The Journalist (1979)

Comedy about a Journalist on A Sydney Newspaper

Director:

Michael Thornhill

Writers:

Michael Thornhill, Edna Wilson

Stars:

Jack Thompson, Elizabeth Alexander, Sam Neill

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Thompson	...	Simon Morris
Elizabeth Alexander	...	Liz Corbett
Sam Neill	...	Rex
Carol Raye	...	Maggie
Penne Hackforth-Jones	...	Gillie Griffiths
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Sid Mitchell
Stuart Wagstaff	...	Courtney Lewers
Slim DeGrey	...	Senior Interviewer
Candy Raymond	...	Sunshine
Jane Harders	...	Wendy Morris
Michelle Jarman	...	Susie Morris
Margo Lee	...	Editor
Victoria Nicholls	...	Phillipa Richards
Sandra Lee Paterson	...	Marriage celebrant
Frank Wilson	...	Vic Parsons

Storyline

Comedy about a womanizing journalist on a Sydney newspaper who confronts job problems and impotence in the context of Australian media and politics of the 1970's. A somewhat lesser Australian film comparable to the American film Shampoo.

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Plot Keywords:

independent film

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Otsikoiden takana

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

FJF Promoters, New South Wales Film Corp.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Australian actor Jack Thompson's last film prior to starring in Breaker Morant for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

User Reviews

Terrible dreck from the late 70s

Many say film in Australia was revived in the 1970s. Well, 'The Jouranlist' (1979) can't have been one of the productions to embody that accolade.

Poor script, flat acting combine to deliver an embarrassing mish-mash about a young Journalist who can't keep his trousers up no matter how hard (forgive me!) he tries. Why such an 'affliction' should be the subject of 90 minutes of celluloid is beyond me. Alfie it ain't. And there are no insights into the world of Journalism, only clichés and caricatures.

The editing rates a special mention. I can only assume that when the director Michael Thornhill viewed the finished product he had no idea what to cut and what to leave in. I understand his dilemma. The result is a series of discordant scenes which seem to bear no connection with each other and in which the actors recite lines in isolation, as if there is no one else present.

The real irony of "The Journalist" is that it features many of Australia's best actors (excluding Victoria Nicholls), most of whom made valuable contributions to the revival of the film industry in this country. 0/10