Kangaroo (1987 film)

Last updated

Kangaroo
Directed by Tim Burstall
Written by Evan Jones
Based onnovel by D. H. Lawrence
Produced by Ross Dimsey
Starring Colin Friels
Judy Davis
John Walton
CinematographyDan Burstall
Edited byEdward McQueen-Mason
Music by Nathan Waks
Distributed by Cineplex Odeon Films
Release dates
  • 13 March 1987 (1987-03-13)(USA)
  • 30 April 1987 (1987-04-30)(Australia)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
BudgetA$4.5 million [1] or $3.3 million [2]
Box officeA$63,973 (Australia) [3]

Kangaroo is a 1987 Australian drama film directed by Tim Burstall and starring Colin Friels, Judy Davis, and John Walton. It is based on the 1923 novel of the same name by D. H. Lawrence.

Contents

Premise

In 1922, an English writer (Colin Friels) migrates to Australia with his wife (Judy Davis). There he resists joining both a paramilitary group and a socialist group, is caught in a riot, sees a death and loses love and friendship.

Cast

Production

In 1972, it was announced the novel would be filmed starring Dirk Bogarde but this did not eventuate. In 1981, Tim Burstall announced he would make the film and he had Leo McKern lined up to play Kangaroo and Bryan Brown and Olivia Newton-John to play the husband and wife. [4]

The film was not made. He managed to do it several years later, by which time he felt McKern was too old and instead cast Hugh Keays-Byrne. He commissioned Evan Jones to adapt the script because he felt it needed an English writer. [2] [1]

Filming was conducted in Melbourne, Australia and went from 21 October to 14 December 1985. [5] [6]

Awards

The film was nominated for 2 awards in the 1986 AFI Awards and also won in the Best Achievement in Best Actress in a Lead Role (Judy Davis) and Costume Design (Terry Ryan) categories. It was entered into the 15th Moscow International Film Festival. [7]

Home video

After the film's 1987 U.S. theatrical run, the film was released on videocassette and laserdisc by MCA Home Video. The film was released through Australia-based Umbrella Entertainment on 8 January 2010 as an all-region PAL disc. [8]

The film is rated R13 in New Zealand.

Box office

Kangaroo grossed $68,978 at the box office in Australia. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

Timothy Burstall AM was an English Australian film director, writer and producer, best known for hit Australian movie Alvin Purple (1973) and its sequel Alvin Rides Again (1974).

<i>Blue Fin</i> 1978 film

Blue Fin is a 1978 Australian family film directed by Carl Schultz and starring Hardy Krüger, Greg Rowe and Elspeth Ballantyne. It is based on a 1969 Australian novel written by Colin Thiele.

<i>Alvin Purple</i> 1972 Australian film directed by Tim Burstall

Alvin Purple is a 1973 Australian sex comedy film starring Graeme Blundell in the title role; the screenplay was written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall, through his production company Hexagon Productions and Village Roadshow.

<i>Kangaroo</i> (novel) 1923 novel by D. H. Lawrence

Kangaroo is a 1923 novel by D.H. Lawrence. It is set in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Friels</span> Australian actor

Colin Friels is a Scottish-born Australian actor of theatre, TV and film and presenter

<i>Dingo</i> (film) 1991 Australian film

Dingo is a 1991 Australian film directed by Rolf de Heer and written by Marc Rosenberg. It is notable for marking Miles Davis' first and only speaking role in a narrative feature film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Keays-Byrne</span> British-Australian actor (1947–2020)

Hugh Keays-Byrne was a British-Australian actor. Between 1968 and 1972 he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played the antagonist in two films from the Mad Max franchise: Toecutter in Mad Max (1979), and Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

<i>Stone</i> (1974 film) 1974 Australian action film

Stone is a 1974 Australian outlaw biker film written, directed and produced by Sandy Harbutt. It is a low budget film by company Hedon Productions.

Alvin Rides Again is a 1974 Australian sex-comedy film sequel to Alvin Purple. It was directed by David Bilcock and Robin Copping, who were regular collaborators with Tim Burstall. It was rated M unlike its predecessor which was rated R. Alvin Rides Again still features a lot of full frontal nudity.

<i>High Tide</i> (1987 film) 1987 Australian film

High Tide is a 1987 Australian drama film starring Judy Davis, from a script by Laura Jones, about the mother-daughter bond, directed by Gillian Armstrong. Armstrong reported that when she began work on High Tide she pinned a note above her desk: "Blood ties. Water. Running Away." Jan Adele plays Lilli's mother-in-law Bet, in her film debut.

<i>The Last of the Knucklemen</i> 1979 Australian film

The Last of the Knucklemen is a 1979 Australian film directed by Tim Burstall.

Libido is a 1973 Australian drama film comprising 4 segments written and directed as independent stories, but screened together as one piece, exploring a common theme of instinctive desire and contemporary sexuality.

Petersen is a 1974 Australian drama film directed by Tim Burstall.

Stork is a 1971 Australian comedy film directed by Tim Burstall. Stork is based on the play The Coming of Stork by David Williamson. Bruce Spence and Jacki Weaver make their feature film debuts in Stork, being honoured at the 1972 Australian Film Institute Awards, where they shared the acting prize. Stork won the prize for best narrative feature and Tim Burstall won for best direction. Stork was one of the first ocker comedies. Stork was the first commercial success of the Australian cinema revival called the Australian New Wave.

2000 Weeks is a 1969 Australian drama film directed by Tim Burstall and starring Mark McManus, Jeanie Drynan, and Eileen Chapman.

Eliza Fraser is a 1976 Australian bawdy adventure drama film, directed by Tim Burstall and starring Susannah York, Trevor Howard, Noel Ferrier and John Castle. The screenplay was written by David Williamson.

The Trespassers is a 1976 film directed by John Duigan and starring Judy Morris and Briony Behets.

<i>High Rolling</i> 1977 Australian film

High Rolling is an Australian buddy comedy directed by Igor Auzins and written by Forest Redlich. Golden Globe Award winners Joseph Bottoms and Judy Davis are among the cast. The soundtrack for the film was provided by the Australian band, Sherbet. The film was released in Australia on 4 August 1977.

End Play is a 1976 Australian thriller film directed by Tim Burstall and starring George Mallaby, John Waters and Ken Goodlet. It was an adaptation of the 1972 novel End Play by Russell Braddon. It was made by Hexagon Productions.

References

  1. 1 2 Interview with Tim Burstall, 30 March 1998 Archived 15 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 October 2012
  2. 1 2 David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p186-187
  3. ↑ "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria Archived 9 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 24 October 2012
  4. ↑ NEWTON-JOHN TO STAR IN AUSSIE FILM Mann, Roderick. Los Angeles Times 29 October 1981: j5.
  5. ↑ "Production round-up", Cinema Papers, November 1985 p48
  6. ↑ "Love, marriage, life and the whole damn thing", Cinema Papers, March 1986 p42
  7. ↑ "15th Moscow International Film Festival (1987)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Kangaroo". Umbrella Entertainment. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  9. ↑ "Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2010.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.