Jindabyne (2006)

Stewart Kane, an Irishman living in the Australian town of Jindabyne, is on a fishing trip in isolated hill country with three other men when they discover the body of a murdered girl in ... See full summary »

Director:

Ray Lawrence

Writers:

Raymond Carver (short story "So Much Water So Close to Home"), Beatrix Christian

Stars:

Laura Linney, Gabriel Byrne, John Howard

11 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Haywood	...	Gregory
Tatea Reilly	...	Susan
Laura Linney	...	Claire
Sean Rees-Wemyss	...	Tom
Gabriel Byrne	...	Stewart Kane
Deborra-Lee Furness	...	Jude
John Howard	...	Carl
Eva Lazzaro	...	Caylin-Calandria
Maya Daniels	...	Caylin-Calandria's Mother
Bob Baines	...	Doctor #1
Max Cullen	...	Terry
Stelios Yiakmis	...	Rocco
Simon Stone	...	Billy 'The Kid'
Victoria Allen	...	Girl at Garage
Leah Purcell	...	Carmel

Storyline

Stewart Kane, an Irishman living in the Australian town of Jindabyne, is on a fishing trip in isolated hill country with three other men when they discover the body of a murdered girl in the river. Rather than return to the town immediately, they continue fishing and report their gruesome find days later. Stewart's wife Claire is the last to find out. Deeply disturbed by her husband's action, her faith in her relationship with Stewart is shaken to the core. She wants to understand and tries to make things right. In her determination to help the victim's family Claire sets herself not only against her own family and friends but also those of the dead girl. Her marriage is taken to the brink and her peaceful life with Stewart and their young son hangs in the balance. The story of a murder and a marriage - a film about the things that haunt us.

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Plot Keywords:

fishing | town | fishing trip | river | aboriginal | 

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Taglines:

Under the surface of every life lies a mystery

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing images, language and some nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Spain]

Country:

Australia

Language:

English Irish Aboriginal

Release Date:

20 July 2006 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Duchy Jindabyne

Filming Locations:

Jindabyne, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£109,185 (UK) (25 May 2007)

Gross:

$399,879 (USA) (31 August 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

April Films, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Red Chair Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min 123 min 118 min (DVD censored)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The screenplay is based on the short story "So much water so close to home" by American writer Raymond Carver. The song "Everything's Turning to White" by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly was also inspired by Carver's story.

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Goofs

At one stage a news report about a Cyclone Ingrid airs. The graphic behind the newsreader is missing the second "c" from cyclone.

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Connections

Version of Short Cuts (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Nukkanya"
Written by Paul Kelly
Performed by Paul Kelly and The Stormwater Boys

User Reviews

Promising story but ultimately unsatisfying

There are similarities between Ray Lawrence's "Jindabyne" and his last movie "Lantana" – a dead body and its repercussions for already dysfunctional lives. But whereas "Lantana" offered some hope and resolution, "Jindabyne" leaves everything unresolved in a bleak way that will leave most viewers unsatisfied, perhaps even cheated.

The storyline - the aftermath of a fisherman's discovery of a corpse floating in a remote river - is based on a short story by Raymond Carver. It became an element in Robert Altman's classic 1993 ensemble "Short Cuts". Lawrence uses this theme for an exploration and exposition of relationships within a small Australian community under stress. The movie poses some moral questions "Would you let the discovery of a dead body ruin your good weekend?" and more poignantly for Australians "Would it make any difference if the dead person was an aboriginal?" The acting, especially by Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney, is commendable. And there are elements of mysticism reinforced by haunting music, not unlike "Picnic at Hanging Rock".

If all this sounds like the basis for a great movie - be prepared for a let down, the pace is very slow and the murder is shown near the beginning, thereby eliminating the element of mystery. And so we are left with these desolate lives and a blank finale.