Subverting Stereotypes from London, Ontario to Los Angeles, California: A Review and Analysis of Paul Haggis's Televisual Oeuvre Marsha Ann Tate ABD, Mass Communications Program College of Communications The Pennsylvania State University 115 Carnegie Building University Park, PA 16802 Email:
[email protected] Last updated: June 3, 2005 @ 10:08 p.m. Paper presented at the 2005 Film Studies Association of Canada (FSAC) Conference, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Subverting Stereotypes from London, Ontario to Los Angeles, California -- M. A. Tate 2 Abstract Paul Haggis's recent forays into the feature film milieu have garnered the London, Ontario native widespread critical acclaim. Serving as a co-producer, director, and/or writer for a series of high- profile motion pictures such as Million Dollar Baby and Crash have propelled Haggis to Hollywood's coveted "A list" of directors and writers. Nonetheless, prior to his entrée into feature filmmaking, Mr. Haggis already enjoyed a highly distinguished career as a creator, producer, and writer in the North American television industry. A two-time Emmy Award recipient, Paul Haggis's television oeuvre encompasses an eclectic array of prime time sitcoms and dramas. Starting out as a writer for situation comedies such as Facts of Life and One Day at a Time, Mr. Haggis later moved on to created notable dramas including Due South, EZ Streets, and Family Law. Subversion of widely held stereotypes and showcasing society's myriad moral ambiguities are hallmarks of Haggis's dramatic endeavors in both television and feature films. While the two techniques have helped produce powerful and thought-provoking dramas, on occasion, they also have sparked controversies.