Percy vs Goliath Parent Guide

Percy Schmeiser (Christopher Walken) is a farmer in the small, small, small Canadian town of Bruno, Saskatchewan. He’s been growing canola from his own seed for his whole life, so it comes as a shock when he finds himself being sued by agri-business giant Monsanto for using their genetically modified canola without a license. Convinced of his innocence and determined not to bend to corporate bullying, Percy finds himself a lawyer: Jackson Weaver (Zach Braff), a good man who’s grossly outgunned by the legal team Monsanto sends against them. But legal fees aren’t cheap, and Percy has other concerns about his crops. Thankfully, Rebecca Salcau (Christina Ricci), a young and persistent activist, has a plan: all Percy has to do is do make some speeches and accept donations – both of which are anathema to Percy’s hard-won self-sufficiency.

This is a rare film: a legal drama which has no swearing, drinking, or violence. I know what you’re saying: “But without those crucial ingredients, how is the film going to have any lawyers in it?” I hear you. The answer is that these are fictionalized depictions of lawyers, and not real ones. The result is that this is a film which is completely suitable for family viewing – provided you can get your teens to sit still through two hours of farmers and lawyers arguing about canola.

The movie somehow manages to be interesting, in spite of the fact that it’s, again, a legal drama about canola. It is significantly simplified from the real story of Percy Schmeiser and his struggle with corporate overreach and the legal system, but that’s just how movies work. The film has to pick and chose where to spend a limited runtime, and it chooses to focus on Percy’s determination and (entirely realistic) farmer stubbornness, as well as the general injustice of his situation.

It’s a simple story, but well told – and that’s in large part to the surprisingly high-quality casting. You don’t expect to see Chris Walken in a movie about a farmer from small-town Saskatchewan. Frankly, you don’t expect to see any names you recognize in anything to do with Saskatchewan. It’s like the Sahara Desert, but flatter and with grass. Absolutely nightmarish. To any of you from Saskatchewan: My sincere condolences. I hope you escape soon. Godspeed.