Goalie blurs the line between real and reel from the start, we get to see the best and the worst of Terry Sawchuk’s life as it passes by in the memories of those who lived and played with him. Terry had a troubled pasted, but nobody knew how it affected him until after the end. ‘Goalies go first,’ we hear the cast say it numerous times throughout the run time, and it goes well with how Terry’s life turned out.

Terry Sawchuk, before becoming one of the best goalies out there, was a kid. One who had a dog to take care of and a brother to be proud of, but Terry soon realised the truth of his life, when his brother died at the age of 17 due to a heart attack. The family’s star hockey kid was gone, Terry now would have to step up, and he did with his brother’s advice, ‘Keep your head down’ and he did all his life as a goalie. Terry filled the loss of his brother with hockey, something that his brother loved too. He mistook the crowd’s cheers as the affection and love that he always was wanted for himself. Terry also had a difficult relationship with his first agent Jack Adams, who was like a father figure for him.

Goalie while sharing the personal hardships in Terry’s life, also showed its effects on the field, and the strain on his professional life. Terry did not have an easy time being traded into different teams throughout his career, being abandoned and tossed around, which did not help his mental health. But even through all the hardships, he tried to make the best of it. And that is truly what Goalie is about, the heart to give it your best and not to regret it. The last scene in the film shows Terry, getting off a cab and thinking about what he is going to do next. He decides to let bygones be bygones and looks forward to what’s next, wherever that may be.

Goalie, directed by Adriana Maggs, releases in theatres from January 31 and will then be available on DVD and digital come February 25 from Dark Star Pictures.