The Golden Rule (a Sudbury and area INDIE film)

The Golden Rule is a low-budget indie film set in the time when mining claims were acquired with an ax, compass and a map. Prospector Pete Rule, who has to stake 400 claims in one week. Unfortunately, he is forced to hire his estranged father and six other people he can’t stand.

I wrote the screenplay for this movie, drawing from events from years of working in the bush, experienced by myself or others. I come from a long line of prospectors. My great, great grandfather John Cryderman found the Garson mine east of Sudbury in 1891 and sold it to Monde Nickel, which later became INCO.

This movie has humour, action, and engages creative “McGiver” skills: such as when Pete uses his chain saw to boost a dead truck battery. And then again to pull a truck out of a mud hole. Two of the men the prospector is obliged to hire are two Quebecois lads who became stranded when their van broke down near Sudbury, so there are some French sub-titles. Think “Bon Cop Bad Cop meets Crocodile Dundee”. And for the ladies, and some guys like me, it is in part a double rom/com. A bit of romance without an “R” rating. Even an inter-provincial romance.

ASK YOURSELF: Would finding the best gold deposit in Canada in over 100 years make a man happy, or is it what’s inside that counts?

At the beginning of the film, the new exploration manager reduces Pete’s daily claim staking rate. “You know the Golden Rule”, the manager tells Pete, “Whoever has the gold makes the rules!” When Pete finds a massive gold showing on the company’s claims but won’t disclose the location. “You know the Golden Rule” Pete tells the manager, “Whoever has the gold makes the rules!”

Potential crew and actors have been contacted. A location on 640 acres of bush on private land east of Sudbury is secured. Financial sponsorship to support and pay the actors and crew is requested. You can contribute through a GoFundMe account. Or Call Frank. He’s in the phone book.

Hidden within the film is a message of hope for someone who has ever lost a parent, sibling, son or daughter of friend and colleague- when ten simple words uttered by Gabe, a native elder in the movie, tells them to Pete.

This film is also a ‘love letter’ to Quebec. There is a sequence of events in this film that attempt to heal the rift between the French and English that has existed since The Plains of Abraham in 1788.

At its core, there is only one Golden Rule. Do unto others as you have them do unto you.

It even has quotes from Pierre Burton, William Shatner and Peter Gzowski, a former CBC radio host.