Displaying items by tag: Darren Gilshennen

THE APPLETON LADIES’ POTATO RACE

Australia, 2023, 98 minutes, Colour.

Claire van der Boom, Katie Wall, Genevieve Lemon, Tiriel Mora, Robyn Nevin, Olivia Stambouliah, Andrew Ryan, Cecelia Peters, Maggie Dence, Darren Gilshanen. John Gaden.

Directed by Lynn Hegarty.

This is a pleasant piece of Australiana. It is based on a play by Melanie Tate, a play which focused on five women characters and their discussion about life in their town and issues of gender equality. While this core remains the same, the film opens out the action quite extensively, lots of location photography, a wider cast – and the cast are a very welcome assembly of quite a number of veteran Australian stars of stage and screen.

The film is based on a potato race in the southern Highlands of New South Wales country town of Robertson, the home of the playwright. And a lot of the film was filmed in these locations.

So, a lot of pictures of ordinary Australian life in the country. Also, the old traditions for country fairs and potato races. But, a key issue, the prize for the men in winning the race is far more than that allotted for the women. And a lot of satire on male chauvinism.

The sister of the local champion is visiting and takes up the cause, clashes with the men in the town, some sabotaging, and the raising of enough money to have an equal prize.

Easy entertainment but with that gender equality important issue.

1. The title and expectations? Based on a successful theatre play? Adapted for the screen by the writer?
2. The country town, the countryside, potato crops, homes, doctor’s surgery, meeting all, shops, the atmosphere? The musical score?
3. The annual festival, memory of the men working the potato feels, the origin of the race, Aunty Barb and her disguising herself as a man, the establishing of the women’s race? The family tradition, winning the races, Nikki and her 10 years of winning, the trophies?
4. Penny as the centre of the story, selling her home in Sydney, packing up, with Mabes, driving, arriving in Appleton, her having left home years before, to meet her family again, the relief practice, the encounter with Joan Bunyan and her strictness, the patients, her hoping to settle?
5. The family, Barb and Bob, bringing up Nikki and Penny, Nikki and her husband, Mark, his loss of job, drugs? Ethan, clumsy, his apprenticeship, Elliot, the gift of the guitar, his musical ambitions? The young baby? The irony of Mark being Joan Bunyan’s son? And the revelation of Gavin as Joan’s son? The party, rivalry between Nikki and Penny, the stoush with the cake? Indication of things to come?
6. Penny, the encounter with the doctor, his retirement, his training her, his story, his partner, living in the town, the gradual acceptance, revered? His advice for Penny, the scene with him on the horse, getting her to pat the horse and calm down?
7. The range of clients, knowing her from the past? Her friendliness?
8. Nicky, Barb training her for the race, her wanting to win the last one, turning 40? Difficulties at home, Mark and lack of a job, the drugs, the baby swallowing the drugs and Penny coming to the rescue? The rivalry between the two sisters, their perspectives on staying and leaving the town?
9. The issue of the race, the prize money for the race, $2000 for the men, $200 for the women? Penny, taking up the cause, going to the meeting of the committee, Joan and Barb the only ones present? Joan and his strictness with the rules, times, general business, Penny making her case? The decision to pursue it, preparing the posters, around the town, the money box, the collection, Miss Vaughan and her worry about cancer, her donation, feminist? The men and their hostility? Doorknocking, refusals?
10. The attitude of the men, the three Bobs, committee, but never going, the old Mann in the town and their memories, Gavin Bunyan as the spokesman for the chauvinist point of view, his harshness, threats to Penny? His speech at the general meeting, his stubbornness, at home with Mark and his mother, his mother’s exasperation? Sack of potatoes and his making the opening, causing the difficulty during the race? The later reprimand, and from his mother?
11. The radio announcer, the days before the race, keeping the population up-to-date?
12. Hostility towards Penny, people refusing to come for help, the effect on her?
13. Nickki’s 40^th birthday, the clash and truth telling between the two sisters, Mark and his affectionate speech and memories, Nikki overcome, leaving? Penny feeling very bad? Thinking to go back to the city?
14. Nikki and her attitude, not worrying about the money, the training? The news of the money, the meeting, $10,000, the many girls coming from round about to join in the race, the media coverage, the online campaign and its success, Elliot and Miriam and their work? Nickki as a hero to the young women, selfies?
15. The race itself, Penny deciding to run, the potatoes spilling, Penny falling, Nikki coming back and not winning, Miriam winning and the celebration, the two sisters reconciled, carrying the sack together and finishing the race? The family’s joy, Barb and Joan kicking the men out of the commentary box?
16. The importance of the issues about equality between men and women, the lack, Barb and her looking at the photos, preparing the collage of photos, the history of the race, her determination?
17. A pleasant piece of rural Australiana?

CHRISTMESS

Australia, 2023, 99 minutes, Colour.

Steve Le Marquand, Darren Gilshenan, Hannah Joy, Aaron Glennane, Nicole Pastor.

Directed by Heath Davis.

The Christmas spirit manifests itself in many different ways. Most Christmas movies are cheerful shows, generally entertaining for the whole family. This film is a bit different as can be seen by the title, and audiences wondering what the mess will be that this Christmas will bring.

In fact, this is a seriously themed film, with some funny moments, and with a lot of heart, looking at drug and alcohol addiction and rehab. Given this theme, it is inevitable that there will be some mess at Christmas.

This is a very Australian film, characters and tone, situations, the work of writer-director, Heath Davis (this reviewer praising his fee previous films, Broke, Locusts, Book week). It was all filmed at Campbelltown, just south of Sydney He has worked before with Steve Le Marquand and has invited him to portray Chris Flint, middle-aged, a television star, even with a Silver Logie, who has been self-indulgent for decades, drugs and alcohol, down and out, alienated his daughter whom he hasn’t seen for 20 years, and we meet him just as he has dried out and has to go to a halfway house.

In fact, most of the action takes place in the halfway house. Initially Chris meets Joy, in rehab, a singer with hopes for publicising her songs (Hannah Joy). Then he meets Nick, a very genial Darren Gilshenan, who works in a shelter but cares for and supports Chris and Joy in their quest for complete rehabilitation, the audience going along with Chris and Nick to a very moving AA meeting. There are enjoyable moments at meals, watching TV, a photograph with Chris and his Santa clothes, and a rehearsal of how Chris might go to Noelle’s house and tried to reconcile.

And, it’s Christmas, with Chris able to get a job at the local mall as a Santa, but he can’t bring enough acting skills to the role and it is all upended when his daughter and her son arrive for a photo opportunity.

There is talk about Christmas, the Gospel basis, the singing of the carols, and the hopes of good cheer amongst everyone. However, the people living in the street of the halfway house resent the newcomers lowering house values and prices and refuse to help Chris with the Christmas turkey which he is trying to prepare when, after some are some negotiations with his daughter, Nick a great help, she decides she will come to Christmas lunch. And, symbolically, her name is Noelle.

Just as we might have thought that this will be absolutely heart-warming, a Christmas gift movie tied with a bow, there is the reality of the temptation to relapse, the pressures of addiction over the years, the blows to self-confidence, the difficulties of relationships…

So, Christmas in a realistic setting, a mixture of joy and sadness, quite a quietly devastating moment of sadness when Nick explains to Chris why he has committed himself to supporting those in rehab.

But, hopeful, if rehabilitation can be once achieved, why not, even with deep struggle and pressure, again?

1. The title? The tone? Christmas spirit?
2. The location, Campbelltown New South Wales, suburban, the streets, homes, centres, shopping malls? The musical score? Christmas songs? Joy’s songs and the lyrics?
3. Chris’s story, initial impression, with the doctor, ending his time in rehab, keeping sober, going to the halfway house, ringing his agent, stranded, arriving late, meeting Joy and her reactions, Nick is the carer? Explanation of his background, TV actor, Silver Logie, drugs, drink, no mention of his wife, not seeing his daughter for 20 years?
4. The halfway house, the neighbours and their hostility, especially refusing to help with the Christmas dinner, the brownies’ dealer and his throwing out the turkey (and the final revenge by putting the dead tree in his bin)? The regime, Nick and his work at the shelter, his abilities with rehab, the rules in the house, no lying?
5. Nick, genial personality, relationship with Joy and Chris, his rules, work at the shelter, issues of the meals, watching TV, Joy singing, Chris and his moods? The issue of the cooking, the barbecue, Chris bringing the gas? The sausages and the vegan sausage?
6. Looking for a job, the notice about the Santa, Nick driving him, the costume, trying it on, the photo with Joy and Nick and its later reappearances? The welcome, the woman photographing the children, his looking bored, smoking, reprimands? Noelle and her arrival with her son, her reaction, his pursuing them, fired?
7. The AA meeting, the members and their stories, moving to listen to?
8. The discussions about Noelle, the rehearsal seen about going to the door, the three going, the bad reaction, Nick going to the door, getting some kind of agreement? Christmas Eve, joy and her singing, seeing her girlfriend and her breaking down, Chris enjoying the evening, talking with Noelle, her thinking about coming to the lunch?
9. The neighbour with the brownie, Chris out of it, the up and not working, the rejection by the neighbours, the ham, the hamburgers, Noelle not coming, waiting, Chris and his exasperation, taking the drugs hidden in the Bible, with his daughter’s photo, drinking the vodka, finding it in the car, blaming Nick with his bruised face?
10. The rules, Chris having to leave, the initial lie about his family and his stating that he did that before arriving, but breaking rules with the drink and the drugs, the truth about Nick and the assault and his taking the vodka from the drunken woman?
11. Nick, the true story of why he was a helper, trunk, the death of the child?
12. Chris packing, leaving, the bond with Joy, helping her with her songs, the farewell to Nick, going into rehab – and some hope for the future?