Somersault (2004)

A young girl flees her hometown and arrives in the Australian Alps, where new experiences help her learn the differences between sex and love.

Director:

Cate Shortland

Writer:

Cate Shortland

Stars:

Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Lynette Curran

41 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abbie Cornish	...	Heidi
Damian de Montemas	...	Adam
Olivia Pigeot	...	Nicole
Alex Babic	...	Brian the barman
Elizabeth Muntar	...	Ticket Vendor
Justin Martin	...	Guy
Ben Tate	...	Sean
Joshua Phillips	...	Josh
Sam Worthington	...	Joe
Nathaniel Dean	...	Stuart
Paul Gleeson	...	Roy
Bruce Ross	...	Staring Man
Lynette Curran	...	Irene
John Sheerin	...	Pat
Anne-Louise Lambert	...	Martha (as Anne Louise Lambert)

Storyline

Coming of age: Heidi, 15, runs away from home after her mom sees her kissing mom's boyfriend. She goes to a Snowy River resort where a vague job offer doesn't pan out. She manages to find a place to live and a job at a convenience store. She's between childhood -- nursery rimes and a scrapbook of glittery unicorns - and adulthood - working, sorting out emotions and sexuality, and dealing with social slights and false charges of bad behavior. She's attractive and her loneliness makes her vulnerable. She sleeps with Joe, the son of local ranchers, and she awakens in him feelings he can't express. Is there any way she can put off adulthood and be a kid awhile longer?

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Plot Keywords:

coming of age | pubic hair | sexual ambiguity | male full frontal nudity | male pubic hair | 

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Taglines:

Love can turn you upside down.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany]

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 2004 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Salto Mortal

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

AUD 70,769 (Australia), 12 September 2004, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,566, 23 April 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$92,214, 29 June 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Carpet Productions, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Fortissimo Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 99 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was originally going to be filmed predominantly in and around Canberra and nearby Lake George, but the ongoing drought on Australia's eastern seaboard meant that the lake was totally dry. Being that a body of water is a focal point for the film, the setting was changed to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains, where the drought's effects were not as severe.

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Goofs

When Joe pours hot water onto the icy windscreen of his car, no steam appears.

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Quotes

Joe: You know when you were a kid, did your mum ever used to spray perfume in the air and sort of walk through it?
Richard: [nods]
Joe: She's like that.
Richard: Like perfume?
Joe: No... see, when you leave you still feel her on your skin.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Somersault
Written by Decoder Ring
Performed by Decoder Ring and Lenka Kripac (as Lenka)
Produced by Decoder Ring
Control
Licensed courtesy Red Carpet Productions

User Reviews

Teen girl runs away from home, and learns hard lessons

I saw this film this weekend at a film festival in Austin, Texas, without having heard anything about it ahead of time, and without reading any reviews. I suspect that going in to the theater without any expectations made it more enjoyable to watch.

The cinematography was excellent, and the acting was quite strong. The script was a bit weak, but did not get in the way of the film being engaging and interesting. The story is a bit ethereal at times, by design I think, and flows gradually as the scenes change.

I'd recommend it, especially for anyone who is comfortable with unconventional scripts.