IMDb > Bliss (1985)

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   663 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 15% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Peter Carey (novel)
Peter Carey (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Bliss on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 February 1986 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
After Harry Joy dropped dead... his life was never the same again.
Plot:
An advertising executive dies and goes to hell... except nothing changes. Well, his daughter is buying drugs with sexual favours from her brother... more | full synopsis
Awards:
3 wins & 11 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Not So Solitary
 (From FilmInk.com.au. 26 October 2009, 2:28 PM, PDT)

Green Screens
 (From FilmInk.com.au. 2 February 2009, 4:10 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Give this one a chance. more (18 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Barry Otto ... Harry Joy
Lynette Curran ... Bettina Joy
Helen Jones ... Honey Barbara

Gia Carides ... Lucy Joy
Miles Buchanan ... David Joy

Jeff Truman ... Joel
Tim Robertson ... Alex Duval
Bryan Marshall ... Adrian Clunes
Jon Ewing ... Aldo
Kerry Walker ... Alice Dalton
Paul Chubb ... Reverend Des
Sarah De Teliga ... Harry's Mother (as Sara De Teliga)
Saskia Post ... Harry's Daughter (as Saski Post)
George Whaley ... Vance
Robert Menzies ... Damien
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Additional Details

Runtime:
112 min | Australia:130 min (director's cut)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Referenced in American Beauty (1999) more

FAQ

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Give this one a chance., 5 March 2004
Author: caioti from Pacific Northwest

Ray Lawrence, the director of "Bliss," and Paul Murphy, its cinematographer, were both first-time feature filmmakers when they made "Bliss." I believe the movie swept the Australian "Oscars" in '85, and in my humble opinion, deservedly so.

The tone is somewhat dark, the genre surrealist comedy, the performances deliciously eccentric, and the storytelling masterful. "Bliss" reminds me more of some of my favorite novels than it does any other films. Peter Carey's novel and adaptation have some of the feeling of John Irving's earlier works, but it's not derivative. The cinematography is gorgeous and understated. It has a surprisingly romantic core beneath a fairly jaded surface, which I think is a tough combination to pull off.

It isn't appropriate for kids (it has sophisticated, adult themes and, at moments, a very frank approach to sex) and it has an unexpectedly epic, languorous feel toward the end (so don't watch it when you're sleepy), but if you're serious about appreciating movies, you owe it to yourself to give this one a chance. Enjoy!

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Is This The Movie...? bobquack
So where is it hiding? daedia
Bliss soundtrack geoff_leeper
Region 1 DVD? lisa-460
'Bliss' DVD finally released (I think)!!! lkbardenbiz
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