In "Seducing Dr. Lewis," probably at least the one-millionth film ever made about quirky small-town folks, a bunch of quirky
small-town folks must convince the titular physician to take up residence there. This is done primarily by deceit, which of course is eventually revealed, which of course makes Dr. Lewis feel betrayed. The film therefore follows the same basic trajectory as a romantic comedy, except instead of being about a man and a woman, it is about a man and a town. It's a charming movie, written by Ken Scott and directed by Jean-Francois Pouliot, both French-Canadians who are barely known in the U.S. It's set in a small, economically depressed fishing village called St. Marie-La-Mauderne, a town that once thrived but that has now seen all of its residents either move to Montreal or stay put and go on welfare. There's talk of a factory being built in the town, which would give it the boost it needs. Problem is, the corporation's insurance company won't let it build there unless the town has a local doctor. Which it doesn't. So Germain Lesage (Raymond Bouchard), about 50 years old and one of the town's many garrulous, scruffy heavy drinkers, recruits his grizzly best friend Yvon (Pierre Collin) and nerdy town banker Henri (Benoit Briere) to implement a plan. They send letters to every doctor in Quebec, touting the charms of St. Marie-La-Mauderne and pleading with them to relocate.
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