Product Details

• Actors: Dan Aykroyd, Sara Botsford, Ron White, Aidan Devine, Nigel Bennett
• Directors: Don McBrearty
• Writers: Keith Ross Leckie
• Producers: Aaron Kim Johnston, Eric Jordan, Mary Young Leckie, Paul Stephens, Victor Solnicki
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Run Time: 180 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000065ILG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,879 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Arrow" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Canadian Story Relatively Unknown., August 28, 2004

By 

Glenn Laycock (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Arrow (DVD)

This movie was largely shot in Winnipeg; with the Canadian cast returning from the USA to make this picture at basically donated salaries. I know that when Dan Ackroyd was very active at Canada Day celebrations and was really good to the people (did not hid away). A good deal of the buildings are still around, and they allowed people to see the plywood version of the airplane they made up for the film (it looked like metal to me). Almost a documentary told with literary license. Even this summer the Military set a boat out to try to find more of the proto-type models at the bottom of ... one of the Great Lakes (don't recall which).

The total distruction of the program is tough to take or understand. Almost overnight, they film hints at political hate as a motivator, the planes were totally dismantled and distroyed; all blueprints and engineering documents "distroyed". It was not enough to order the the planes distroyed, but the were immediately torn to pieces; so it would be as if they never existed, or could be revived in the future. Ironic considering England, I believe the film said, had offered to pay for the plans as they wanted to take over the project; or add it to their own program.

Very appropriate today; as the "brain drain" to the USA continues, and as the program points out, the Canadian Engineers largely ended up going to the States to make what would become NASA their new employer.

Every Canadian should be made aware of this historic episode from the 50s.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Viewing For Every Canadian!, September 10, 2004

By 

Grant Coatsworth (Merlin, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Arrow (DVD)

If I could give this movie 10 stars I would, it's that good! I've watched this movie several times, and it keeps getting better with each viewing. This is without a doubt, Dan Ackroyd's best dramatic work. I won't give away the story, but this movie goes into detail, of how and why this jet fighter plane came into existence, and why the government cancelled the program, only days from it's completion. It also gives enough little "angles" that the conspiracy theorists will love to pick apart after viewing. The DVD extras was well done as well. This movie made me proud to be a Canadian!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work!, June 29, 2004

By 

D. Roy (Gatineau, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Arrow (DVD)

This movie documents the complete story of the Avro Arrow, from the "impossible" requirements of the RCAF to the design, development and test-flights of an amazing jet fighter.

After several months of unproven performance and and millions of dollars over budget, it is quite understandable that the government would not hesitate to pull the plug on the complete project. But does it make sense? When you see the aircraft in the air, and you knw the end is near, does it make more sense canning the whole program or just biting the bullet, bringing it to completion and increasing the marketing strategy to attempt to offset the cost? Apparently it's just best to scrap the program, according to Diefenbaker's government.

The movie attempts to explain why the 6 completed aircraft, as well as all the blueprints, documents and videos were completely destroyed, and the explanation is quite plausible. As hard as it is to understand why suck a thing took place, we musn't forget that we're watching this movie with a year-2000+ perspective, yet the story unfolds in the late 50's and early 60's.

The Arrow is an excellent documentary well worth the purchase.