WHO WE ARE: Without doubt?

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

To learn how the tastes of Melbourne differ from the tastes of Sydney, go to The Tribal Mind

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 20/4/2008
A spokesman for the prime minister declared recently that The Man from Snowy River was "without doubt the best Australian movie ever made". He was commenting on a letter of congratulation sent to Kevin Rudd by the actor Kirk Douglas (who played two roles in The Man From Snowy River).

Assuming that the spokesman was conveying his master's view rather than his own, and that he wasn't just being polite to an ageing icon, it's a big claim. Kevin Rudd is this nation's voice to the world. The opinion polls suggest most Australians go along with him on most matters, but would they agree about the best Australian movie ever made?

On the prime ministerial recommendation, I rented The Man at my local DVD store, and I have to say it's an eccentric choice. Yes, the superb camerawork shows graceful horses and beautiful scenery, but the dialogue is clunky, the acting is uncomfortable, and Kirk Douglas's wig and beard look as if he tied a dead bandicoot round his head. Nearly 80 minutes go by before there's movement at the station. And there's no ending, presumably because they were setting things up for a sequel.

If that's the best we've ever done, you can't be surprised that 21st century Australians make a point of avoiding Australian movies. During the past six months, only two local creations have made more than $1 million at the box office - Black Balloon, a dramedy about a family with an autistic kid (seen by 170,000 people), and Gabriel, a science fiction thriller (seen by 140,000 people).

Some say the reason Australian films are doing so badly is that these days, people only go to the cinema to see big budget spectaculars, and Australians can't afford to make those. So how come 1.6 million of us bought tickets in the past six months for a film called Death At A Funeral? It has all the hallmarks of a classic Aussie production - no special effects, no big stars but plenty of eccentric characters, a bit of slapstick and a quirky storyline. Ah, you see, it was made in Britain, so we had no motive to avoid it.

There was a time when we embraced our own work. And from that golden age, I've worked out the 20 films which were seen by the greatest number of Australians, and which might be candidates for "without doubt the best ever made". I divided box office earnings by the average ticket price in the year the film was released, and came up with this chart:

The most popular Australian movies of all time
1. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
2 Babe (1995)
3 Crocodile Dundee 2 (1988)
4 The Man from Snowy River (1982)
5 Happy Feet (2006)
6 Moulin Rouge (2001)
7 Strictly Ballroom (1992)
8 Gallipoli (1981)
9 Mad Max Two (1981)
10 Priscilla Queen of the Dessert (1994)
11 Muriel's Wedding (1994)
12 Young Einstein (1988)
13 The Dish (2000)
14 The Piano (1993)
15 Phar Lap (1983)
16 Alvin Purple (1973)
17 Mad Max (1979)
18 Shine (1996)
19 The Castle (1997)
20 They're A Weird Mob (1966).

Of course, "most seen" is not necessarily the same as "best". There are others, just outside the top 20, which received critical acclaim: Picnic At Hanging Rock; Lantana; My Brilliant Career; Rabbit Proof Fence; Two Hands; Breaker Morant; Puberty Blues; Oscar and Lucinda and Kenny.

Which do you reckon was our all time best? And will we ever get there again? It's all a matter of opinion and we want yours. Please go to "Comments" and set the prime minister straight.

To learn about our all-time favourites from every country, go to The Films Australia loved

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

The piano? A New Zealand film, shot by Jane Campion (a kiwi), in New Zealand?

by David Johnston on April 20, 2008 at 12:17 AM

Wake in Fright

by Michael Thompson on April 20, 2008 at 12:39 AM

Picnic At Hanging Rock is a better movie than most in the top 20.

by Chris on April 20, 2008 at 05:03 AM

Hasn't anyone ever heard of "A Town Called Alice"? (1956) It's old, but I have never forgotten it.

by geddes brown on April 20, 2008 at 05:25 AM

Some of these commercial successes are good movies. As you say, 'commercial success' ain't necessarily the 'best' and movies can have a deeply personal connection. Mine: "High Tide" with its utterly moving portrayal of lives of caravan kids on the coast (Judy Davis is superb) and 'Doing Time for Patsy Cline' showcasing the beautiful (if fleeting) idealism that young men often hold.

by big Pete on April 20, 2008 at 05:34 AM

Does anyone remember Malcolm starring Colin Friels? Classic.

by WhatAbout on April 20, 2008 at 06:12 AM

Yes, Wake in Fright. I saw that so many years ago I thought retirement age was off in the never never, and it has stayed with me. I don't want to see it again, but.....still gives me shivers. Stictly and Priscilla, iconic and fun. Happy Feet and Babe - magic.

by Primmy on April 20, 2008 at 07:08 AM

The Odd Angry Shot

by bob on April 20, 2008 at 07:15 AM

Crocodile Dundee at #1? Never seen it because of the embarrasement factor, and was thoroughly lambasted way back when it was released because of my comments.There are loads of smaller films that do better justice to our film industry, but becasue they don't pull in the big bucks they are ignored.

by Carmel on April 20, 2008 at 07:43 AM

Telling that only 1 of the top 20 was made in the last 10 years...
My favourites (also not new) are:

'the Year my voice broke'
'Proof' (with Russell Crowe and Hugo Weaving before they were big)
'Looking for Alibrandi'

by debbie on April 20, 2008 at 07:44 AM

How about:
'The Club', 'Clubland', 'Cosi', 'Crackerjack', 'Death in Brunswick', 'Dead Calm', 'Don's Party', 'Dark City', 'Dirty Deeds', 'Gallipoli', 'Hercules Returns', 'The Hard Word', 'Lighthorsemen', 'Paperback Hero', 'Taipan', 'Thank God He Met Lizzie', 'Ten Canoes', and 'The Year of Living Dangerously', just to mention a few.

by Paradise Hank on April 20, 2008 at 07:48 AM

...Queen of the DESSERT? Weren't they planning a prequel: Ethel - Dauphine of the Entree?

DD replies: Of course I put in the error to see if you were paying attention -- and ended up receiving a useful joke, so I won't correct it.

by Max on April 20, 2008 at 07:50 AM

I do think that 'Muriel's wedding' is the best australian film ever.

'Doing Time for Patsy Cline' is a charming film.

by e1 on April 20, 2008 at 08:05 AM

"Point Break" is the greatest of all time. it had one scene at Bells Beach - so qualifies Bogans.

by Johnny on April 20, 2008 at 08:07 AM

I thought Clubland and Chopper were excellent. And Little Fish should be on this list. And Candy! There are so many more brilliant than The Man (and Young Einstein for that matter, how did that get on there?)

by thingo on April 20, 2008 at 08:20 AM

Ghosts... of the Civil Dead, Chopper, Bliss, Road Games, Romper Stomper, Two Hands, The Boys, Dark City, Celia

by David C on April 20, 2008 at 08:36 AM

That Chopper was not mentioned in this article is a major oversight. A great film which showcased Eric Bana to the world.

by Reece on April 20, 2008 at 08:40 AM

'Wake in fright' only lasted one week at the cinema here in Australia yet was a box office hit for a year in France. �Lantana�, �Japanese Story� and Greencard � are a few more great oz movies.

DD asks: why do you consider Green Card to be Australian?

by Nicole on April 20, 2008 at 09:32 AM

I have a soft spot for 1996's Love and Other Catastrophes - sweet, fun and with cute lesbians. What more could you want?

by HAL 9000 on April 20, 2008 at 10:05 AM

Don't forget the best biker movie ever made, Stone, by Sandy Harbutt.

by tom on April 20, 2008 at 10:09 AM

The Interview - possibly one the best two-handers ever made.
Chopper - how could you leave out Chopper?

by Mark Tsukasov on April 20, 2008 at 10:45 AM

Well in my opinion, for what it's worth The Man from Snowy River is easily the best Australian movie ever made and the fact you hadn't seen it and then hassled it makes me question are you the right person to judge.

by luke kelly on April 20, 2008 at 10:58 AM

"Puberty Blues"
"Tim" starring a very young mel gibson
And majority of the above...

by Anita on April 20, 2008 at 11:14 AM

I'm a fan of Newsfront.
Last year I also liked Gabriel and Lucky Miles. Like most of the Aussie films released last year, they didn't get the promotion they deserved so of course no-one went to see them.

by geejay on April 20, 2008 at 11:17 AM

Bad Boy Bubby

by Vai Hanoi on April 20, 2008 at 11:22 AM

The Club - Have never seen a movie that captures team sport better. Certainly not just about Australian Rules but rather about politics in the boardroom and the team. Graham Kennedy's performance deserved a best supporting oscar imo.

by Craig Hudson on April 20, 2008 at 11:34 AM

Bad Boy Bubby is very weird, pretty disturbing, but also hilarious, thought-provoking and undeniably brilliant. I also love Chopper, Two Hands, The first two Mad Maxes... but the best Aussie flick of all time has to be The Man From Hong Kong! Kung fu on Uluru! A truly awesome car chase! George Lazenby! And they say Aussies can't make action blockbusters!

by Andrew on April 20, 2008 at 11:37 AM

Why do low-budget Australian films have the same ticket price as high-budget overseas blockbusters? Look at the crowds on the cheap ticket nights - Australian audiences ARE price sensitive -- so why not discount the tickets by $4 and see if it increases the audience figures? Even if the net takings are the same, at least more people would have seen the Australian product. Otherwise if its not a blockbuster, then I find it easier to wait for it to come out on DVD. Unfortunately, by then I've often forgotten about it.

by Jim on April 20, 2008 at 11:50 AM

Because of the mystery, supurb shooting and we are left with unanswered questions - my vote is for Picnic at Hanging Rock.

by David Evans on April 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Croc 2, Happy feet, Phar lap and Alvin should be binned. All the rest are fair enough. Ahh, Young Einstein. I love how it starred a bloke called Yahoo in real life and had a soundtrack featuring a band called Mental as anything.

by jack johns on April 20, 2008 at 12:01 PM

Lantana is the best ever Australian film.
Gallipoli, Breaker Morant, and Priscilla Queen of the Dessert give Lantana a good run for its money.
BTW all these films have brilliant soundtracks.

by robbie the robot on April 20, 2008 at 12:32 PM

The Castle is a proper Australian film.
At least in Chopper Eric Bana wasn't forced to do any other accent.
If Point Break counts as Australian, then we should be able to class The Return Of The Mask as the worst Australian film ever made.

by Hamish on April 20, 2008 at 12:38 PM

Happy Feet is a bad movie. Bad voice talent, average animation, and a bad story. The only reason anyone noticed the movie is
a) Pixar's amazing stories and amazing delivery have made animation fashionable, even if noone can do it as well as they can
b) March of the Penguins made penguins fashionable just before Happy Feet was released
Seriously, Happy Feet is stab-out-my-eyes horrible.

by Len Ring on April 20, 2008 at 12:39 PM

Bad Boy Bubby, the cars that ate paris - the latter maybe dated now but for its time ..

by Ra on April 20, 2008 at 12:51 PM

The Piano was a New Zealand film through and through, although Harvey Keitel is American.
Can't you Aussies leave us anything for ourselves?

by shirley on April 20, 2008 at 01:01 PM

Some good ones there, all worthy of notable mention. However, for a horror movie, I cant't go past The Long Weekend, very scary and a fitting end.

by Jason Devine on April 20, 2008 at 01:02 PM

There's a reason most people avoid Australian films you know, because they simply suck. The odd one pops up that stands out, does something differently and is of a marginally higher quality than the others, but this is very rare. Mad Max might be one. Moulin Rougue, although a mellodramtic mess, is another.
Without getting too down on the Australian film industry, perhaps it's a cultural thing. I'm still not exactly sure what quantifies 'Australian' humour. The brits humour is dry and black, the americans (good stuff) is quirky, over the top and laced with puns but what exactly is Australian humour? The only trend I can make out is that it's either crude, cliched or poking fun at half-wits.

by Greg on April 20, 2008 at 01:09 PM

'Love Serenade' is clearly one of the best as far as i'm concerned.
'Floating Life' was excellent but can't even be found on DVD.

by clem on April 20, 2008 at 01:20 PM

"Bliss" or "Crackerjack" depending on the mood I happen to be in. "Bliss" because it is simply on of the best films I've ever seen or "Crackerjack" because it is one of the funniest.

by Alex on April 20, 2008 at 01:40 PM

Chopper and Gallipoli have to be in the Top 20 surely.

by luke kelly on April 20, 2008 at 01:55 PM

WHERE BE POP?

DD asks; Indeed. Also, what be POP?

by The Crowd on April 20, 2008 at 02:16 PM

1. The Castle
2. The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie
3. Bazza Holds His Own
4. The Sum of Us
5. The Dish

by Wombat on April 20, 2008 at 02:26 PM

Without doubt my favourite Aussie film of all time is 'Don's Party'. It's funny, it's scary, it's thought provoking.

by Mason Hell-Cat on April 20, 2008 at 02:38 PM

What about "Smiley gets a gun" or "Dad and Dave - On our Selection". But the winner must be "The Castle". Every line in that movie is a classic and I can watch it a hundred times and still find something I missed last time!

by Chi Wai on April 20, 2008 at 02:45 PM

What the...! Young Einstein made the cut, but Breaker Morant did not!?

DD rep;lies: As I apparenly need to repeat, "the cut" is a list of movies that sold the most tickets in Australia -- it has nothing to do with the quailty of the movie.

by Dave-o on April 20, 2008 at 02:51 PM

Lantana.

by Shaun on April 20, 2008 at 03:28 PM

Lantana, Don's Party, The Club, Wake In Fright, Muriels Weding. But please Happy Feet! Even my kids thought it was average. I reckon its useless and should not be anywhere near list.

by jimbo on April 20, 2008 at 03:41 PM

God, reading this list makes my chest swell with all the genuinely great movies from this country. Nitpicking, I do want to distinguish between good and great, though - most good Australian movies aren't great and wouldn't want to be. Kenny was extremely good precisely because it was so unpretentious and unepic, and its beauty and wisdom were the same as its mundanity. To answer Greg, good Australian humour (and there's a hell of a lot of bad Australian humour out there) is along that line - the everyman who knows there's no such thing as an everyman and so is just him/herself. Geoffrey Atherdon (Mother & Son, Grassroots) and Michael Leunig have made careers out of that vein. Among the good movies - Proof and Voice Broke. Among the great movies, Newsfront gets my unqualified vote for a perfect blending of understated personal drama, historical drama and national identity formation that most epics aspire to but almost none achieve.

by Nicholas on April 20, 2008 at 03:59 PM

Yes you are right. Kevin Rudd has been seduced by the words of a geriatric actor to say that "The Man from Snowy River" is the best Aussie film. Perhaps in his spare time Kevin should see these films in following order.
- Picnic at hanging Rock
- Gallipoli
- Newsfront
- My Brilliant Career
- Rabbit Proof Fence
- Babe
- Shine
- The Chant of Jimmy Blacsmith
- The Piano
- Strictly Ballroom

by Chris Payoe on April 20, 2008 at 04:09 PM

The Castle
The Interview
Lantana
Kenny
Praise

by Jase on April 20, 2008 at 04:10 PM

Breaker Morant was repeated on TV the other night. Watching it again reminded me of why its about my favourite Australian film. Edward Woodward and Jack Thompson are simply fabulous in their roles, ably supported by Brian Brown and Lewis Fitz-Gerald. A great script, directed with verve and style by Bruce Beresford. The production values could have been better with a bigger budget, but who cares. It told a story about us in a believable way.
The Castle also rates up there as well. Wonderful humour capturing the essence of being Australian and a parable about Aboriginal Land Rights

by Peter on April 20, 2008 at 04:15 PM

Best two 'serious' films..? Lantana and Two Hands (well... semi-serious)

Best two 'fun' films...? Strictly Ballroom and Muriel's Wedding

Jindabyne was great too.

by StuckinHK on April 20, 2008 at 04:43 PM

What about 'Little Fish' and 'Look Both Ways'? Two of my favourite films of all time. I also loved 'The Caterpillars Wish' and 'Better Than Sex' which both starred the wonderful Susie Porter.

by Jules on April 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM

Revised list should read:
(in no particular order)
Proof
Looking for Alibrandi
Puberty Blues
Muriel's Wedding
Romper Stomper
Tim
The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith
Wake in Fright
Lantana
Breaker Morant
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Sum of Us
Rabbit Proof Fence
Shine
Babe
The Dish
Chopper
Dead Calm
The Year of Living Dangerously

by Ellie on April 20, 2008 at 05:04 PM

Sorry...
I forgot to add:
"Look Both Ways" - this was brilliant!

by Ellie on April 20, 2008 at 05:05 PM

What about chopper?

by Ash on April 20, 2008 at 05:07 PM

How do you qualify to be an Australian film anyway?Financing?Story?Australian crew,location?
Moulin Rouge was hardly an Australian story and was funded from the USA,
Star Wars shot here with Australian crews so should they qualify but then Vim Wenders shot a great "Australian" film in "Dingo".
A problem to be rethought before we can have a mature industry.
"The Proposition" I think the best film from here for a long time but it was shot by a Frenchman so maybe it doesn't qualify.:)

by Ross Emery on April 20, 2008 at 05:07 PM

Wake in Fright is easily the best Aussie film ever made

by E Roy on April 20, 2008 at 05:11 PM

The Magician was pretty cool.
Gallipoli
Mad Max

by Phil Hannaford on April 20, 2008 at 05:18 PM

DD, on memory, Green card was a co production with Australian Film commission and France film industry. Funds were awarded as Peter Weir was the director.
Jedda is another movie that was ground breaking...

DD remarks: Filmed in New York with a French actor and an American actor.

by Nicole on April 20, 2008 at 06:20 PM

Picnic at Hanging Rock... a beautiful haunting film that works on a multitude of levels. Sophisticated visually with a cerbral depth that explores sexuality, mysticism, social classification and the great Australian landscape - but what is even more important regardless of its complexities is that it is a joy to watch and its visual seductiveness is what draws the viewer to initially which then tempts you to delve deeper. Film making at its best regardless of nation, colour or creed. One of my all time favourites !

by Dick Sweeney on April 20, 2008 at 06:37 PM

Great is hard, let alone greatest. Breaker Morant and Picnic at Hanging Rock, Malcolm, Death in Brunswick, Mad Max (1 only), Storm Boy was so special to me as a child and is one of the best book adaptions there has been. And what about Jedda? Hollywood did not produce a film anywhere near comparable at the time (or since, but then neither have we since). Then there's The Year My Voice Broke. And for an eccentric choice - As Time Goes By, rather than Young Einstein. Stopping here is arbitrary. We make, or at least *made*, good films worth seeing. Trouble is, advertising targets Joe Bloggs and utilises peer pressure. Ho Hum

by Megan Hitchens on April 20, 2008 at 06:41 PM

Shouldn't we add in DVD revenues as well, then the Castle starts to jump up as the movie people would want to watch again and again...

by David on April 20, 2008 at 06:53 PM

Its strange that no one at the "Big Ideas Summit" saw any correlation between the death of Australian cinema over the last 10-15 years and the housing affordability crisis over the last 10-15 years.
Its a no brainer. If you have to work two or three jobs just to survive, how the heck does a young writer/director scrape together money to gamble on a film?
Creativity requires an abundance of risk taking. When the entire nation is in debt up to its eyeballs its difficult to take risks.
If median house prices were only 3-4 times median wages you would have a much more creative nation.

by Anthony Peterson on April 20, 2008 at 07:59 PM

Memorable but not well known

- Incident at Raven's Gate

and the Seventies classic

- The Last Wave.

by Scott Brodie on April 20, 2008 at 08:27 PM

Seems like you've all forgotten BMX Bandits - classic

by Tim on April 20, 2008 at 08:32 PM

Welcome to Woop Woop

Classic!

by Mandy on April 20, 2008 at 08:36 PM

If critical acclamation is the criterion for rating 'best', then the deeply disturbing Romper Stomper must be considered, but for my money, Picnic at Hanging Rock is still a brilliant piece of cinematography. Priscilla is also up there with the best.

by Rob from Canberra on April 20, 2008 at 09:05 PM

haha Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert.
I don't know where Fairfax is finding all these so-called 'journalists' but they could do a lot better.

This so-called journalist replies: It was a typo I didn't correct because it provoked a clever joke -- see earlier comments.

by daniel on April 20, 2008 at 09:11 PM

How about:
-Dust off the wings
-Idiot Box
-Kenny

???

by Joel on April 20, 2008 at 09:37 PM

So no one is familiar with "A Town Like Alice" - or it simply doesn't rate?

by geddes on April 20, 2008 at 09:48 PM

"sunday to far away"
jack thomson. i rest my case

by max on April 20, 2008 at 09:50 PM

The best Australian films are the ones that just tell the story without going over the top trying to be too "Aussie".
Breaker Morant has to be number one but I totally agree with Mad Max, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Two Hands and Muriel's Wedding being right up there. Doing Time For Patsy Cline and Cosi are also very enjoyable films.
If you ever see it on television, try and catch The Bit Part with Chris Hayward and Nicole Kidman.

by Ged on April 20, 2008 at 09:52 PM

I think thats the worst list of films i've ever seen!

by Adam (Sydney) on April 20, 2008 at 10:43 PM

"Chopper", "Lantana", "Don's Party", "The Year My Voice Broke", "Romper Stomper", "Walkabout" and "Proof" are high up there, too! Umm...popularity just means more people have paid to see it but personal favourites, it's always controversial.
"Storm Boy", "Jedda", "The Sentimental Bloke", "The Boys", "Shame", "Fortress", "The Devil's Playground", "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith", "Newsfront", "Dead Calm", "Rabbit Proof Fence", "Bad Boy Bubby", "'Breaker' Morant", "The Adventures of Barry Mckenzie" and "My Brilliant Career" all shine like bright metal on a sullen ground....

by Rommel Avanzado Lenon on April 20, 2008 at 10:51 PM

"Shine" is my favourite Aussie film, closely followed by "The Castle"- How's the serenity? Surprised "Wolf Creek" wasn't mentioned with all the hype that surrounded it. I agree with Jim. Perhaps making tickets for Aussie films cheaper is the way to go. People are penny-pinching more and more these days. Maybe people would take a chance on the little films if it wasn't such a big gamble at nearly $20 a ticket. Try telling the distributors that though.

by jennyj on April 20, 2008 at 11:29 PM

"The Devil's Playground" for all us boys who had a Catholic education!!!

by PAUL on April 20, 2008 at 11:42 PM

Coming up to Anzac Day..... don't forget
"40 000 Horsemen" directed Charles Chauvel = starring Chips Rafferty. Whilst on Chips; remember "Bush Christmas"

by PAUL on April 21, 2008 at 08:32 AM

I'm spending too much time on all of this...
"The Getting of Wisdom"&"Let the Balloon Go"

by PAUL on April 21, 2008 at 08:36 AM

The 4th Wish

by PAUL on April 21, 2008 at 08:59 AM

Romulus My Father was one of the best Australian movies ever - can't believe no one has mentioned it. The Castle and Kenny were also near the top of my list. I agree about Happy Feet.

by Ruth on April 21, 2008 at 11:02 AM

Breaker Morant, probably the best Oz film ever made. Though I also like Mad Max (1&2) and Picnic at Hanging Rock sent chills down my spine. Caught it again recently and it still does!
Of recent times I must say I like "Look Both Ways" a brillant film.

The PM really needs to watch more films if he thinks The Man from Snowy River is even up there as a great film. Sure it has beautiful scenery and some fab horses in action shots but the script was pretty dreadful.

by em on April 21, 2008 at 11:41 AM

I too once thought Man From Snowy River was the greatest Australian film. It was 1982, I was 9 and my breath had just been taken away by Jim Craig's ride!
Having seen many more Australian films I would argue the "best" would probably include Breaker Morant, The Interview and Lantana. My favourites include The Castle, Muriel's Wedding, Priscilla, and Babe. Outstanding performances from Judy Davis in both My Brilliant Career and High Tide, Graham Kennedy in The Club and Hugo Weaving in The Interview and Little Fish.
However the Australian movie I quote most is Gallipoli:
[i]What are your legs?
Springs, steel springs.
What are they going to do?
Hurl me down the track.
How fast can you run?
As fast as a leopard.
How fast are you goin' run?
As fast as a leopard.
Right, then let's see you do it![/i]

by Ozpuck on April 21, 2008 at 01:08 PM

The best all-time? Has to be "Gallipoli"!

by Jan on April 21, 2008 at 04:20 PM

I loved the Man from Snowy River, top of my list too Ruddy!
A funny and not mentioned film was "Ned" that was written and directed by the brilliant Abe Forsythe, who also starred in the movie.

by Linda on April 22, 2008 at 09:47 AM

Babe
Lantana
Year My Voice Broke
Suburban Mayhem
Bliss
The tragedy at the moment is that even the excellent Australian films are not getting an audience. Why? It's a mystery.

by Mikhailovitch on April 22, 2008 at 09:13 PM

May not be one of the most popular films - and maybe that is because it was origially produced in 1919 & has had little general screening in "modern" times. A recent screening of "The Sentimental Bloke" by ScreenSound Australia (The National Screen and Sound Archive) at Canberra's National Folk Festival last Easter was given a standing ovation by a capacity house. The copy of the film was a painstakingly restored version of an early tape, rediscovered in America and understood to be very close to the origonal version produced by Raymond Longford in 1919.
The screening at the Folk Festival was accompanied by a music score written and performe by Jen Anderson (CD also available).
Should be compulsory viewing!

by Tony on April 24, 2008 at 04:03 PM

Squezze a Flower and Cool Change were my favourites. I am an older person and these days there is too much of the F word for a lot of older people. If the F word was taken out there wold be no dialogue.

by Ethel Mather on April 25, 2008 at 02:30 PM

Sorry kiddies, A Town Like Alice is British.
Even scored a couple of BAFTAs to prove it.

by Metro Goldwyn Mare on April 27, 2008 at 01:37 AM

The Boys was an amazing, powerful Australian movie, why hasn't anyone mentioned it?

by mkearnes on April 27, 2008 at 05:55 AM

Wake in Fright
Careful He Might Hear You
Chopper
Dead Calm
Lantana
Muriel's Wedding
The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith
The Devil's Playground
Look Both Ways

and last but not least, the superb recent film "Noise".

Happy feet was a mess, based on the ludicrous premise that all penguins have a "heart song", (read vomitous pop-pap), with a voice cast displaying the usual racist stereotypes that are a feature of other Miller films, notably the otherwise interesting, "Babe, Pig in the City"..

by Bill C. on April 27, 2008 at 06:46 AM

Lantana, then getting square would have to be my favourite Australian films, but I haven't seen many of the above due to the erratic selection at my local DVD store.
I agree that the downfall of australian movies is today is mostly in the marketing: I loved lucky miles, but it was not screened at all in Newcastle. same with Gabriel and many others. All the films that were shown were depressing and heart-wrenching, like Romulus my Father. Nothing wrong with that, but some variety, please!!

by Zoe Tweedale on April 27, 2008 at 07:37 AM

The list just proves is that too many Australians will pay good money to see crap.

Our best movies don't appear at all, instead we get garbage like Moulin Rouge. Surely I can't be the only person in this country who thought it was pure excrement.

by meg on April 27, 2008 at 01:13 PM

Kyle is very much underated!!

by Kyle S on April 27, 2008 at 03:30 PM

Metro, Thanks for the clarification. In suggesting A Town Like Alice, I was not thinking of the 1956 movie, but of Henry Crawford's (Australian Producer) 1981 mini-series - which would not qualify. Now I realize why ATLA is not in the discussion.

by geddes on April 28, 2008 at 04:52 AM

Why are people even mentioning Happy Feet? Sure, the voice cast is Australian, but the only Australian accent to be heard is that of the late Steve Irwin. This film has great Australian actors such as Hugo Weaving, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, but this home-grown talent is pointless given the all-American nature of the film. They may as well as cast Robin Williams in every role to save money. No Australian-style music either, with the soundtrack being made up of (mostly) American pop music. I enjoy a good family movie, but I am very much indifferent relating to Happy Feet. Btw Gettin' Square and The Castle are the best Australian movies ever (in my opinion).

by Alex on April 28, 2008 at 04:17 PM

Man of Flowers hasn't been mentioned and should be. Paul Cox makes wonderful films.

by Peter on May 04, 2008 at 08:30 AM

The Sun-Herald

Who We Are

WHO WE ARE: Without doubt?

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