Beautiful Kate (2009)

A writer reawakens his childhood trauma from the past when he returns home, at the request of his estranged sister, to grieve their father's impending death.

Director:

Rachel Ward

Writers:

Rachel Ward (screenplay), Newton Thornburg (novel)

Stars:

Ben Mendelsohn, Sophie Lowe, Maeve Dermody

7 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Mendelsohn	...	Ned / Writer
Sophie Lowe	...	Kate / Ned's twin sister
Maeve Dermody	...	Toni / Ned's fiancee
Rachel Griffiths	...	Sally / Ned's sister
Josh McFarlane	...	Cliff / Ned's older brother (as Josh Macfarlane)
Bryan Brown	...	Bruce / Ned's father
Suzie Bavaci	...	Emily / Ned's mother (as Suzie Boyaci)
Scott O'Donnell	...	Young Ned
Eve Burner	...	Young Kate
Heloise Baker	...	Young Sally
Daniel Binks	...	Young Cliff
Jarrah Cocks	...	Andy Cromer
Briony Kent	...	Tamara
Travis Taylor	...	Local Band
Nicholas Kipridis	...	Local Band

Storyline

A writer, Ned Kendall, is asked to return to the family home by his sister Sally, to say goodbye to his father who is dying. The family home is in a very remote and isolated area. While back home, Ned starts having memories of his beautiful twin sister and himself when they were children. These memories awaken long-buried secrets of brother/sister sex from the family's past.

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Plot Keywords:

brother sister incest | brother sister sex | incest | panties | red panties | 

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Taglines:

Every family has secrets. Only some survive them.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content and nudity, language and some violent images

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Rachel Ward loved having her family work on 'Beautiful Kate'. She said: "That was the best bit of the whole thing, it being a family affair, working with my daughters and nephew, and the fact that Bryan [Brown] and I could do it together, was so fantastic for us. To be married for twenty-five years, and then to make a film together, I highly recommend it. To have your daughters working on the film doing such a great job, and being so proud of them. I hope they like the process, I hope they're part of the industry, because it's a great industry to be a part of when it goes well, and when we've had as much fun as we've had on 'Beautiful Kate' with as much hard work, creativity, and laughs, you couldn't recommend it highly enough. We've had a great time together."

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Quotes

Ned Kendall: She's an actress. She doesn't wear clothes.

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Connections

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

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Soundtracks

Wake Up Jeff
Written by Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field and Greg Page
Performed by The Wiggles

User Reviews

Excruciatingly good

I saw this film over a week ago, and it still stays with me, almost haunts me. Tex Perkins' soundtrack was perfect, and like the images, will hang around you for days, perhaps weeks.

The subject matter is not pretty, and may be confronting to many, but in my experience it is not terribly unusual or unexpected, given the remoteness of the family farm. Accolades must go to the cast - Ben Mendelsohn, Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths (deliberately dowdy in this)and the amazing Sophie Lowe as Kate. The Flinders Ranges in South Australia also has a major role, and performs well - beautiful, remote, dangerous and overwhelming, a bit like the underlying secret which gets addressed during the course of the film.

This is the story of a family secret, hidden (but not forgotten) for 20 years, and the final revelations are stark and shocking. The cinematography and editing are truly inspiring, and I was thrilled to see such a fine piece of film-making. Top credit however must go to Rachel Ward - Director, writer (adapted from the novel)- as this is her movie, and she deserves every one of the awards that this movie is sure to receive. As a piece of art - which it is - this film will move you, even if it makes your skin crawl, or you find yourself wriggling in your seat. For the experience alone, this film is worth seeing.

Details

Official Sites:

Doll [Australia] New Town Films [Australia]

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 2009 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Beautiful Kate

Filming Locations:

Parachilna, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$4,300,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,065,656

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beautiful Kate Productions, Doll Australia, New Town Films Pty. Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1