STAR BUCK

Canada, 2011, 109 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Huard, Julie Le Breton, Antoine Bertrand.
Directed by Ken Scott.


Starbuck is an offbeat story, written and directed by Ken Scott. He soon adapted his screenplay for an American version, Delivery Man, a star vehicle for Vince Vaaughn.

Patrick Huard stars as a likeable loser, David Wozniak, an irresponsible man. He works for his father and with his brothers in meat company, he doing the deliveries but always getting waylaid, getting parking fines, even getting his truck towed away when he should have been delivering baseball basketball jerseys to his father. He also owes money for a loan in a company that failed and thugs are after him. If the film continued in this vein, it might have just been an average film.

Then, the key plot element is reserved revealed. David gave over 600 sperm donations to a clinic in the 1990s. It was a way of raising money. The name used on the documents kept his anonymity and was Starbuck. Now a group of the children, 161 of the 533 conceptions from the donations, have instituted a lawsuit for him to come out of his anonymity. He has the friendship and help of his lawyer who struggles with children of his own and is keen on preserving David’s anonymity and getting him damages.

What happens is that David starts to investigate the lives of some of the children, papering his wall with the official documents about 533. He discovers a struggling actor who finds a job; he works with a young addicted woman and gets her to promise to go to her job in Bloomingdales; he supports a busker in the street, sees another son as a tour guide and listens to him frequently, even in the rain, and there is pathos when he finds that one of the sons is severely disabled, going to visit him, not knowing what to say, but forming a bond.

One day he follows one of the children, a gay man, who leads him to a meeting of the children where he suggests to them, still anonymously, that what they have discovered is a whole range of brothers and sisters and that they should be joyful about this. Ultimately there is a court case, reasons being put forward for his anonymity and his preservation of privacy as well is the reasons for the revelation for the sake of the children to know something about themselves and their parentage.

Of course, there are ethical issues in the whole sperm donation issue and how it was handled by the clinic. But given that the situation has arisen, there are ethical questions about what David should do and what the children have a right to. The film does gather together the various arguments and it ends with a heart answer over a head answer. And, in real life, which is more important?

1. The title, the delivery in David’s job, the delivery of the children?

2. A Canadian urban story, life in the city, the streets, the shops and abattoirs, buildings, deliveries, the different venues to meet the children, the hospital? Realism, if the story seems surreal, for David and for the audience?

3. The basic premise, sperm donation, over 600 in a short period, the clinic using the sperm and the result of 533 children? The film showing the children, their lawsuit? The absent parents?

4. Introduction to David, a seeming loser, the story of his family, his father coming from Poland, his father, the $10? Starting poor, the company, meat, the brothers working in the shop, the shop itself, the range of deliveries, having their baseball team, David and his getting the jerseys, the fines, the truck towed away? Only himself in the uniform in the photo? His relationship with Valerie, casual, discovering that she was pregnant? Her urging him to get a life? David’s lawyer friend, his friends, the lawsuit, his own children, the ironic comment with the scenes with him and his children and his observations about having children? David, his owing the money, the thugs arriving, in the bath? The phone calls and his inability to borrow from anyone?

5. His prospects, the 533 children, the sheets, putting them on his wall, the discussions with the lawyer and the lawsuit, his wanting anonymity? The prospect of damages?

6. His beginning to see the children, the effect on him, the young actor getting the job, the addict and the pizza delivery, his concern, taking her to hospital, a promise to go to the department store and fulfilling it, the lifeguard and his jumping into the pool, the busker and supporting him on the street, the tour guide, even in the rain with no customers?

7. Following the gay man, his meeting the girl, discovering himself at the meeting about himself, his name Starbuck, his getting up, urged to speak, reminding them that they had discovered that they were brothers and sisters? The isolated young man confronting him, his interest in philosophy, books of quotations, wanting to stay with David, the long stay, David feeling desperate, inviting him to the baseball game and his ineptitude?

8. Valerie, her character, pregnancy, asking David to come to the scan, the effect on him?

9. The lawyer and his speech for the claim, the children listening, their ironic comments?

10. In court, the range of children, the arguments, the reasons given on each side, the judgment?

11. Thehe television interview, blurting out David’s name, his mother’s reaction to his excusing himself that he was David’s partner?

12. David’s father, not supporting him, calling him to him, the revelation, the story of the family, the $10, and his giving him his inheritance in cash to pay the debts? David forgoing the money from the case?

13. David, typing out the message, the revelation of who was Starbuck, the reactions, going to the hospital, the birth of his daughter, the gifts from all the children?

14. Meeting the children, the group hug?

15. The basic ethical issues, in vitro fertilisation, the place of the parents? The responsibility of the donor? David finding himself in the situation with the children and dealing with it?