Somersault (film)

Last updated

Somersault
Somersault movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Cate Shortland
Written byCate Shortland
Produced by Anthony Anderson
Starring
CinematographyRobert Humphreys
Edited byScott Gray
Music by Decoder Ring
Production
company
Red Carpet Productions
Distributed by Hopscotch Films
Release dates
  • 17 May 2004 (2004-05-17)(Cannes)
  • 16 September 2004 (2004-09-16)(Australia)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Budget A$4 million [1]
Box officeA$2.1 million [2]

Somersault is a 2004 Australian romantic drama film written and directed by Cate Shortland in her feature directorial debut. It was released on 16 September 2004 and screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. [3] It also swept the field at the 2004 Australian Film Institute Awards, winning every single feature film award (13 in total).

Contents

Exploring the themes of sexuality, alienation and emotion, Somersault is about a 16-year-old girl named Heidi (Abbie Cornish) who flees her Canberra home to the mountain town of Jindabyne in New South Wales. There she meets Joe (Worthington), the son of a local farmer, and gradually forms a relationship with him, despite his difficulty in expressing his feelings. He also seems to be unsure of his sexual orientation, despite having better-than-average luck meeting women.

The soundtrack is written and performed by Australian band Decoder Ring. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2004 the soundtrack was nominated for Best Original Soundtrack Album. [4]

Plot

Heidi, a pretty teenager living in the Canberra suburbs, tries to seduce her mother Nicole's boyfriend, and flees home when her mother catches her. She takes a bus to a ski resort in the Snowy River National Park where a man lives who once gave her his business card and invited her to contact him if she was ever in town. However, when she phones him, his wife answers the phone and he says that he does not remember her. She meets some other teenagers at a club and goes home with one of the boys. In the morning, the boy she slept with tells her he is going back to Sydney and, when she asks if she can go with him, one of his friends says he already has a girlfriend. She tries flirtation to get a job in a ski equipment shop. When that fails she implies she's willing to trade sexual favors for cash but the man brushes her off. She also tries to talk to a man in a parked car who was eyeing her, but without success.

In a bar, a young man called Joe who saw her in the club the previous night buys her a drink and strikes up a conversation. Without anywhere to sleep, she asks to go with him and he takes her to a motel but leaves quickly for work in the morning without suggesting further contact. She strikes up a friendship with Irene, the woman who runs the motel who gives her breakfast. She asks vainly for a job but, after Heidi says that her mother is dead, Irene allows her to stay in the room and pay the following day. Irene warns her that the resort is now out of season and there are no jobs available. Heidi calls Joe at his parents' farm but he doesn't return her calls. Irene, knowing she doesn't have the money for the room, puts her in her son's flat, though she still wants rent in due course. In order to pay for it, Heidi needs a job, and is hired at a petrol station. Joe sees her by accident and they go for a drink and back to her flat. Her co-worker is Bianca and they become friends later on after Bianca's mother offers her a lift home, where Joe is waiting at her flat. This begins a tentative dating relationship between the two.

One night, Joe and Heidi encounter some of his friends, who mock her for working in a petrol station. When Joe and Heidi go to a Chinese restaurant, she asks him if he loves her, and when he refuses to make any commitment or even discuss it, swallows a small bowl of hot chili peppers. He drags her to the bathroom to throw up and takes her back to the motel. He then goes to a party where his friends who mocked Heidi are hanging out. After having a big fight with one of his friends over Heidi, he then visits a gay neighbour, Richard, who is in town for a few days clearing out his relative's house before it goes to auction. Joe tells him how much he is obsessed with Heidi. He is drinking a lot of whisky and is really drunk. Richard tells Joe he's too drunk to drive so he will drive him home, but Joe intercepts by kissing Richard who kisses him back. Richard says he doesn't think Joe knows what he wants. Joe says nothing and disappears presumably into Richard's bedroom. The next morning, Joe drives home and his father is reading the newspaper at the breakfast table. Joe tells his father he's drunk and begins to cry intensely in front of his father then he says he's alright. His father ignores his emotional distress.

Meanwhile Heidi is alone and upset from being rejected, neglected, and ignored for several days by Joe after the chili pepper incident. One evening while hanging out with Bianca she discovers that Bianca's father is the man she propositioned in the ski equipment shop. When Heidi tries to leave, Bianca's father offers her a ride home and tells her to stay away from his daughter because Heidi is a bad influence. The next day at work Bianca is cold and distant. When Heidi asks why, Bianca confesses her father told her everything. Angry, Heidi quits by storming out of the petrol station. That evening she goes to the night club and gets drunk. Two young men pick her up and go home with her and they smoke cannabis. Although she is barely conscious, they kiss and undress her. One of the men undresses and is about to have sex with her even though the other man objects to this at which point Joe comes in. The nude man is insolent with Joe so Joe punches him in the face until he starts bleeding. After they leave, he condemns Heidi's promiscuity and she accuses Joe of not caring for her, which he does not deny and drives off, despite her following him out to his car naked and begging him to stay.

The next morning, Irene tells Heidi that, after the scene the night before, she is no longer welcome to stay. Heidi forces Irene to admit that her son is in prison for murder and confesses that her mother was not dead after all, and she had to leave because she tried to seduce her mother's boyfriend. Irene asks Heidi to call her mother and make amends. Later the next day, Heidi has packed up her things and is returning from a walk. Joe is waiting for her and is surprised to learn that Heidi is leaving. As they sit side-by-side on the bed waiting for Heidi's mother to come pick her up, Joe reaches out and holds Heidi's hand — something he had difficulty doing previously.

The film ends as Heidi's mother arrives. Joe tries to give Heidi a kiss goodbye but Heidi stops him and says she's glad they met. As she walks away, Joe calls out to her. Heidi turns around and they share a tender farewell smile. She then goes to her mother who embraces her, and they drive off as Heidi rolls down the window and watches the icy scenery go by.

Cast

Reception

Somersault grossed $2,158,574 at the box office in Australia and was well received by critics. [5] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A poignant coming-of-age tale marked by a breakout lead performance from Abbie Cornish and a successful directorial debut from Cate Shortland." [6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 73, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7]

Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton of At the Movies both praised the film, giving it 4 stars. In her review, Pomeranz wrote "There's no doubting Cate Shortland's talent. Her vision for this film is delicate and wrenching, tentatively optimistic. I have images from the film that haunt me still, Heidi’s hands – that ultimate connecting point of us all, her vulnerable body wrapped up against the cold in her pale blue parka, the landscape of that world at the bottom of the mountains". [8] She gave additional praise to the performances of the cast.

Fenella Kernebone for SBS noted "Somersault is a real labour of love for Cate Shortland and every element in the film is carefully considered." Kernebone awarded the film four stars out of five. [9] Somersault premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the Un Certain Regard and was the only Australian feature film at the festival that year. [8]

Accolades

In the 2004 AFI Awards held on 29 October at Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Somersault made history by winning in all 13 categories. The film won the following awards: Best Film (awarded to producers Anthony Anderson and Jan Chapman); Best Direction (Cate Shortland); Best Original Screenplay (Cate Shortland); Best Actress in a Leading Role (Abbie Cornish); Best Actor in a Leading Role (Sam Worthington); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Lynette Curran); Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Erik Thomson); Best Editing (Scott Gray); Best Cinematography (Robert Humphreys, A.C.S.); Best Sound (Mark Blackwell, Peter Smith and Sam Petty); Best Original Music Score (Decoder Ring); Best Production Design (Melinda Doring); Best Costume Design (Emily Seresin).

Somersault was also a big winner at the 2004 Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) Annual Awards where it picked up five awards: Best Film; Best Director (Cate Shortland); Best Actress (Abbie Cornish); Best Cinematography (Robert Humphreys); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Lynette Curran).

The film also dominated the publicly voted Lexus IF Awards, taking out six of its eight nominations. It won awards in the following categories: Best Director (Cate Shortland), Best Music, Best Cinematography, Best Script, Best Feature Film and Best Actress for Abbie Cornish.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cate Shortland</span> Australian film and television writer and director

Cate Shortland is an Australian director and screenwriter. She received international acclaim for her 2004 romantic drama film Somersault, her 2012 historical drama film Lore, and her 2017 psychological thriller film Berlin Syndrome. She is best known for directing the 2021 superhero film Black Widow.

<i>One Magic Christmas</i> 1985 film by Phillip Borsos

One Magic Christmas is a 1985 Christmas fantasy film directed by Phillip Borsos. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures and stars Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton. It was shot in Meaford, Ontario with some scenes in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbie Cornish</span> Australian actress (born 1982)

Abbie Cornish is an Australian actress. In film, Cornish is known for her roles as Heidi in Somersault (2004), Fanny Brawne in Bright Star (2009), Sweet Pea in Sucker Punch (2011), Lindy in Limitless (2011), Clara Murphy in RoboCop (2014), and Sarah in Geostorm (2017). She worked with writer/director Martin McDonagh in Seven Psychopaths (2012) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017). For the latter, Cornish won her first Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the cast. In 2018, she portrayed Cathy Mueller in the first season of Amazon Video series Jack Ryan opposite John Krasinski, a role she reprised in the fourth and final season in 2023. She also played Dixy in the film The Virtuoso (2021) alongside Anthony Hopkins.

<i>Candy</i> (2006 film) 2006 Australian film

Candy is a 2006 Australian romantic drama film, adapted from Luke Davies's 1998 novel Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction. Candy was directed by filmmaker Neil Armfield and stars Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush.

<i>My Favorite Wife</i> 1940 film by Garson Kanin

My Favorite Wife, is a 1940 screwball comedy produced by Leo McCarey and directed by Garson Kanin.

The 14th Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, given on 7 November 2004, in Sydney, which honoured the best in film for 2004.

<i>The Marquise of O</i> (film) 1976 film by Éric Rohmer

The Marquise of O is a 1976 historical drama film written and directed by Éric Rohmer, based on the 1808 novella of the same name by Heinrich von Kleist. Set in 1799, the film tells the story of the Marquise von O, a virtuous widow, who finds herself pregnant and protests her innocence while possibly deserving to be exiled. The film won the Grand Prix Spécial Prize at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>The Monkeys Mask</i> 2000 film by Samantha Lang

The Monkey's Mask is an international co-production 2000 thriller film directed by Samantha Lang. It stars Susie Porter and Kelly McGillis. Porter plays a lesbian private detective who falls in love with a suspect (McGillis) in the disappearance of a young woman. The film is based on the 1994 verse novel of the same name by Australian poet Dorothy Porter.

<i>The Home Song Stories</i> 2007 Australian film

The Home Song Stories is a 2007 Australian drama film written and directed by Tony Ayres, loosely based on aspects of his life. It stars Joan Chen, Joel Lok, Qi Yuwu, Irene Chen, Steven Vidler and Kerry Walker.

<i>Bright Star</i> (film) 2009 film by Jane Campion

Bright Star is a 2009 biographical romantic drama film, written and directed by Jane Campion. It is based on the last three years of the life of poet John Keats and his romantic relationship with Fanny Brawne. Campion's screenplay was inspired by a 1997 biography of Keats by Andrew Motion, who served as a script consultant.

Hollie Andrew is an Australian film, television and stage actress.

April Scott (<i>Home and Away</i>) Soap opera character

April Scott is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Rhiannon Fish. The actress successfully auditioned for the role of April and she described the process as quick. Fish's role in the soap was announced in May 2010 and she made her first on screen appearance as April on 15 June 2010. In April 2013, it was announced that Fish had decided to leave Home and Away and April departed on 13 November 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianca Scott</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away

Bianca Scott is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Lisa Gormley. Gormley had recently graduated from NIDA when she secured the role of Bianca, who was introduced as the sister of fellow new character April Scott. Bianca debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 9 July 2010. Bianca is the daughter of an Italian father and Australian mother. She retains certain Italian traits as she is characterised as a "fiery, opinionated, beautiful, sophisticated" female. Gormley has said that Bianca puts up a feisty attitude to hide her "softer side". Bianca's vice has often been powerful men who break her heart. She arrives in Summer Bay to "nurse a broken heart" after her fiancé, Prince Vittorio Seca is unfaithful to her.

<i>Lore</i> (film) 2012 film directed by Cate Shortland

Lore is a 2012 German-language historical drama film directed by Cate Shortland. It is based on the 2001 novel The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert. In south-west Germany, during the aftermath of World War II, five destitute siblings must travel 900 km (560 mi) to their grandmother's home by the Bay of Husum near Hamburg after their high-level Nazi parents disappear in danger of arrest by Allied occupation authorities. Along the way, they encounter a variety of other Germans, some of whom are helpful while others are antagonistic. Eventually they meet up with a young man presenting himself as Thomas, a young Jewish concentration camp survivor, who joins their group and becomes their unofficial guardian.

Anthony Anderson is an Australian film and television producer, a former lawyer, meditation teacher and a transformational facilitator.

<i>20th Century Women</i> 2016 film by Mike Mills

20th Century Women is a 2016 American coming-of-age comedy drama film written and directed by Mike Mills and starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, and Billy Crudup. It is set in 1979 in Southern California and partly inspired by Mills's childhood.

<i>Berlin Syndrome</i> (film) 2017 film by Cate Shortland

Berlin Syndrome is a 2017 psychological horror thriller film directed by Cate Shortland from a screenplay by Shaun Grant, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Melanie Joosten. The film follows a young Australian photographer who travels to Germany, where she meets an attractive young English teacher. Waking up after a stormy night of passion with him, the photographer is suddenly taken hostage by her would-be lover.

<i>Lavender</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

Lavender is a 2016 drama film directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly and written by Colin Frizzell and Ed Gass-Donnelly.

<i>Everybody Knows</i> (film) 2018 "`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000003-QINU`" film

Everybody Knows is a 2018 Spanish-language mystery/crime drama film written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, and starring Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Ricardo Darín. The film was selected to open the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in competition and was released in Spain on 14 September 2018. It was released in the United States on 8 February 2019.

<i>Ellie & Abbie (& Ellies Dead Aunt)</i> 2020 Australian LGBT romance comedy film written and directed by Monica Zanetti

Ellie & Abbie is a 2020 AACTA award winning LGBT romance comedy film written and directed by Monica Zanetti, in her feature directorial debut. It is based on her own 2016 stage play. The film stars Sophie Hawkshaw, Zoe Terakes, Marta Dusseldorp, Rachel House, Julia Billington and Bridie Connell. The movie had its world premiere at the Mardi Gras Film Festival on 13 February 2020, becoming the first Australian film to do so in the festival's 27-year history. It also won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film at the festival. The film went on to screenings at several other film festivals, and had a limited theatrical release on 19 November 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "Hopscotch Presents Somersault". Cinematic Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ↑ "Somersault". Movie Marshal. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  3. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Somersault". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  4. ↑ "2004 - Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "Somersault (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Somersault Reviews – Metacritic". Metacritic . Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  8. 1 2 "At the Movies: Somersault". abc.net.au. 9 September 2004. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  9. ↑ Kernebone, Fenella. "Somersault (review)". SBS . Retrieved 14 February 2013.

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.