THE NUGGET
Written, directed and produced by
Bill Bennett
"As original as it is
funny, The Nugget is a gem and should go straight into the poolroom of
Australian comedy." (Michael Crooks, Filmink Magazine, 2002-2003.)
Cast Overview
Eric Bana - Lotto
Dave O'Neil - Sue
Stephen Curry - Wookie
Belinda Emmett -
Cheryl
SallyAnne Ryan -
Darlene
Karen Pang - Moon Choo
Peter Moon - Ratner
Vince Colosimo -
Dimitri
Max Cullen (narrator)
- Wally
Alan Brough - Jurgen
Jeff Truman - George
Chris Haywood - Doug
Jean Kittson- Joyce
Glenda Linscott -
Bunny
Jane Hall - Lucy
Executive Producer - Richard Sheffield
Producer/ Director/
Writer - Bill Bennett
Producer- Jennifer Cluff-Bennett
Line Producer - Ann Foland
Co-Producer - Silvana Milat
Original Music - Nigel Westlake
Cinematography - Danny Ruhlmann
Film Editing - Henry Dangar
Casting - Jennifer Cluff
Production Design - Nicholas McCallum
Art Direction - Jenny O'Connell
Set Decoration - James Watts
Costume Design - Louise Wakefield
Make-up Department - Katherine Brown (makeup designer)
Production
Management - David Suttor
(Unit Manager)
First Assistant
Director - Rachael Evans
Second Assistant
Director - Clair Parker
Art Department
Storyboard Artist - Jeff Balsmeyer
Construction
Co-ordinator - Geoff Howe
Sound Department
Music Preparation - Laura Bishop
Dialogue Editor - Sonal Joshi
Sound Recordist - Ben Osmo
Sound Designer - Wayne Pashley
ADR Recordist - Julie Pearce
Sound Effects
Editor - Fabian Sanjuro
Score Preparation - Aaron Symonds
Visual Effects
Digital Compositor -
William Gammon
Digital Compositor -
Ben Roberts
Visual Effects
Supervisor - Ben Roberts
Other Crew
Music Supervisor - Andrew Kotako
First Assistant
Editor - Milena Romanin
Assistant to
Composer - Aaron Symonds
RELEASE DATES
Cinematic Release -
Australia - 17th October 2002
Cinematic Release -
Canada - 10th September 2002 (Toronto Film Festival)
DVD Release - Australia
- 5th March 2003-05-01
BOX OFFICE - Period Weekend October 17-20
No. 5 (Top 20) - 1st week in
Release - 131 screens/$4,425 - screen averages - $579, 000
DURATION - 95 minutes
CLASSIFICATION - PG
BIBLIOGRAPHY -
INTERVIEWS
ROVE LIVE - Belinda Emmett and Steve Curry appeared on
the program to be interviewed by the affable Rove McManus, which is quite
entertaining as McManus is Emmett's real-life partner, and is good mates with
Curry, therefore providing a more laid-back and relaxed interview than would
normally be the case.
Empire Magazine - On release of the movie, did an interview
with director Bill Bennett.
Urban Cinefile - Andrew L. Urban provides extensive
interviews with director Bill Bennett and the main cast of the movie that was
included as an extra on the DVD package release of the movie. The interviews
were conducted in Mudgee, on location during the shooting of the film.
The interviews are
quite insightful and help to paint a good picture of the production of the film
itself, as well as providing a glimpse into the mind of the director. "From the
writing through the shooting to the editing and finally to seeing the film with
an audience is "a distinctly different stage", says Bennett. (Bennett, Urban,
A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, p 3 of 5, 2002)
The interviews which
are included on the DVD, number nine in total, and include:
IF Magazine - conducted an interview with Bill Bennett
soon after the films theatrical release.
GOOD WEEKEND
MAGAZINE - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Writer Garry Maddox
conducted an interview with star Eric Bana on the 18th of October,
2002. The article was entitled, "Golden Boy", and focuses on Bana's role in the
Nugget, as well as his rise in Hollywood.
"... Eric Bana's
research for his role in The Nugget was much simpler. He hung out with a road
gang in the country town of Mudgee..."
"You have to ask
whether Bana ... dug a few holes with Mudgee Council's finest."
"I didn't touch a
bloody tool," the actor said firmly."
"We sat around and
answered their questions. [He puts on a knockabout drawl.] 'What's that bloody
so-and-so doin' these days? I haven't seen him on the tele."
(Bana, E, Maddox, G,
Sydney Morning Herald, pp1-2, 2002)
THE WEST
AUSTRALIAN
Nick Miller, writer
for the West Australian, interviews Eric Bana on his rise in Hollywood and his
role in The Nugget, and the extremity of going from one to the other. The
article appeared in the West on Tuesday October 15th 2002.
"It was a homecoming
in more ways than one. Though director Bill Bennett swears it's coincidence,
the cast list reads like Eric Bana's Mates' Reunion. Co-stars Dave O'Neil and
Stephen Curry played various characters in Bana's TV series Eric. Curry also
appeared with Bana in The Castle."
"Co-star Vince Colosimo
is even better mates, having taken over Bana's role in Something in the Air as
well as having a significant role in Chopper."
"So there they all
were, a bunch of mates from Melbourne making a true blue comedy, with no guns
or helicopters or severed ears."
(Bana, E and Miller,
N, The West Australian, p6, 2002)
THE BULLETIN
Writer Maxine McKew
interviews Bill Bennett, about his latest release "The Nugget", as well as his
soon-to-be-released movie, "Tempted", as well as getting the dirt on his
critics, Hollywood productions, Hollywood actors, and the war in Iraq. The
interview printed in the October 30th, 2002 issue of the magazine.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL
DETAILS - REVIEWS
Carruthers, Avril. In
Movie-Vault.com, 2002 p 2 of 2.
Crooks, Michael. In
Filmink.com.au, 2002 - 2003, p 2 of 2.
Hall, Sandra. In The
Sydney Morning Herald, October 2002, p 2 of 2.
Martin, Andrew. In The
Age, October 2002, p 2 of 2.
Morris, Clint. In Film
Threat, 2002, p 2 of 2.
Naglazas, Mark. In The
West Australian, October, 2002, p 2 of 2.
Rigg, Julie. In Sunday
Morning, October, 2002, p 1 of 2.
DVD REVIEWS
Idato, Michael. In The
Sydney Morning Herald, April 2003, p 1 of 3.
Roberts, Peter. In
DVDANSWERS, 2003, p 1 of 5.
Urban, Andrew.L. In
Urban Cinefile, 2003, p 1 of 4.
ON-LINE PRESENCE
CRITICAL REVIEW
The Nugget is an
Australian Comedy that can also be seen as a fable. It was written, directed
and produced by Bill Bennett, (Kiss or Kill), and based on the John Steinbeck
novella, "The Pearl."
"I'd always wanted to
make a film about The Pearl, the John Steinbeck novella about a poor Mexican
fisherman who finds a beautiful pearl and comes into instant wealth. It sets
off a series of changes in his life - and in that case, quite tragic ones. I
then found that the film rights weren't available and I started thinking about
an Australian equivalent, but in a comedic form." (Bennett, B, Urban, A, Urban
Cinefile Feature, 2002, p3 of 7)
The movie centres on
the discovery by three friends of a gold nugget that promises wealth and riches
but strains their friendship. The Black Tar Gang (who work for the council on
the roads) comprises Lotto, (Eric Bana) who is so called because he buys a
lotto ticket every week, but is actually very unlucky. There is also Wookie,
(Stephen Curry), who is always coming up with conspiracy theories and reads the
supermarket tabloids, and is convinced he saw a Star War's Wookie behind his
garden shed. Last, but by no means least, is Sue, who successfully sued a pie
company after finding a finger in his steak and bacon pie.
The story gets
underway with the Black Tar Gang heading to the hills of their small town to do
some prospecting with their new, jointly-acquired, metal detector. When Sue, in
a typically Australian Larrikin gesture, comes across some specs of gold by
accident after taking a leak in the bush, it leads them to the Nugget.
While the discovery of
the Nugget promises wealth and riches, it also brings with it greed and evil,
in the form of local car-yard foe, Ratner (played by Peter Moon) and
brothel-owner, fish-shop, and deli-owner, Dimitri (played by Vince Colosimo).
The three tight-knit
mates' friendship is also tested with the proclamation of Wookie's wife
Darlene, (SallyAnne Ryan), that the Nugget is solely theirs, as Wookie's name
is on the mining lease of their property in the hills where the nugget was
discovered.
The main theme that
runs through the movie is that of friendship and mateship. It looks at how
circumstances coincide to present stumbling blocks in the path of friendship,
in the guise of wealth and riches.
The movie has a
distinctly Australian flavour, and is very much-so in the vein of recent-classics
"The Castle" and "The Dish". One could be forgiven for thinking that it was
actually produced by Working Dog Productions, instead of Bill Bennett. The
movie has many "Ocker" aspects to it, from the idiosyncratic behaviour of the
Black Tar Gang, to that of the over-the-top and wacky characters that also
inhabit the movie, such as Ratner and Dimitri, and Lotto's and Cheryl's nosy
neighbours, Joyce and Doug.
While the movie had
mixed reviews upon release, mostly discriminatory, I found the movie to be very
enjoyable indeed. It moves at a good pace, and keeps the viewer interested. I
believe that the representation of everyday folk stumbling into wealth and
riches, is the depiction of every middle-class, suburban, Australian's dream.
Who has not brought a
lotto ticket with the thought of what they would do with the winnings swimming
through their head? That transformation from rags-to-riches and the
consequences is a tale that has long fascinated movie-makers, and society in
general.
CRITICAL UPTAKE
The movie was not a
critical success, not garnering many good reviews or box-office sales upon
release. The movie was mostly panned and criticised, as well as performing only
averagely at the box-office, it did not enjoy a very long run at theatres.
However, at the first
screening for buyers in Cannes, "there was even a splash of warm applause at
the end." (Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile, 2003, p4 of 4) And the film was
screened at the "Toronto Film Festival" in Canada, so it wasn't all bad news.
PRODUCTION
The film was written
by Bill Bennett, "just to have a bit of a laugh. I didn't think it would get
financed. I'd been writing a lot of dark material and had a gap in my schedule
so I thought it'd be nice to cleanse myself as it were. A lot of my work has
been quite serious - but in fact there's a fine line between drama and comedy."
(Bennett, B, Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2003, p6 of 7.)
Bennett came up with
the idea after trying unsuccessfully to make a movie of the John Steinbeck
novella, "The Pearl". He then took the basic idea of that story and based it in
Australia, with more twists and turns than the original.
The movie was fully
financed in Australia by Film Finance and Macquarie films, and was distributed
through Roadshow. It was filmed in Mudgee, NSW. But why was this the location
of the film? "Well, for one thing, Jennifer Bennett comes from here and still
has a family home just up the road from Madeira Road, where two adjacent houses
have been taken over for the shoot ... Mudgee also suits the story and Bill
Bennett's desire to anchor the film in small town reality." (Bennett, B, Urban,
A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2003, p3 of 7)
"A day on the set
turns into a day and a night; ... It's still (just) breakfast time by the time I
get there. Locals are sparse in the main street, and film crew and cast are
gathering for sidewalk breakfast at the cafˇ..."
"The day's shoot at
Madeira Road begins at 2pm, with int and ext scenes, right through to night
scenes. After snatching interviews between set ups, I watch the crew bustle and
toil - it reminds me of a movable factory, with its carpenters, trucks, cranes,
hoists, lights and rigs. A block away, caravans and the catering tent waits
patiently for meal breaks." (Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2003, p5
& 6 of 7)
PROIR WORK
Writer, Director and
Producer Bill Bennett, was a television news journalist earlier in his career,
before switching to the field of films. His 20 year career involving
documentary and feature flim-making, has led him to collect lots of praise and
prizes. Amongst his best known works are "A Street to Die", "Kiss or Kill" and
"Spider and Rose". He has made 10 features and more than a dozen documentaries,
and has been honoured with two international retrospectives in recent years.
He has shot a number
of features in the United States, including "Two if By Sea" and his latest
film, "Tempted", which is being shot in New Orleans, and focuses on the tale of
betrayal, passion, deceit and one man's jealousy and the havoc it wreaks.
POSITION OF
AUSTRALIAN FILM
The main aspect of
Australian film and cinema that the movie "The Nugget" explores is the theme of
mateship. It is a typically Australian theme, reminiscent of the "Ocker" movies
of the 70s. "The Nugget" contains many "Ocker" aspects, mainly embodied in the
form of the three main protagonists, "The Black Tar Gang".
An example of this
"Ocker" behaviour displayed by the "Black Tar Gang" can be found in the review
by Avril Carruthers, on Movie-Vault.com, when she says, "The serious effort is
reserved instead for demolishing several cartons of beer while watching one of
them casually attempt to sling around the metal-detector (sans batteries)."
(Carruthers, A, Movie-Vault.com, 2002, p1 of 2)
This observation
brings into focus one of the many traits that the main characters exhibit that
emulates "Ocker" behaviour.
The uniquely
Australian flavour of the film has similarly been noted by many of the critics
of the film.
Andrew L. Urban, of
Urban Cinefile, says, "The low key tone and the small town setting deny
audiences the large sized humour audiences have got used to with Australian
comedies, where larger than life characters in a larger than large country do
colourful things. Here, it's the dialogue and the characters, together with an
Australian sensibility that ripples with edgy humour..." and also, "It really is
the script, though, that impresses, with its combination of the vernacular and
well-observed character-building material."
Further on, Urban
considers the "mateship" theme; "The Nugget aims to amuse and entertain but it
also has the parable's qualities about friendship. Mateship, actually, which is
quite specifically an Australianism. This is reinforced by the narration
device, which establishes the story and the characters, and draws together the
major elements." (Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2002, p3 & 4 of 4)
The reviewer for
DVDAnswers.com, Pete Roberts, begins his review with these words: "Like so many
Australian films seem to start nowadays, we begin in a typical suburban setting
and come across some typical suburban characters. This time it's three mates,
named the Black Tar Gang..." and also, "These three blokes are your typical
Australian fodder, laid back (lazy), ambitious (stupid) and fun-loving (drunks)."
These quotes help to
show how the movie is strengthening and promoting Australian stereotypes that
date back to the "Ocker" period of the 70s.
Adrian Martin, of the
Age, emulates these sentiments, saying, "Characters are defined in terms of
traits (Sue's laziness) or tics (Lotto's favourite expression, "you're being
harsh") that are repeated ad nauseam." (Martin, A, The Age, 2002, p1 of 2)
The Sunday Morning
columnist, Julie Rigg, enforces the idea of the "Ocker" sentiments exhibited by
the three main protagonists, with the words, "So it's a parable about greed and
what's important, and another, very Australian idea. Where does a man's loyalty
ultimately lie? Does he listen to his missus, or his mates?" At the end of her
column, she enlightens us, with "As for choosing between the mates and the
missus, I think the film has a... 'Stay
laid back' seems to be the ultimate message. Avoid the complications, go have
another beer." (Rigg, J, Sunday Morning, abc.net.au, 2002, p1 of 2)
The Sydney Morning Herald's
Sandra Hall says, "As the title suggests, it's back to basics with Australian
director Bill Bennett's latest film, The Nugget. I sense the influence of that
seminal Aussie comedy, The Castle. Both pictures are about fundamental human
values. And the Nugget's heroes, like the Castle's Kerrigan family, are under
siege."
"They're trying the
bonds of mateship firm against the urgings of their individual hip-pocket
nerves after they come across a $6 million gold nugget on their shared
prospecting lease outside Mudgee." (Hall, S, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2002,
p1 of 2)
The best advertorial
for the movie and it's "Australian" quality, is found in the review of Michael
Crooks from Filmink magazine, who says, "When three rural Australian blokes
find a gold nugget the size of an eight-year-old boy, they celebrate. How? By
taking their wives to a Chinese restaurant and ordering not one, but two
Mongolian Hot Plates. Not since the Castle has a film depicted the average
blue-collar Aussie with such reverence and humour."
"The Nugget isn't out
to enlighten, but just to provide a few laughs while a bunch of Aussies
discover the true value of life... As original as it is funny, The Nugget is a
gem and should go straight into the poolroom of Australian comedy." (Crooks, M,
Filmink Magazine, 2002-2003, p1 &2)
A MEDIUM SIZED
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CINEMA
A Medium sized English
language cinema is what the Australian cinema can be described as. It means
that local product occupies a minor place on the world stage and has to compete
with the American market, which is the most dominant. Therefore, the Australian
product must be quite different from the American product, but also be similar
to the American product in order that it may compete. An example of this that
can be found in "The Nugget" would be the distinctly Australian brand of
"Ocker" humour, that is displayed in the movie, but at the same time, the
rags-to-riches, instantaneous wealth story that is universal, and certainly has
been deployed in Hollywood movies from time to time.
The unsuccessful
nature of the "The Nugget" on home soil to make a solid impact on box-office
figures, or with the public or critics alike, would have made it difficult to
market internationally. The lack of home-grown success would not give the movie
a platform from which to promote itself. Although home-grown success is not an
indicator of international success, it is a favourable start for promotions and
garnering international interest.
The "Australian"
quality and themes that were prevalent within the movie would have made it
harder to market to an international audience, as a lot of its appeal relies on
an understanding of Australian middle-class values of mateship, as well as
sporting an unmistakable Australian vernacular that would not translate well to
international, and particularly, American, standards.
COLLECTING THE
INFORMATION
I found sourcing
material from books to be quite difficult, as the movie was fairly new (only
released in November, making it a period of six months). However, there was
quite a lot of information to be accessed from the web, through many film
websites, that I have listed in the Interview and Review sections.
I also had the
assistance of Danielle Toolin from the "Film & Television Institute of WA
INC" situated in Fremantle, who helped with regards to the interviews, as well
as Lucy Kuilman from "bjfilms".
The website that
provided the most help and in-depth material was "Urban Cinefile".
REFEFERENCES
Empire Magazine, 2002, interview with Bill Bennett.
IF Magazine, 2002, interview with Bill Bennett.
Maddox, G. Good
Weekend Magazine in The Sydney Morning Herald, 2002.
Miller, N, The West
Australian, 2002, p6.
McKew, M. The
Bulletin, 2002.
Urban, A.L. Urban
Cinefile, Urban Cinefile
Feature, 2002, p3.
Television Shows
Rove Live, TV Series,
Ten Network, 2000-2003 (cont)
Movie References
Kiss or Kill, Bill
Bennett, 1997.
A Street to Die, Bill
Bennett, 1985.
Spider & Rose,
Bill Bennett, 1994 (Australia), 1996 (US)
Tempted, Bill Bennett,
2002
The Castle, Rob Sitch,
1997
Two if By Sea, Bill
Bennett, 1996.