Australia (2008)

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.

Director:

Baz Luhrmann

Writers:

Stuart Beattie (screenplay), Baz Luhrmann (screenplay),

Stars:

Shea Adams, Eddie Baroo, Hugh Jackman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shea Adams	...	Carney Boy #3
Eddie Baroo	...	Bull
Ray Barrett	...	Ramsden
Tony Barry	...	Sergeant Callahan
Jamal Bednarz-Metallah	...	Mission Boy
Damian Bradford	...	Constable #1
Bryan Brown	...	King Carney
Nathin Butler	...	Carney Boy #1
Tara Carpenter	...	Essential Services Woman
Rebecca Chatfield	...	Magarri's Niece
Lillian Crombie	...	Bandy Legs
Max Cullen	...	Old Drunk
Essie Davis	...	Cath Carney
Arthur Dignam	...	Father Benedict
Michelle Dyzla	...	Hairdresser

Storyline

In northern Australia at the beginning of World War II, an English aristocrat inherits a cattle station the size of Maryland. When English cattle barons plot to take her land, she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn stock-man to drive 2,000 head of cattle across hundreds of miles of the country's most unforgiving land, only to still face the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by the Japanese forces that had attacked Pearl Harbor only months earlier.

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Plot Keywords:

cattle | australia | drover | bombing | japanese | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, a scene of sensuality, and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox [fr] 20th Century Fox [us]

Country:

Australia USA UK

Language:

English Aboriginal Chinese Japanese

Release Date:

26 November 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Austrália

Filming Locations:

Bowen, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$130,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,294,414 (UK) (26 December 2008)

Gross:

$49,551,662 (USA) (20 March 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Bazmark Films, ScreenWest

Technical Specs

Runtime:

165 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even though the filming schedule was pushed back a half year, Nicole Kidman never lost her faith in the project and instead prepared for the role, by touring the country with her family, riding horses and even castrating bulls.

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Goofs

When it starts to rain and you see Drover with his coat off and over his shoulder, there are brown mud spots all over his shirt sleeve and jacket. In the very next shot the spots are gone and he appears to be wearing a clean shirt.

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Quotes

Nullah: Mama say, I Galapa. I magic-man. I wizard-man!

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Connections

Referenced in Wetten, dass..?: Wetten, dass..? aus Stuttgart (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Soldiers of the Queen"
Written by Lee Stuart
Courtesy of APM Music

User Reviews

Uneven, hulking monster of a film

This film struggled throughout its epic length to stay upright. Unfortunately at the end it stumbled and fell like a pile of bricks.

It tried to juggle so much but in the end, it all turned out to be too little. The film starts like a corny slapstick comedy, turns into a romantic fantasy, then into an outback adventure, then into a war movie, a heartfelt drama, a comment on the stolen generation, a comment on racism... etc, etc. It's just too much. Yes, it's supposed to be an epic, but things like this need to be handled with finesse. Unfortunately, it isn't in this case. The themes were too muddled, the script too stretched - it's a mess. The characters are cardboard cutouts, the acting is over the top and cheesy, the pacing is off, the bizarre use of Somewhere Over the Rainbow... It's just a broken film.

Being an Australian, I did hope that this movie would be alright, but it turned out to be almost 3 hours of wankery that disgracefully cost our taxpayers over $40m.

On a more positive note, on the whole it wasn't BORING, and it was aesthetically and aurally pleasing - even though it made use of countless, shameless green screen shots which were simply unnecessary.

There was ONE great scene in the film, and that's when Hugh Jackman and his Aboriginal friend enter the ruined pub. That was absolutely excellent. Too bad the rest of the film couldn't live up to that in the slightest.