HARD DRIVE

Canada, 2014, 90 minutes, Colour.
Douglas Smith, Laura Wiggins, Megan Follows, Jerry Granelli.
Directed by William D. Mac Gillivray.

Hard Drive is a small film from director William D.Mac Gillivray who made the interesting small-budget films Life Classes and Understanding Bliss in the late 1980s. After that he made a number of documentaries, with a return to features with this film.

Set in a Canadian city, it focuses on young 23-year-old man and his mother, she very possessive of her son, he rather inexperienced but with a love of music and influenced by his mother’s border, a famous musician. The film also focuses on a young woman, some mysterious background, who travels to the city, locates herself in an apartment across the street, encounters a young man who welcomes her. His mother becomes suspicious of the girl and the relationship. The young woman encourages him to a great freedom, initiating him sexually.

She has a secret, especially with a laptop computer which has significant information, images of the father and she and the young man go to confront him, with dramatic results, death and the court case.

It is well acted – but the film had a limited release, arthouse cinemas and specialist television screenings.


1. A brief character study? Relationships? Family? Mentor?

2. The Nova Scotia setting, the town, homes, the open road, the winter season?

3. The musical score, the background of past songs, the drumming?

4. The title? Ditch and driving? The hard drive in Debs’ computer, Ditch taking it out? Debs posting it to the police?

5. The character of Ditch? His age, personality, relationship with his mother, the tensions, his absent father, his father a musician and
his inheriting rhythms, his mother being irritated with him, his drumming at the table, his clothes, the coat? His job, collecting the papers, taking them to the tip, collecting his money? The girl at the desk, taking her out with friends, the club, his drinking, the drumming, the fight? Debs and her intervening?

6. Debs, on the bus, no background, going into the room, observing Ditch, saving him at the club? Discussions, support, driving, friendship, Ditch as her first friend? Moving in, the relationship? The photos, the computer, at home with Ditch? The sexual experiences? The reaction of Ditch’s mother, her wanting Debs out?

7. The character of Knudsen? An old man, boarding, his love of the drums, playing, encouraging Ditch? His collapse and death?

8. Barbara, abandoned by her husband, saying she had thrown the postcard away, finally giving it to Ditch? Her work, the computer, possessive of her son while scolding him? Wanting Debs out? Ditch and his decision to leave? Her regrets?

9. Ditch, with Debs, looking at the computer? Debs revealing the sexual abuse by her father? On the computer, the visuals? The revelation of his abuse from the time she was 13, then filming, sending out the videos?

10. Ditch and Debs travelling, the confrontation with her father, the gun, giving him the computer?

11. The irony of Ditch taking out the hard to drive? Posting it to the police? The headlines on the newspaper, his being charged? Debs and her decision to return to see the case out? Saying Ditch was her only friend?

12. The effect of this experience on Ditch, a future, returning home or not, his mother, after the solution of the case and meeting Debs again?