Men With Brooms

Men with Brooms
Promotional poster
Directed by	Paul Gross
Written by	Paul Gross John Krizanc Paul Quarrington
Starring	Paul Gross Connor Price Leslie Nielsen Peter Outerbridge Kari Matchett Molly Parker Polly Shannon
Cinematography	Thom Best
Distributed by	Alliance Atlantis
Release date	March 8, 2002
Running time	102 min.
Country	Canada
Language	English
Budget	$7.5 million
Box office	$4.2 million

Men with Brooms is a 2002 Canadian romantic comedy film, starring and directed by Paul Gross. Centred on the sport of curling, the offbeat comedy tells the story of a reunited curling team from a small Canadian town as they work through their respective life issues and struggle to win the championship for the sake of their late coach.

The cast also includes Connor Price, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Outerbridge, Kari Matchett, Molly Parker and Polly Shannon. Members of the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip make a cameo appearance in the film as a competing rink representing Kingston, Ontario, the band's home city. Winnipeg curler and three-time Brier champion Jeff Stoughton also made a cameo appearance throwing his trademark "spin-o-rama" shot.

A television adaptation, also titled Men with Brooms debuted October 4, 2010 on CBC Television for the 2010-11 television season.

The movie begins with Donald Foley retrieving curling stones from a lake near Long Bay, Ontario. Foley dies after retrieving the stones, and a codicil to his will demands that curling rink he formerly coached be re-assembled, and enter a bonspiel to win the Golden Broom by placing a stone containing his ashes on the button. The team's skip, Chris Cutter, had skipped town ten years ago over the shame of failing to call a burnt stone, abandoning his fiancée Julie Foley (Donald's daughter) at the altar, and throwing the team's stones into the lake. Chris returns to Long Bay, where he convinces the former members of his team, Neil Bucyk, James Lennox, and Eddie Strombeck, to enter the competition for the Golden Broom. While the rink practices for the Golden Broom tournament, Chris tries to make amends with Julie, which is complicated by his feelings for her younger sister Amy. Neil deals with his resentment towards his wife, and unhappiness at running a funeral home inherited from his father in law. Eddie deals with his low sperm count and dissatisfaction about being unable to father children. James is working as a minor drug dealer, and tries to raise money to pay off a supplier to whom he is indebted.