Struck by Lightning (1990 film)
Struck by Lightning is a 1990 Australian film directed by Jerzy Domaradzki. The film was nominated in 4 AFI Award categories, including Best Director and Best Film. It won the film award at the Human Rights Medal and Awards in 1990.[2]
| Struck by Lightning | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jerzy Domaradzki |
| Produced by | Terry J. Charatsis Trevor Farrant |
| Written by | Trevor Farrant |
| Starring | Garry McDonald Brian Vriends Catherine McClements |
| Music by | Paul Smyth |
| Cinematography | Yuri Sokol |
| Edited by | Simon James |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$2.6 million[1] |
Plot summary
Garry McDonald plays Ollie, a grumpy alcoholic workshop supervisor at a shelter called Saltmarsh. He hires Pat (Brian Vriends), a school teacher, to develop an experimental fitness program for the intellectually disabled young adults in the shelter. Pat teaches P.E and decides to try to get them involved in soccer, with some interesting results. Jill is Ollie's social worker, who Ollie calls 'the bitch'.
Cast
- Garry McDonald as Ollie Rennie
- Brian Vriends as Pat Cannizzaro
- Catherine McClements as Jill McHugh
- Henry Salter as Noel
- Denis Moore as Foster
- Briony Williams as Gail
- Syd Brisbane as Spencer
- Brian M. Logan as Kevin
- Jon Fabian as Vince Cannizzaro
Production
In February 1989 Jerzy Domaradzki was working with writer Trevor Farrant on another script when Farrant gave him the screenplay for Struck by Lightning. The director loved it, Terry Charatsis applied for funding to the Film Finance Corporation and managed to get the film up.[3] It was shot in November 1989 in Adelaide.[1][4]
Reception
Critics' reception was generally positive to glowing ("charming and exhilarating black comedy, marvellously acted by the whole cast."[5]), but the Australian audience stayed away, perhaps deterred by its "improving" nature, and abetted by low-key promotion and hesitant distribution. It has been played on free-to-air TV a few times. There was a limited VHS, but to date no DVD, release.
See also
References
- Hunter Cordaiy, "Independence with Dignity: Struck by Lightning", Cinema Papers, May 1990 p24-29
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Hunter Cordaiy, "Jerzy Domaradzki", Cinema Papers, May 1990 p30-32
- "Interview with JERZY DOMARADSKI", Signet, 1 May 1996 accessed 18 November 2012
- Tony Harrison, ed. (1994). The Australian Film and Television Companion. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0731804554.
- Murray, Scott, ed. (1994). Australian Cinema. St.Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin/AFC. p. 397. ISBN 1-86373-311-6.