The Boys (1998 film)

The Boys
The Boys DVD cover
Directed by	Rowan Woods
Screenplay by	Stephen Sewell
Based on	The Boys by Gordon Graham
Produced by	Robert Connolly John Maynard
Starring	David Wenham Toni Collette Lynette Curran John Polson Anthony Hayes
Cinematography	Tristan Milani
Edited by	Nick Meyers
Music by	The Necks Alan Lamb
Distributed by	Roadshow Entertainment
Release date	7 May 1998 (1998-05-07)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English
Budget	$2.5 million

The Boys is a 1998 Australian drama film directed by Rowan Woods. The screenplay by Stephen Sewell is based on the play by Gordon Graham, with Graham influenced by the 1986 murder of Anita Cobby, ^[1] with the play first performed by Griffin Theatre Company under the direction of Alex Galeazzi.

Plot

After serving time in prison for an assault on a liquor store employee, Brett Sprague is released from prison and returns home to his two brothers and their girlfriends, mother and stepfather. Things have changed, and as Brett begins to drink his way through the day, he regains his "top-dog" position one argument at a time. This power trip gets Brett and his brothers united in rage against their girlfriends and mother, and they are involved in a heinous crime. The aftermath of the night unfolds through the story with flashforwards.

Cast

• David Wenham as Brett Sprague
• Toni Collette as Michelle
• Lynette Curran as Sandra Sprague
• John Polson as Glenn Sprague
• Anthony Hayes as Stevie Sprague
• Jeanette Cronin as Jackie
• Anna Lise Phillips as Nola
• Pete Smith as Abo
• Sal Sharah as Nick
• Peter Hehir as Graham Newman
• Teo Gebert as Constable Zammit

Production

The Boys is Rowan Woods' directorial debut, and actor Peter Hehir's last film before he retired from acting. Woods "aimed to achieve a combination of documentary-style naturalism with the edge of a thriller." Woods also said that the first time he read the play, he felt "it was an Australian story that had to be told. (…) This is the inside story of a family in crisis, of three boys on the day before a nasty crime takes place, of which they are accused." ^[2]

The producer of the film, Robert Connolly, had also produced the play. He met Rowan Woods at film school, and they both suggested to John Maynard they make the movie. The script was adapted by playwright Stephen Sewell. ^[3]

Shooting was done on location in a rented house in Maroubra, one of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. The location used to shoot the scene of the heinous crime was filmed at the Eastlakes Shopping Centre in Eastlakes, another eastern suburb.

Accolades

The original music score is composed by The Necks, with other music contributed by sound designer Alan Lamb. ^{[4] [5]}

Award	Category	Subject	Result
AACTA Awards (1998 AFI Awards)	Best Film	Robert Connolly	Nominated
		John Maynard	Nominated
	Best Direction	Rowan Woods	Won
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Stephen Sewell	Won
	Best Actor	David Wenham	Nominated
	Best Actress	Lynette Curran	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	John Polson	Won
		Anthony Hayes	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actress	Toni Collette	Won
	Best Cinematography	Tristan Milani	Nominated
	Best Editing	Nick Meyers	Nominated
	Best Original Music Score	The Necks	Nominated
	Best Sound	Peter Grace	Nominated
		Phil Judd	Nominated
		Sam Petty	Nominated
	Best Costume Design	Annie Marshall	Nominated
ASSG Award	Best Location Recording	Peter Grace	Won
		Serge Stanley	Won
		Michael Taylor	Won
Berlin International Film Festival	Golden Bear [6]	Rowan Woods	Nominated
FCCA Awards	Best Film	Robert Connolly	Won
		John Maynard	Won
	Best Director	Roman Woods	Won
	Readers' Award for Favourite Australian Film		Won
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Stephen Sewell	Won
	Best Actor	David Wenham	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	John Polson	Nominated
		Anthony Hayes	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actress	Toni Collette	Nominated
		Lynette Curran	Won
	Best Cinematography	Tristan Milani	Nominated
	Best Music Score	The Necks	Nominated

See also

• Cinema of Australia
• The Boys (soundtrack album)
• List of Australian films

References

1. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (2011). Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study. McFarland. p. 108. ISBN   978-0786486922.
2. "Wettbewerb/In Competition". Moving Pictures, Berlinale Extra. Berlin. 11–22 February 1998. p. 12.
3. "Interview with Rowan Woods", Signet, 12 May 1998. Retrieved 18 November 2012
4. Biron, D. 2013. The Aesthetics of Conservatism. Overland, 210, 72-77.
5. Mitchell, Tony. Minimalist Menace, UTS Publishing, 2005.
6. "Berlinale: 1998 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

External links

• The Boys at IMDb
• The Boys at Oz Movies
• The Boys at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Boys at the National Film and Sound Archive