When Dr. Teddy Cooper is sent to Singapore during World War II, his wife Daisy and their two children leave India and return to her parents' home in Canada. Singapore falls to the Japanese in 1942, and 15,000 soldiers are taken as prisoners of war. Daisy's letters to Teddy are returned. She receives no money from the British government.
In order to pay her bills, she gets a job playing piano in a local band. Max, a vagabond American trombone player, takes her under his wings and encourages her to sing. As the years pass and the band becomes successful, Max pressures her to marry him but she still believes that Teddy is alive. When he does return after the defeat of Japan, Daisy must choose between her career and a stay-at-home role of wife and mother.
Bye Bye Blues is based on the experiences of writer-director Anne Wheeler's mother. With admirable style, restraint, and realism, this Canadian film charts Daisy's struggle for independence and the emotional battering she undergoes during Teddy's long absence. Rebecca Jenkins beautifully conveys Daisy's tentative steps into a man's world, the mental anguish she feels never knowing for sure whether her husband is dead or alive, and the surprising pleasure she takes away from performing. Robyn Stevan is a delight as Frances, her irrepressible sister-in-law who cares for Daisy's children while she's on the road. Luke Reilly turns in a fine performance as Max, a sensitive soul who has trouble convincing the woman he loves to live in the present.
Bye Bye Blues won three Genies, the Canadian equivalent to the Oscars. After experiencing this emotionally affecting drama, you'll add your voice to its chorus of praise.