Tim (1979)

Director:

Michael Pate

Writers:

Colleen McCullough (novel)
Michael Pate (writer)

Release Date:

13 July 1979 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A chance meeting. An impossible love story come true.

Plot:

Tim is a young man with below average intelligence. He works as a builder's labourer, and is often taken...

Plot Keywords:

Innocence | Swimming | Directorial Debut | Brother Sister Relationship | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Piper Laurie	...	Mary Horton
Mel Gibson	...	Tim Melville
Alwyn Kurts	...	Ron Melville
Pat Evison	...	Em Melville
Peter Gwynne	...	Tom Ainsley
Deborah Kennedy	...	Dawnie Melville
David Foster	...	Mick Harrington
Michael Caulfield	...	John Harrington
Margo Lee	...	Mrs. Harrington
James Condon	...	Mr. Harrington
Brenda Senders	...	Mrs. Porter
Kevin Leslie	...	Curly Campbell
Allan Penney	...	Mr. Thompson
Brian Barrie	...	Dr. Perkins
Geoff Usher	...	Minister

Also Known As:

Colleen McCullough's Tim (Australia) (complete title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:S | UK:PG | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Commission, The

Trivia:

Writer/director Michael Pate was so impressed with Piper Laurie's performance as the title character in '_Ruby (1977)_' that he sought her out to star as Mary Horton in this film.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: The boom and the shadow of the boom operator follow Mary out of her kitchen in the bottom right of the screen at the beginning of the film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mel Gibson: The High Octane Birth of a Superstar (2002) (V)

One of My Top Ten

Caught this film on cable, late night, a few years back. No idea what to expect, just wasn't ready to go to bed. By the time it ended, it was in my Top 10 of all time. Certainly the lowest budgeted film (accounting for inflation, anyway) on that list.

Gibson was terrific, capturing a handicapped young man perfectly. But, hey, the entire cast was great, especially Awyn Kurts as Tim's father. And, after appreciating Piper Laurie for years and years, that night I fell in love with her.

I've never seen such a "tight" little film. I doubt that there were more than 12 seconds of even semi-wasted frames. Michael Pate did an amazing job.