Ordinary Magic is a 1993 Canadian drama film directed by Giles Walker and produced by Paul Stephens. It is based on the 1981 novel Ganesh by Malcolm Bosse. The film is notable for being the feature film debut of actor Ryan Reynolds.
Plot
Raised in India, fifteen-year-old Ganesh (Ryan Reynolds) moves to Paris, Ontario after his father's death. Facing culture shock, he uses Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) to help his aunt (Glenne Headly) stage a hunger strike against a land developer.
Cast
The film features a mix of Canadian and international actors (alongside Sri Lankan actors for the India-set sequences):
Canada: Scenes in the town of "Paris" were filmed on location in Paris, Ontario. The town's historic architecture and the Grand River served as the backdrop for the protest sequences.
Sri Lanka: The India sequences were filmed in the Hikkaduwa region of Sri Lanka. (in 2023, Ryan Reynolds stated that Hikkaduwa remains his "favourite movie shooting location of all time.")
Music
The film's score was composed by Mychael Danna, who utilized Indian classical instruments to reflect the protagonist's background. Danna later won an Academy Award for his work on Life of Pi, another film with significant Indian themes.