Chuck Chuck Bay is an ebullient experience. A delightful film about love, life, loss and music which brushes against deeper and heavier themes of community, hurt and acceptance but never loses track of the joy of falling in love and how every song seems to be about you.

While not quite a jukebox musical, the film definitely has the best use of Neil Diamond’s ‘I Am, I Said,’ that I’ve ever seen. Helen (Louise Brealey) has never gotten out of her tiny Welsh town. She lives with her ex-husband, Gary (Celyn Jones), his new girlfriend and their new baby, and looks after his ill mother, Gwen (Sorcha Cusack). Add in her shiftwork at the local chicken processing plant, Chuck Chuck Baby and Helen has a life that she’s not really happy with and struggles to simply get by.

Problems of the heart begin when Helen’s high school crush, Joanne (Annabel Scholey), comes back to town after twenty years to deal with her abusive father’s estate following his passing.

The pair quickly learn that the attraction they felt as teenagers was mutual and still exists, and they both find things they love in one another. Joanne seems so strong and willing to stand up for herself, and Helen seems innocent, naive and compassionate.

And their friends around them at the chicken plant are rooting for them, even if Helen’s ex isn’t and he’s intent on stirring up as much trouble for Joanne as he can.

The women and their friends celebrate their relationships, and their love, and support one another in ways that are beautiful to behold. Of course, there’s a bit of a formula for these films, but you still want to see how the relationships are going to play out, how things are going to come together, and what kind of comeuppance will those who stand in the way of love get?

The music is wonderful, the performances are pitch-perfect, and while the film does explore some of the darker reactions queer relationships can elicit in some locales you know the right people are going to win out, and that Helen and Joanne are going to get their shot together. Finally.

I loved being wrapped up in this one and riding the wave of joy that seemed to flow from the screen and spread around the viewing audience. A perfect date night movie, with a great soundtrack, and a whole lot of fun. Chuck Chuck Baby.

Chuck Chuck Baby screens on Sunday 10 and Saturday 16 September at Scotiabank. You can get tickets, check out other events and titles and more here.

Update: I was able to chat with director/writer Janis Pugh and actor Louise Brealey in Toronto before they had to race for the airport to head home, you can enjoy the raw and unedited audio here.