My Brilliant Career (1979)

A young independent woman who lives with her grandmother and aunt in the countryside rebels against being pressured into marriage and chooses to solely focus on having a career as a writer. Nevertheless, two suitors propose to her.

Director:

Gillian Armstrong

Writers:

Eleanor Witcombe (screenplay), Miles Franklin (novel)

Stars:

Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judy Davis	...	Sybylla Melvyn
Sam Neill	...	Harry Beecham
Wendy Hughes	...	Aunt Helen
Robert Grubb	...	Frank Hawdon
Max Cullen	...	Mr. McSwatt
Aileen Britton	...	Grandma Bossier
Peter Whitford	...	Uncle Julius
Patricia Kennedy	...	Aunt Gussie
Alan Hopgood	...	Father
Julia Blake	...	Mother
David Franklin	...	Horace
Marion Shad	...	Gertie
Arron Wood	...	Stanley (as Aaron Wood)
Sue Davies	...	Aurora
Gordon Piper	...	Barman

Storyline

Sybylla Melvyn is an independent young woman who soon after arriving to live with her Grandmother Bossier and aunt Helen announces that she will never marry and plans on having a career instead. She does attracts the interest of several suitors. The bumbling Englishman Frank Hawdon has only been in Australia for three months and proposes that she return home with him as his wife. She rejects him out of hand telling her grandmother that she does not love him. Then there's her neighbor, the handsome young farmer Harry Beecham, who she is attracted to and eventually accepts his proposal. Time passes however and in the end refuses to marry him while she seeks to become a writer.

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Plot Keywords:

brushing hair | feminist film | independent woman | feminist | rebellious woman | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes it is the things that bind us, that truly set us free.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1979 (Australia)

Also Known As:

My Brilliant Career

Filming Locations:

Menangle, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Margaret Fink Productions, New South Wales Film Corporation, Greater Union Organisation (GUO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actress Karen Robson auditioned for the role of Sybylla Melvyn.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sybylla: Possum Gully, Australia. 1897. Dear fellow countrymen, just a few lines to let you know that this story is going to be all about me. So, in answer to many requests, here is the story of my career... here is the story, of my career... my *brilliant* career. I make no apology for being egotistical... because I am!

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: 25 Years of Margaret & David (2011)

User Reviews

One of my all-time favorite films

Judy Davis, as Sybylla Melvin, struggles with the conflicts that we all have between ambition, family, love, and guilt in a most remarkable manner. Sybylla grows to understand that life is a series of trade-offs, and that no one can have it all, and that no one can please everyone. Simple yet universal themes told with charm, wit, and a vulnerability that allows us to get right inside of her character and to understand her --- up to a point that is, a career is vital but I don't believe I'd have the strength to pass up Sam Neill under any circumstances, especially as cute as he is in this movie. In fact, all the acting is great, and the cinematography is breathtaking. Gillian Armstrong has been my idol ever since she made this magnificent film. I give it a 10.