Storm Boy (2019)

When Michael Kingley, a successful retired businessman starts to see images from his past that he can't explain, he's forced to remember his childhood and how, as a boy, he rescued and raised an extraordinary orphaned pelican, Mr Percival.

Director:

Shawn Seet

Writers:

Justin Monjo (screenplay by), Colin Thiele (novel)

Stars:

Finn Little, Jai Courtney, Geoffrey Rush

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Finn Little	...	Storm Boy
Jai Courtney	...	Hideaway Tom
Geoffrey Rush	...	Michael Kingley
Erik Thomson	...	Malcolm Downer
Bradley Trent Williams	...	Jasper Davies (as Brad Williams)
Natasha Wanganeen	...	Susan Franklin
Nick Launchbury	...	Reporter #1
Emma Bargery	...	Reporter #2
Trevor Jamieson	...	Fingerbone Bill
Morgan Davies	...	Madeline Downer (as Morgana Davies)
Michelle Nightingale	...	Mrs. Marks
Miraede Bhatia-Williams	...	Mildew
Luca Asta Sardelis	...	School Girl #1 (as Luca Sardelis)
Georgina Giessauf	...	School Girl #2
Paul Blackwell	...	Cal Evans

Storyline

A beautiful and contemporary retelling of Colin Thiele's classic Australian tale. 'Storm Boy' has grown up to be Michael Kingley, a successful retired businessman and grandfather. When Kingley starts to see images from his past that he can't explain, he is forced to remember his long-forgotten childhood, growing up on an isolated coastline with his father. He recounts to his grand-daughter the story of how, as a boy, he rescued and raised an extraordinary orphaned pelican, Mr Percival. Their remarkable adventures and very special bond has a profound effect on all their lives. Based on the beloved book, Storm Boy is a timeless story of an unusual and unconditional friendship.

---

Plot Keywords:

pelican | childhood | south australia | storm boy | storm | 

---

Taglines:

Love takes risks. Love takes courage.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some thematic elements, mild peril and brief language

Did You Know?

Trivia

A tie-in video game with this film was been produced and released in 2018 and is entitled 'Storm Boy: The Game' (2018). The game's official site states: "Based on Colin Thiele's 1964 children's book of the same name, 'Storm Boy' takes place on the beaches of South Australia near the mouth of the Murray River, where the titular protagonist rescues orphaned pelican chicks, one of whom later becomes the child's pet and faithful companion, Mr. Percival. Experience an interactive retelling of the classic tale by taking control of both Storm Boy and Mr. Percival in key moments, such as when the pair rescued stranded sailors during a storm. Relive their friendship and enjoy seaside activities across a wide assortment of fun and relaxing mini-games, including sand drawing, sailing, cockle hunting, playing fetch, sand surfing, pelican feeding, and more."

---

Quotes

Michael Kingley: I once believed in things. Things that were special to me.

---

Connections

Featured in Back Roads: The Coorong (2019)

---

Soundtracks

Vive y Baila
Written by Max Pizzolante featuring Beto Perez
(c) Pizzo Music Publishing

User Reviews

An Australian Classic Tale Lives On...

For those who are unaware, this is remake of the original Australian hit which featured in 1976 and is based on a well known novel.

Our film is based on the retelling of the life of Michael Kingle, aka Storm Boy. Michael (played by Geoffrey Rush) is now an old man who has done well in life in regards to business and is currently retired, now having less involvement with the major company he is well know for. But Michael is also a grandfather. When strange visions begin to reappear around Michael's life he is encouraged to retell the story of his young life to his grand daughter. This is a story of friendship, love, hate, sadness and a little Pelican known as "Mr Percival".

As the film began I did find the introduction to our leading characters slightly confusing and I started to think about how young kids would process this too. As we are introduced to Geoffrey Rush's character, Michael, we are also introduced to his world of past business dealings, friends and family. To top it off, Michael's visions could almost come across as a haunting and frightening. While I understanding what Michael was going through at the start of the film, I felt the pace and style was rather unusual to introduce the characters and get the film in motion. Once Michael goes back in time, the film correctly sets sail.

I must also put in writing that the performance by newcomer Fin Little (aka young Storm Boy) was fantastic to see on screen. His work was rather impressive in this touching and dramatic role. Young Storm Boy's father is played by Jai Courtney. And while Jai Courtney is well suited to the role, I did feel some lines were delivered poorly and lacked passion, in particular during what I expected to be touching moments between a father and son.

I must give praise to the style of filming and the use of landscapes. There is plenty to admire when it comes to the sea and the land of Australia. The choice of music and the way the film transitions between young and old Storm Boy gave me goosebumps mostly due to Geoffrey Rush's stand out performance. I was also left rather impressed by the talented Pelican's used in the film which I later read were all real and trained for the film. I personally haven't seen anything like it in film before and it was great to see the talent and filming of these beautiful creatres.

Overall, Storm Boy is a great Australian film which I feel came to cinemas somewhat under the radar. This is a film that covers so many themes of loss, sadness, love, hate and friendship. By the end of the film I found it impossible not to be touched by this film, water also leaking from my eyes (and judging by my cinema audience, I wasn't the only one). This is a great film for those who have never heard the tale or perhaps for those who would love to revisit the film and go down memory lane. I was concerned with the film's opening and introduction of selected characters and some moments which I felt lacked from the actor Jai Courtney. The performances by newcomer Fin Little (aka young Storm Boy) and the Pelicans alone were impressive to see.

7.0/10 Walkden Entertainment

Details

Official Sites:

Kojo Official Site

Country:

Australia

Language:

English Aboriginal

Release Date:

5 April 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Storm Boy

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$46,676, 7 April 2019

Gross USA:

$71,760

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,314,273

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ambience Entertainment, Best FX Adelaide

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1