Accidents Happen (2009)

There are dysfunctional families... and then there are the Conways. After a family tragedy, 15-year-old Billy Conway has become the de facto glue between his bitter mom, distant brother, ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew Lancaster

Writer:

Brian Carbee

Stars:

Geena Davis, Harrison Gilbertson, Harry Cook

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geena Davis	...	Gloria Conway
Harrison Gilbertson	...	Billy Conway
Harry Cook	...	Larry Conway
Joel Tobeck	...	Ray Conway
Wendy Playfair	...	Mrs. Smolensky
Sebastian Gregory	...	Doug Post
Sarah Woods	...	Dottie Post
Morgan Griffin	...	Katrina Post
Troy Planet	...	Tiny Post
Erik Thomson	...	Bob
Viva Bianca	...	Becky
Rebecca Massey	...	Louise
Katrina Retallick	...	Connie Conway-Kellywood (as Katrina Retalick)
Jayden Hall	...	Ricky Kellywood
Damien Garvey	...	Officer Passman

Storyline

There are dysfunctional families... and then there are the Conways. After a family tragedy, 15-year-old Billy Conway has become the de facto glue between his bitter mom, distant brother, and stoic dad. But when Billy starts to act out, everything changes for him and his family.

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Plot Keywords:

15 year old | family tragedy | dysfunctional family | tragedy | pregnancy | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some disturbing images and brief teen drug and alcohol use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Australia UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 2010 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Mindenkit érhet baleset

Filming Locations:

Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Carpet Productions, Abacus Film Fund, Head Gear Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Billy Conway: Mom's in the hospital. They took a lot of her female stuff out, like her filipino tubes. Everything except her Aunt Mildred.

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Soundtracks

"Walking on a Dream"
performed by Empire of the Sun

User Reviews

An affecting little film.

Sydney director Andrew Lancaster did well to lure Geena Davis to our shores to star in Accidents Happen. I suspect he didn't have much hassle with a screenplay as biting and sharp as Brian Carbee's to use as bait. During a Q&A after the Australian premiere Davis herself admitted that she has always been drawn to interesting characters that challenge her; Gloria Conway definitely fits that mould. Carbee arms Gloria with acerbically humorous dialogue throughout – her quick wit a shield for the hurt that lies beneath – in addition to providing an idiosyncratic story about how different people cope with tragedy.

It's hard to imagine someone else filling the lead role, Davis finds such a perfect blend of steeliness and vulnerability that she embodies Gloria completely. The non-spoken instances are given extra gravitas by the Oscar winning actress whilst Carbee's words are delivered pitch perfectly. At the other end of the age scale, the young Gilbertson (also seen in the recent Beneath Hill 60) is one to watch out for in the future. He almost runs away with the film as the emotionally-uncertain Billy, displaying a tremendous power in the dramatic scenes. Best of all, he and Davis share an excellent mother / son chemistry in the movie's most important personal connection, their dynamic relationship is a treat to watch.

Kicking off his feature film CV, Lancaster has started strongly. His sturdy direction offers some memorable moments – the opening sequence comes way out of left field, but works all the better for it – although the slightly annoying 'Wonder Years' style voice-over probably could have been subdued. Lancaster demonstrates a terrific knack for slow motion; the aforementioned pre-credits sequence, the fateful car accident and a touching scene near the end all showcase the tremendous effect slow mo can have if used correctly. Hopefully this affecting little film marks the beginning of a long career for Lancaster.

With a shamefully limited theatrical run in Oz, don't let this one slip you by: write it down to buy the DVD later this year.

4 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)