Toronto Film Fest Dispatch

Last week, hockey kicked off the international festival. Actually, it was a movie called Score: A Hockey Musical. It's a return to tradition after last year when the minds behind the TFF decided to not have a Canadian film open the event. Worse still, those minds chose the poorly reviewed British historical drama Evolution.

But is a movie about hockey too low brow for such a high toned festival? Critics seem to think not: "The Oscar-bait fare that usually comes to Toronto is usually morbid, high-toned affairs with lots of grieving, angst and broken families," wrote Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today. "This one is just pure fun."

When the premiere was over, Canadian singer Hawksley Workman got on stage to sing a live version of the closing musical number, joined by a children's choir and a drum line.

Score was directed by Toronto filmmaker Michael McGowan (Saint Ralph and One Week) and stars Olivia Newton-John, a woman who may not know much about hockey but certainly knows her way around a tune. Walter Gretzky and Theo Fleury cameo.

The festival ends Sunday after screening 339 films from 59 countries.