Mental (2012)

A charismatic, crazy hothead transforms a family's life when she becomes the nanny of five girls whose mother has cracked from her husband's political ambitions and his infidelity.

Director:

P.J. Hogan

Writer:

P.J. Hogan

Stars:

Toni Collette, Anthony LaPaglia, Liev Schreiber

1 win & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rebecca Gibney	...	Shirley
Hayley Magnus	...	Donna
Nicole Freeman	...	Leanne
Chelsea Bennett	...	Kayleen
Bethany Whitmore	...	Jane
Lily Sullivan	...	Coral
Holly Buchanan	...	Coral - 13yo
Malorie O'Neill	...	Michelle
Kerry Fox	...	Nancy
Sam Clark	...	Trout
Amanda Woodhams	...	Manda
Natasha Bassett	...	Kay
Liev Schreiber	...	Trevor
Caroline Goodall	...	Doris
Austin Caffin	...	Faceless Figure

Storyline

The Moochmore girls are certain they all suffer from some kind of undiagnosed mental illness - because if they're not crazy then they're just unpopular. Their mother Shirley - unable to cope with her demanding daughters and unsupported by her philandering politician husband, Barry - suffers a nervous breakdown. After Barry commits his wife to a mental hospital (telling his constituents that "she's on holiday") he finds himself alone with 5 teenage girls he barely knows. Desperate, he impulsively picks up a hitchhiker named Shaz and installs her in his home as nanny to his daughters.

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Plot Keywords:

australia | sister sister relationship | hitchhiker | family relationships | adultery | 

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Taglines:

A New Kind of Nanny is Coming to Town.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rebecca Gibney put on 20 kilograms for the role and was in danger of becoming insulin resistant and pre-diabetic. "I was one step away from diabetes so if I had put on more weight I would get diabetes. So I stopped and we decided to employ the use of a fat suit.'' Gibney stopped her aggressive eating habits following the health scare but she didn't immediately trim down. She maintained her overweight figure for as long as she could during the shooting of the feature movie without further putting her health in jeopardy. "The double chin is all mine,'' Gibney joked.

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Goofs

When Trevor visits the Moochmores and drinks his beer at the table, the level in the mug changes up and down with each shot.

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Quotes

Shaz: And she's very, very sorry.
Doris: I'm very, very sorry.
Shirley Moochmore: For what?
Shaz: For being a cunt.
[the others gasp]
Shaz: You are a cunt. You are the cuntiest cunt of all time. Admit your cunthood. It's an irrefutable fact, like gravity.
Shirley Moochmore: Oh please don't make her say that.
Shaz: Oh, all right, she's sorry for not being a very good sister.
Shirley Moochmore: I'm sorry too.

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Connections

Featured in Overrated (2015)

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Soundtracks

Gloria all'Egitto
from "Aida"
Written by Giuseppe Verdi/Antonio Ghislanzoni
Licensed courtesy of Fable Music

User Reviews

Non stop surprises and laughter

I wasn't sure what to expect as I hadn't read any reviews and only saw a quick snapshot of the previews, but I did know it was from the Director of Muriel's Wedding so I knew I was in good hands.

I thought this film was great! It was quick, witty, with laugh after laugh. The cinema I was in wasn't even completely full yet the laughter just kept rolling and rolling throughout the film. Some scenes were completely outrageous and I think this was hard to pull off, if anyone else attempted to do it, it probably would not have worked.

The casting was brilliant, the chemistry between the characters felt real, and the underlying issues and themes are very real so in amongst the comic genius, I shed a tear or two.

There was definitely some similarities to Muriel's wedding, especially at the beginning of the film as the story was being set, but it wasn't too much and once I knew about the Director's personal life and experiences it made more sense.

I don't buy many DVD's but this will be one of them. The film is so Australian and I want to keep it on my shelf so I can pull it out for a great laugh or to be reminded that we are all a little mental.

I gave this film 10/10 because of its ability to make me laugh so hard and make me feel deeply for the characters at the same time. And, because it was bold, outrageous, very Australian and had the ability to blow me away!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 March 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mental

Filming Locations:

Mt. Warning National Park, Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,804, 31 March 2013

Gross USA:

$17,669

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,446,852

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Australia, Story Bridge Films, Zucker Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1