Slim and I
Slim and I is a 2020 Australian documentary film directed by Kriv Stenders about the life of Joy McKean and Slim Dusty, Australia's most successful husband and wife singer-songwriter duo.
| Slim and I | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Kriv Stenders |
| Produced by | Chris Brown James Arneman Aline Jacques |
| Starring | Slim Dusty and Joy McKean |
| Music by |
|
| Cinematography | Evan Papageorgiou |
| Edited by | Karryn de Cinque |
| Distributed by | Screen Australia Universal Pictures (Australia) |
Release date | 10 September 2020 |
Running time | 106 mins |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Making of the documentary
The documentary came about through the passion of Slim and Joy's grandson James Arneman, who had compiled an archive of old footage of the families touring days. The family was approached by film producer Chris Brown before director Kriv Stenders joined the project. Stenders said "The idea to tell their story through the lens of Joy was something that I found very interesting about this project and made me want to be involved the documentary. I knew very little about Slim and Joy, but I listened to their music and read the books about their lives and discovered such an incredible story that needed to be told."[1]
Cinematic launch
Slim and I was released in Australian cinemas in September 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed the film's release in the State of Victoria. The world première took place in Kempsey, New South Wales, close to where Slim Dusty grew up. The Governor of New South Wales Margaret Beazley attended the red carpet event, along with the Member for Oxley Melinda Pavey and Kempsey Shire Mayor Liz Campbell. Joy McKean also attended along with children Anne and David Kirkpatrick, director Kriv Stenders and producer Aline Jacques. The film reached Australian cinemas on 10 September 2020.[2]
Critical reception
Following its Australian premiere, the film received rave reviews. The Sydney Morning Herald's Paul Byrnes gave it four stars and called it "pure joy, in more ways than one".[3] The Australian newspaper review by Stephen Romei called it a "brilliant love story" and an "utterly charming film", and also gave four stars.[4] Anthony Morris for Screenhub gave it four stars and wrote: "This fast moving, insightful and always entertaining film is firmly a tribute to Joy, and rightly so: if Slim Dusty was 'the man who is Australia', she was the woman who made the man."[5] Out in Perth gave it four and a half stars and wrote "After viewing this very Australian story, you are left questioning why this wasn’t made years ago."[6]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast Film Festival Awards | 2020 | Best Australian Film | Won | [1] |
Soundtrack
| Slim and I | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Soundtrack album by Slim Dusty and various artists | ||||
| Released | 4 September 2020 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | EMI Music | |||
| Slim Dusty albums chronology | ||||
| ||||
A soundtrack was released on 4 September 2020.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prologue" | |||
| 2. | "I Dont Believe You" | Small Town Romance featuring Anne Kirkpatrick | ||
| 3. | "A Lifetime on the Road (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 4. | "When I First Saw the Lovelight in Your Eyes" (1995 version) | Slim Dusty with Joy McKean | ||
| 5. | "Music & Belonging (Interview)" | Troy Cassar-Daley | ||
| 6. | "The Biggest Disappointment" (acoustic) | Troy Cassar-Daley | ||
| 7. | "Learning To Sing (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 8. | "Moonrise Lullaby" | Joy McKean and Heather McKean | ||
| 9. | "Slim Jumps the Shark (Interview)" | Dobe Newton | ||
| 10. | "When the Rain Tumbles Down in July" (1998 Remaster) | Slim Dusty | ||
| 11. | "Cinematic Songwriting (Interview) - Paul Kelly" | Paul Kelly | ||
| 12. | "Indian Pacific" (1998 Remaster) | Slim Dusty | ||
| 13. | "Keen Young Songwriters (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 14. | "My Hometown" | Joy McKean and Heather McKean | ||
| 15. | "Slim's Courtship of Joy (Interview)" | Joy McKean and Heather McKean | ||
| 16. | "What's It Gonna Cost Me" | Joy McKean | ||
| 17. | "Kasey Chambers & Bill Chambers (Interview) and "Walk a Country Mile Excerpt"" (Acoustic) | Kasey Chambers & Bill Chambers | ||
| 18. | "Touring Begins in 1954 (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 19. | "Closest Thing to Freedom" | Slim Dusty | ||
| 20. | "Origins of "A Pub With No Beer" (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 21. | "A Pub With No Beer" (Soundtrack Version) |
| Slim Dusty and Gordon Parsons | |
| 22. | "Memories of the Showgrounds (Interview)" | Don Walker | ||
| 23. | "Whiplash" | Slim Dusty | ||
| 24. | "Leaving the Showgrounds (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 25. | "Losin' My Blues Tonight" (Soundtrack Version) | Slim Dusty | ||
| 26. | "Writing and Performing on Country (Interview)" | Gayle Kennedy | ||
| 27. | "Plains of Peppimenarti" (1998 Remaster) | Slim Dusty | ||
| 28. | "Music At Odds With the Lyrics (Interview)" | Paul Kelly | ||
| 29. | "Lights on the Hill" (1998 Remaster) | Slim Dusty | ||
| 30. | "A Voice for Rural People (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 31. | "Further Out" | Slim Dusty | ||
| 32. | "Writing for Slim (Interview)" | Bill Chambers | ||
| 33. | "Things Are Not the Same on the Land" (acoustic) | Bill Chambers | ||
| 34. | "Simple Songs (Interview)" | Missy Higgins | ||
| 35. | "The Biggest Disappointment" | Missy Higgins and Dan Sultan | ||
| 36. | "Epilogue (Interview)" | Joy McKean | ||
| 37. | "One Helluva Song" | Slim Dusty |
Weekly charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] | 8 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Top Country (ARIA)[8] | 21 |
References
- "Walking the red carpet for the world premiere of Slim & I". Nambucca Guardian. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- Walking the red carpet for the world premiere of Slim & I; Guardian News; Sep 4, 2020
- Slim Dusty documentary is pure joy, in more ways than one; SMH; Sep 10, 2020
- Slim and I, the brilliant love story of Slim Dusty and Joy McKean; The Australian; Sep 25, 2020
- Film Review: Slim & I spotlights country music's unsung legend; www.screenhub.com.au; 10 Sep, 2020
- ‘Slim & I’ tells the story of country music queen Joy McKean; www.outinperth.com; 1 Sep, 2020
- "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Country Albums 2020". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- "Slim & I (Official Soundtrack)". JBHiFi. Retrieved 5 September 2020.