Emerald City (1989)

Director:

Michael Jenkins

Writers:

David Williamson (play)
David Williamson (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 February 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A tale of two cities. Four people. And life's little pleasures . . . Money. Lust. Temptation. Greed. Power. Ambition. [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Australia | Beautiful Woman | Based On Play | Independent Film

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

John Hargreaves	...	Colin Rogers
Robyn Nevin	...	Kate Rogers
Chris Haywood	...	Mike McCord
Nicole Kidman	...	Helen, Mike McCord's Girlfriend
Ruth Cracknell	...	Elaine Ross
Dennis Miller	...	Malcolm Bennett
Ella Scott	...	Penny Rogers
Haydon Samuels	...	Sam Rogers
Nicholas Hammond	...	Ian Wall
Michelle Torres	...	Kath Mitchell
Bruce Venables	...	Limousine driver
Rebel Penfold-Russell	...	Kate's friend
Robert L. Rosen	...	Society photographer (as Robert Rosen)
Wenanty Nosul	...	Polish director
Philip Dodd	...	'Coastwatchers' director

Also Known As:

David Williamson's Emerald City (Australia) (alternative title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Limelight Productions

Movie Connections:

References Crocodile Dundee (1986)

Vintage Williamson

Colin (Hargreaves) and Kate Rogers (Nevin) are a creative couple with two children who move to Sydney from moderately successful careers in Melbourne: Colin as an award-winning writer of Australian films that nobody sees, and Kate as a publisher of high-end literature that hardly anybody reads. Colin's having a bit of a mid-life crisis: he wants fame and fortune, and is sick of Kate's puritanical-rationalist left-liberal "Melbourne friends", who also reflect and remind him of his own conscience. In Sydney, the city of illusions and libertarianism, Colin is seduced by a perennial gold-digger, wannabe producer Mike McCord (Haywood) – a chauvinist commercialist who offends every one of Kate's sensibilities who wants to single-handedly turn the Australian film industry into a Hollywood backlot. Meanwhile, Kate tastes her first sip of the glamorous life when a book by an Aboriginal woman author she's fought hard for is published to resounding success. Vintage Williamson (of his self-defining DON'S PARTY / DUET FOR FOUR / MONEY & FRIENDS genre) pits flawed characters against hilarious stereotypes and shows us how we live by presenting insights – many first espoused in any real depth by John Docker – into the intellectual cultures of Melbourne and Sydney. Hargreaves is great fun in one of his best roles ever, and Haywood provides a magnificent foil in one of the most brilliant supporting spots ever in local film: Mike is a deceptively complex chauvinist, whose little-boy eagerness for the trappings of wealth hides behind a deliberately gruff and sexist exterior with a little bit of George Miller anti-nationalist commercial adventurism thrown in for good measure (though at least Miller gets films made - *and* they're enjoyable!). In many ways, Mike – the support stereotype – is much more complex than the leads. Kate is the 'champagne socialist' from Melbourne whose principles evaporate in the promise of status, Colin the functionally inept dreamer who wavers between his desire for wealth and power (and, ipso facto, beautiful young women), and his desire to be a good husband, father and true to his craft and himself.