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Road to Nhill

Information complied by Andrew Bencivenga

Part One

Details

Running time-95 minutes

Rating-MPAA-NR (Adult situations and humor)

Year-1997

Cast and Crew

Director-Sue Brooks

Scriptwriter-Alison Tilson

Cinematographer-Nicolette Freeman

Producer-Sue Maslin

Production Design-Georgina Campbell

Production Management            Leigh Ammitzboll-unit manager

Elisa Argenzio-production manager            

Production company-Gecko Films

Lead actors-

Tony Barry ....  Jim

Vikki Blanche ....  Jill

Paul Chubb ....  Maurie

Lynette Curran ....  Margot

Matthew Dyktynski ....  Bret

Patricia Kennedy ....  Jean

Alwyn Kurts ....  Jack

Monica Maughan ....  Nell

Terry Norris ....  Ted

Lois Ramsey ....  Carmel

Denise Roberts ....  Gwen

Kerry Walker ....  Alison

Bill Young ....  Brian

Bill Hunter ....  Bob

Phillip Adams ....  God (voice)

Peter Aanensen ....  Mac

Gary Adams ....  Gary

Don Bridges ....  Keith

Lois Collinder ....  Jan

Robin Cuming ....  Frank

Andrew Curry ....  Geoff

Graham Dow ....  Fred

Luke Elliot ....  Martin

Paul Hampton ....  Steve

Bob Hornery ....  Alvin

Barbara Morton ....  Mary

Georgina Naidu ....  Dr. Ewing

Marilyn O'Donnell ....  Sandra

Pepe Trevor ....  Anne

Rod Williams ....  Ned

Release Date

In Australia Road to Nhill was released on the 13th of November 1997.  I have found no evidence that the film was released elsewhere or on any other dates.

Box Office Figures

I was unable to locate box office figures for this film

Bibliographical details of Interviews

Sue Brooks says of the film on the Australian Film Commission website, “This is a story about fate and it tells an Australian story yet to be told on film. Country people are often portrayed either as hicks or wise old sages. These people are neither.”http://www.afc.gov.au/newsandevents/mediarelease/1995/release_230.aspx

Bibliographical Details of Reviews

From SBS homepage by David Stratton, “Brooks and Tilson, with the important assistance of cinematographer Nicolette Freeman and composer Elizabeth Drake, have achieved small miracles with this hugely enjoyable and very Australian comedy.”

http://www.sbs.com.au/movieshow/reviews.php3?id=440

Review from user of IMDB.com, Ksael Agnulraon, “I can't believe this only gets 5.1/10!!!  With genuine crap out there scoring mid-60s (pick any Jet Li film, most Hollywood action-thrillers or any American gross-out teen comedy, for example), I suppose it's only academic that a film of this subtle quality would score so low.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120025/

From Sandra Brennan of the New York Times movie site, “Though featuring a simple straightforward story of a small town turned upside down when a car carrying four members of the local women's bowling team flips over and leaves the occupants trapped and hanging, it is the sprightly performances of the ensemble cast that make this quirky Australian comedy special.” http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=158623

Awards

Road to Nhill won the Best Feature film award at the 1997 Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

Online Presence

Road to Nhill has a solid online presence.  All of my information was gathered online, mostly through Google searches based around the title of the movie and around the director Sue Brooks.  Most of the websites found had the usual cursory information including cast and crew credits and reviews of the film.  Included above are the sites which included more interesting information such as interview snippets.  However, overall I did find the information on this movie to be somewhat lacking.  I attribute this to the fact that this movie was Sue Brooks’ first.  I believe that with the success of Japanese StoryBrooks’ subsequent films will be covered much better.  With that there also lies the possibility of more coverage on this film.  Some helpful links include:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=road+to+nhill  Google search of Road to Nhill

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Sue+Brooks  Google search for Sue Brooks

Other useful sources of information include the following accessed through links on the MED 231 homepage:

The Internet Movie Database- http://us.imdb.com/

Australian Movieguide- http://www.movieguide.com.au/

Research Method

As stated above the method for my research was internet based.  This was mainly due to the fact that the movie had been released so recently that it would not be included as of yet in printed volumes.  The internet continues to prove to be the most easily accessible and comprehensive source of information for up to date issues including movies amongst others.  I used Google most heavily as my search engine and also took advantage of the links available on the MED 231 homepage.

Part Two

Critical Review-  The plot of Road to Nhill is simple, which is one of the mechanisms working to make the movie what it is.  The simplicity in the plot mirrors the simple nature of the town that creates most of the humor of the movie which centers around one simple incident, a car crash.  Three cars full of lady bowlers are on their way back from a tournament and one of the cars crash on the road.  What road indeed?  Is it Nhill Road or the road to Nhill? Which women are in the car?  These are a few of the many confusing questions that the humorously inept group of men face when trying to rescue the women and put the pieces of the crash together.  From the simple car crash the whole town is thrown into turmoil.  The ambulance goes the wrong way as the correct road is confused, the cop is nowhere to be found, and once the rescue vehicles do get to the scene of the accident all of the women are gone; taken away by the good intentioned but ill witted men that happen upon the crash first.  The women of the crash are obviously on their own as is shown in the scene of their crash and subsequent escape from the car.  As the first two men who arrive on the scene to scramble around like chickens with their head cut off the women manage to scramble out of the overturned car.  By the time the two men get their act together to help them they wind up doing more harm then good.

            This is a movie of stubble humor.  From the characters of the town’s people and their interactions to the daily mechanics of life in a small town that are a result of the people within it.  Sue Brooks grew up in the area and illustrates her knowledge of a small town life perfectly showing the intricate processes involved with getting a proper cup of coffee or putting together the fire squad for rescue.  Everywhere you look in the movie something is slightly off and for myself I had a grin on during the entire film.  Overall I thought it was a very good film.  It was well thought out and detail oriented as the small things, such as the way a character would say something or rather not say anything added to the humor of the movie as the plot developed.  The humor comes across as not trying too hard to steal the show or even trying to be funny.  There are many interpersonal relationships to look at in addition to the humor.  God even makes a couple of appearances in the beginning and the end, giving a deeper meaning to the film as well if you choose to see it. As the movie ends yet another car veers on the road.  Once regaining control and breathing a sigh of relief and then again as the sun hits the window in the wrong way, off the road.  Things come full circle on this road.  But which road is it; Nhill Road or the road to Nhill?

Critical Uptake-  Most of the information from the Bibliographical Details of Reviews sections would also fit in this section.  To reiterate however; most of the reviews for this film at the time of its release were favorable.  In addition to the aforementioned favorable reviews at the time there did seem to be some reviews to the contrary including this from the Urban Cinefile Feature website: (http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=569&s=Reviews)

            "It must have been an irresistible idea at the time, a film featuring a handful of Australia's best veteran actors, bung 'em together in a confined space, explore a day in the life of a small country town, and see the magic come from the screen. Good ideas don't necessarily make ...”

            This review seems to head in a southerly direction.  I was unable to finish reading it however as this is a pay site and I am not a member.  I would speculate that this film may have been maligned for its slow meandering nature.  Some of the reviews that I read as well took issue with the presence of the God narrator voice in the beginning and end of the movie.  This is from David Stratton on The Movie Show website:

(http://www.sbs.com.au/movieshow/reviews.php3?id=440)

            “My only quibble is the use of the voice of an unseen God (grandly, ironically, spoken by Phillip Adams) - an unnecessary addition to an otherwise delightful film.”

            As these show, depending on your point of view and mood Road to Nhill can be either a delightful movie or one of boredom and drudgery. These two quotes from audiences on the IMDB database website illustrate this paradox perfectly:

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120025/#comment)

The first is positive on the slow nature of the film:

            “A small country town where nothing much happens, and this film takes us right along with the 'action'...except the action is in slow motion and the characterizations, are slowly and beautifully formed.  If you're not in a hurry for a good time, and really do enjoy seeing paint dry...this is for you.  I like watching paint dry. The color darkens and the true character emerges.” Nelson, New Zealand, 2000

This is a great characterization of the movie.  The time is taken to illustrate the true nature of the people of the film, rather than focusing on high speed crashes and other Hollywood trademarks.  This deviation from the standard entertainment formula has also the opposite effect to turn audiences away:

            “I'll keep it simple: this movie sucks. It’s supposedly a comedy but I watched it with my family and we all sat stone-faced through the entire thing, even my dad, who laughs at anything even remotely funny. Not once did this movie even achieve a smile. If you are thinking of watching this utter trash, don’t.” Nathan Binns, Perth, 2004

In addition to being highly contradictory these reviews are also some of the most recent reviews of the film.  I was unable to find any professional reviews that were up to date, most of the time Road to Nhill was mentioned it was merely in reference to Japanese Story.  I believe that the way this movie is viewed in the future will depend heavily on the reputation that Sue Brooks continues to develop.  With the success of Japanese Story she seems to be well on her way to creating a legacy with Road to Nhill as its base, quiet and misunderstood as it may be.

Production and Release-  Road to Nhill was produced at Pyramid Hill, Victoria.  Pyramid Hill is also where Sue Brooks is from.  Sue Maslin was the main producer of the film and grew up in near by Riverina.  The Australian Film Commission provided most of the funding for the film to be made(1.5 million), with another portion coming from Film Victoria(350,000).  From the Australian Film Commission we learn why the film was undertaken:

(http://www.afc.gov.au/newsandevents/mediarelease/1995/release_230.aspx)

             “Director of Film Development at the Australian Film Commission, Tim Read, says: “Investing in the Road to Nhill represents a neat broadening of our focus at the Commission. This time we go out of the city and into the country heartland of Australia where what you see is not always what you get - unless you know exactly what you are looking for.” 

In addition to broadening the focus of Australian films, Road to Nhill was also seen as valuable in the way that it challenged the norms of current films, “The emphasis on film ideas which challenge the usual has lead to investment in such successful productions as Proof, Romper Stomper, Only the Brave and Eternity.”  Given the auspicious company that Road to Nhill is compared to in this sentence it is clear that the producers felt that great things were due for this film.  The film was released on the 13th of November in 1997.

Other Works-  Sue Brooks has only made one other movie, the popular and successful Japanese Story.  Road to Nhill would be a solid start for any director’s career.  Alison Tilson also worked with Brooks on Japanese Story as well as writing for two television series, Marshall Law(2002) and Raw FM(1997).  Once again there is a common bond between these three women, as the producer Sue Maslin also worked on Japanese Story as well as a TV series True Stories(1994).  With their constant collaboration producing fine films such as these I am interested to see what the next work these women put out is.

Position in Australian Film and Value-  I believe that Road to Nhill  is quite valuable in Australian cinema.  As was shown in the production notes earlier, the financers of this film were quite confident in its success due to its uncommon nature and deviations from the normal formula.  This film served as a building block for Brooks, Tilson and Maslin to make Japanese Story which has reached a much larger audience, internationally as well as successful in Australia.  Considering this I find the value of Road to Nhill to be immeasurable.  Without Road to Nhill, Japanese Story may not have been possible. Road to Nhill has the power to stand on its own however as it won the Best Feature film award at the 1997 Thessaloniki International Film Festival.  Road to Nhill did not follow the expected stereo-types in its success and as such is valuable for giving other blooming film makers the courage to try new things.  Also as a uniquely Australian film, Road to Nhill helps to create Australian identity in the eyes of the international market and to foster respect for the Australian film industry.

Genre Position-  Road to Nhill does not follow the formula for any one genre.  Instead it bends several different genres to suit its means as all great films seem to do.  Overall it could be seen as a comedy.  But I also believe this film to have other aspects.  These aspects include melodrama with its carefully tracked musical score and dramatic elements concerning the relationships between the husbands and their wives.  The film also has elements of social commentary as the voice of God would indicate and the last scene of the movie gives the audience something more to think of as yet another car goes off the turn in the road.  Furthermore Road to Nhill is a portrait of a people; country people and Australian people.  It is a portrait of life in a town where not too much happens, but when things do happen they are usually funny in their own way.  It is little wonder that this film about life escapes easy definition.