Broken Hill (2009)

A sheep-rancher's son aspires to win a music conservatory scholarship, but to apply he needs musicians who can play his music. Circumstances lead him to form a band out of prison inmates.

Director:

Dagen Merrill

Writer:

Dagen Merrill

Stars:

Luke Arnold, Alexa Vega, Rhys Wakefield

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luke Arnold	...	Tommy McAlpine
Alexa Vega	...	Kat Rogers
Rhys Wakefield	...	Scott Price
Timothy Hutton	...	George McAlpine
Che Timmins	...	Kalai Takalua
John Clark	...	Maestro Pindari
Leo Taylor	...	Warden Bill Rude
Andy McPhee	...	Bear
George Kapiniaris	...	Ricardo Romero
Ebony Ween	...	Ricardo's Daughter
Luke O'Loughlin	...	Fuzz
Adam Groecke	...	Jock Boy (as Adam Grocke)
Peter Lamb	...	Officer Jack Taylor
Todd Telford	...	Bells Player - Jeffrey
Hung Le	...	Cho the Violin Player

Storyline

Tommy, a gifted teenage composer, dreams of being accepted into the famous Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Unfortunately, a good band is hard to find in the middle of Outback Australia - until a strange incident involving flying watermelons leads him to a group of talented prison inmates.

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Plot Keywords:

watermelon | prison | punishment | sheep | australian aborigine | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and some language

Details

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 2009 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$32,140 (USA) (11 September 2009)

Gross:

$50,076 (USA) (18 September 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios (AAMPS), Element 115 Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

George McAlpine: Tommy, your performance yesterday was an embarrassment. Now you want to go away to some music college, and you're not even good enough to impress a bunch of graziers? You're a cocky, Tommy. Everything else is just a road to nowhere. Now, listen to me. We have bled and sweat our lives into Harmony Station. Through drought and rain, that land has supported McAlpines for three generations, and if you want to throw that all away to pursue some worthless folly, at least have the common sense to find...

User Reviews

A Movie for Music-Lovers

I really enjoyed this film. Despite 'warnings' from friends that thought the acting was a little cheesy, I found that the entire film was enjoyable and engaging. I was particularly impressed with the message of the film and how the main character was forced to deal with the circumstances that he found himself in. Having an artistic vision can be painful when the artist is unable to bring his or her art to fruition. It was refreshing to see a story void of sex and violence, but that maintained elements of romance while portraying the conflict between destiny and circumstance. I would highly recommend this film for anyone who enjoyed August Rush, or other films that feature the theme of music being an inseparable part of our lives, in many modes and forms.