JOHN DUIGAN

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBB.5. 

Australia, 1987.  Kennedy Miller Productions.  Screenplay by John Duigan.  Cinematography by Geoff Burton.  Produced by Terry Hayes, George Miller, Doug Mitchell.  Music by Christine Woodruff.  Production Design by Roger Ford.  Costume Design by Lyn Askew, Roger Ford, Fiona Nicolls.  Film Editing by Neil Thumpston.  

This is the first of two films about the coming of age of a young Australian teenager, played brilliantly by Noah Taylor. He enjoys a quiet but stifling life in his small outback town, spending most of his time with his best friend (Loene Carmen ), a girl he’s known since childhood. Now in high school, the two of them befriend a wild-mannered jock (Ben Mendelsohn) who captivates Taylor and captures Carmen’s heart. When the happy couple get into deep trouble, things change and Taylor realizes that the joys of his youth will never be the same. The second film, Flirting, is far better, but John Duigan still gives this film a great sense of detail and poignancy that make it memorable.