Whipping Boy (1996)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Di Drew

Writers:

Gabrielle Lord (novel)
Peter Yeldham (written by)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama | Crime

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel | Independent Film

Cast

Sigrid Thornton	...	Cass Meredith
Temuera Morrison	...	Jack
Tammy McIntosh	...	Seal
Jenny Vuletic
Martin Jacobs
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Alexander	...	Rutherford
Daniel Amalm	...	Youth #1
David Baldwin	...	Headmaster Pantle
Greg Blandy	...	Polaris Guard
Geoff Cartwright	...	Pathologist
Nicole Compton	...	Young Cass
Ralph Cotterill
Kelly Dale	...	Dismal
Michael Denkha	...	Komras
Celia Dickinson	...	Reporter
Nash Edgerton	...	Youth #3
Charmayne Farrugia	...	Kismet
Colleen Fitzpatrick	...	Cass's Mother
Charles Hambling	...	Surgeon Masters
Nicholas Hosking	...	Tipstaff
Gillian Hyde	...	Sister Mary
Carl Jackson	...	Cass's Father
Stuart Katzen	...	Warehouse Guard
Treffyn Koreshoff	...	Josh
Allan McFadden	...	Dr. Horsefell
Ben McIvor	...	Spazzo
María Mercedes	...	Saphra
Pamela Morrissey	...	Secretary (as Pam Morrissey)
Russell Newman	...	Sex Store Husband
Matthew O'Sullivan	...	Judge Grant
Pat Powell	...	Babe's Barman
Carole Skinner	...	Sex Store Wife
Scott Swalwell	...	Leo
Jeff Truman	...	Bert
Arlo Ussher-Clarke	...	Youth #2
Lawrence Woodward	...	Policeman

Directed by
Di Drew

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gabrielle Lord		novel
Peter Yeldham		written by

Produced by
Ray Alchin	....	producer
James Davern	....	producer

Original Music by
Mike Perjanik

Cinematography by
Geoff Burton

Film Editing by
Michael Honey

Production Design by
Murray Picknett

Art Direction by
Luigi Pittorino

Costume Design by
Louise Wakefield

Makeup Department
Nicole Spiro	....	makeup artist
Lesley Vanderwalt	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Brenda Pam	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Martin	....	second assistant director
P.J. Voeten	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Phil Heywood	....	sound mixer
Tim Lloyd	....	sound recordist
Mark Van Kool	....	boom operator

Stunts
Leanne Bruce	....	stunts
Spike Cherrie	....	stunt coordinator
Brian Ellison	....	stunts
John Heaney	....	stunts
Avril Wynne	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Sam Bienstock	....	gaffer
Jasmine Yuen Carrucan	....	clapper loader

Editorial Department
John Lee	....	first assistant editor

Other crew
Debbie Atkins	....	production coordinator
Richard Montgomery	....	location manager

Runtime:

Germany:93 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Good, telemovie-style expose

Sigrid Thornton is, as always, superb, this time in her role as a respected lawyer appointed to head a commission into child pornography. She is allowed the freedom to specially hand-pick her own team, on one condition: that rogue cop Temuera Morrison is part of it. This is just what she doesn't want: Morrison's career has been dogged by allegations of corruption for years, and with certain high-profile society leaders under investigation, she would prefer to have a team she can completely trust. The acting is okay (with the exception of Thornton - Morrison seems to be going through the paces), but the real value of this film is the shock-value: plugged as "the film that shocked Australia", it's a distressing, provocative film based on Gabrielle Lord's novel which was in turn based on some truth. Many may remember the scandals uncovered over the past decade or so when numerous judges, headmasters, doctors, lawyers, businessmen and priests were connected with secret "family"-style child pornography rackets. The film, although cinema-released, resembles more a telemovie than anything, and it suffers as a result. Rating: 6/10. See also: THE EVERLASTING SECRET FAMILY (1988).