Can we still call him a Canadian?

The Globe and Mail stated that "Canadian screenwriter-director [Paul Haggis] is set to take on his latest project - the screenplay for the next James Bond movie, Variety reported yesterday." Variety, on the other hand reported, and predictably this - "He [director Marc Forster] will soon begin working with scribe Paul Haggis on a draft of the screenplay by Neil Purvis and Robert Wade." They omitted "Canadian." Certainly it doesn't matter to them, but why does it matter to us?

It made me think two things - 1) Can Paul Haggis still be called Canadian?

2) When does someone stop being Canadian?

Is it something to do with how much success in the US of A you get? Take George Strombo, he goes down to L.A. with the "The One," a glitzty US reality show and we hated him, and it failed after four episodes, and he came back, and now we love him.

James Cameron was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, and he moved to the United States in 1971, but he's still called a Canadian by our media, yet I don't know anyone who would actually call him that - remember Titanic? Biggest movie - ever? Still, Celine Dion wrote that awful music for it. Can we, and do we want to call him a Canadian? Is that too much success?

Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player EVER ( it can't be debated anymore), and when was traded to L.A., we hated him for it. We called him names. Now that he's retired, (but still living in southward) we've come around again. We love him, he's Gretzky. He's the best - ever.

In Gretzky's case, I think it's a matter of raw talent and unmatched skill. We can respect that. Cameron made a sappy love story that made a billion dollars. You can respect that, but, it doesn't sit well with you.

Look at Norman Jewison. He came back after a successful and respected career in Hollywood. He's Canadian. He is also very much the definition of a Hollywood studio director. But, he directed Steve McQueen - the coolest guy ever, not once, but twice. How can we not love him? How can we not say he's Canadian? I might add I went to the Canadian Film Centre, which he founded. I'm biased.

Still, he directed McQueen. Steve McQueen. Twice. You have to respect that.

Back to Paul Haggis. Born in London, Ontario. He's had the most enviably movie streak by anyone in film in a long, long time. He's won two Academy awards, one for best picture, one for best screenplay. Back to back.

He's worked closely with Clint Eastwood, an icon, and a filmmaker that is producing the best work of his entire life during Haggis' watch.

Again, that's Clint Eastwood. The Man Without a Name. Dirty Harry.

And Haggis too, he revitalized James Bond, adapting a classic novel, into something, well, pretty good (it would of been superior had not the service hacks Purvis and Wade touched it - and again? Why?).

But still, James Bond.

In terms of definition of success, that's it.

So, does he have to come back to be Canadian and before will give him the respect he deserves? Try to give it a go here, in our miserable little industry. Or do we just have to hope he suffers down in L.A. so we can bask in schadenfreude.

After all, it's what Canadians do best.