of the author Frank Herbert so it has a special place in my heart.

If this film EVER comes out on DVD, I will Definitely add it to my collection. I keep searching for it to come out... but like most quality "art house" Canadian films, I am not holding my breath for it to come out anytime soon.

This was a low budget film, and Aylward & Ironside as rather new writers came up with a quality script all things considered. If you compare it with a "Big Budget Hollywood Film", then you will be disappointed. But if you want a film that shows human drama from the points of view of someone with severe Cerebral Palsy (Dourif) and a Convict on work release (Ironside), with heart, and looking at it from a "Foreign Film" point of view, rather than a "Hollywood" point of view, you may find this a very touching and lovely little film to come out from our Neighbors to the North in Canada.

This movie is basically about giving people a second chance. Michael Ironside's character gets a chance to become a better person by helping someone else, which is really kind of a nice theme.

Ironside and Dourif are the stars of this unlikely buddy picture, and together they give great performances. Dourif in particular disappears into his role, becoming almost unrecognizable. He really is a chameleon in this film. Ironside, as usual, gives a reliable, strong performance, giving his loser character some depth and presence.

This was a small production and doesn't get anything like the attention it deserves. More than 15 years later, it still deserves a good look.

I should first say that I am a BIG Brad Dourif fan. I first heard about this movie on Dourif.com (which is offline now). I kept hearing more about it from other Brad Dourif sites. Then I saw the movie on a "for sale" rack in a video rental place near my hometown, and so I bought it. And it is incredible!!! I fell in love with the movie the first time I saw it. This movie is a must-see for all Brad Dourif fans. It made my respect for him shoot up another 50 points, and I recommend it to anyone (except little children).

An amazingly under-rated film that has been unfairly ignored by many, I would definitely count this among the best films of 1990. Driven by a thought-provoking plot and the surprisingly powerful performances of Michael Ironside and Brad Dourif, and a fine supporting turn by Rae Dawn Chong, this movie is definitely worth a look if you happen to notice it on the video store shelf.