True, there is a number of clichés in this movie and yet the overall result is moving. Canadians are not particularly well aware of this relatively short part (about 11 years) of their history and this movie does not stray too far from the harsh reality it describes. Perhaps it is the saving grace of clichés: like stereotypes, they tend to have a good foundation in reality. I don't know for sure for the Canadian "Birdwatcher" but for the rest, it does jib well with what I know from reliable sources. So, if you want to present the "Underground Railroad" to someone not already familiar with it, it is a very good, enjoyable, introduction.

One caveat, the sound track does not seem correct with large volume variations adding to the difficulties in understanding strong accents. Also, the lack of closed-caption (or any subtitle) will not help you either. A better language support-sound track would have certainly improved its rating.

I think perhaps one of the reasons I liked this movie is that part of it was filmed on my Father's farm in southern Ontario.My great-great Grandmother was a Creole living in Ontario and I feel this movie showed the plight of runaway slaves quite well.The casting was rather good--who expected Juleesa could act like an uneducated slave?I'm not one of those people who picks a movie apart so I really found it entertaining.