Storm Boy

I recall this film very fondly from my late teenage years and was keen to revisit it, partly in preparation for a stage play adaptation we will be seeing shortly. I had studied the book at school and saw this film once in 1976 or 1977 in its first release.

I found it remarkably fresh and almost as captivating as back then. Greg Rowe as the young Mike (Storm Boy) and David Gulpilil as Fingerbone, the Aboriginal youth who befriends him is his lonely isolation were just as convincing. Somehow Peter Cummins's 'Hide away Tom Kingley still didn't quite ring true, despite the obvious challenges in such a reclusive role. I'm not sure the school scenes worked as well as they could have done either. But Tony Allison's national park ranger portrayal is wonderful, with the challenging handling of the same issues rangers face today.

But it does shows what telling the story truly, without trying sugar coat the darker bits can be so effective and provides lasting impressions.

The photography and locations are just brilliant, as are the pelicans. In fact, the capturing of these locations as they were in the mid 1970s is probably even more important now, given the environmental degradation the Coorong has suffered over the 40 years since then, with greatly reduced water flows into the lower Murray and probably declining water quality as well.

I saw this film just after I left school in 1981. To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't been broadcast on British television since. I recently had the pleasure of watching this wonderful film for the second time, after it was finally released on DVD in the UK.

Although essentially a children's film, I think adults will find this an engaging movie - particularly Greg Rowe's endearing performance in the title role. Hard to believe it was made so long ago.

Message to any Australians reading this thread - Has there ever been a dramatisation of the Beaumont Children case?

http://www.beaumontchildren.com/

A very moving and personal film, set on the windswept coast of South Australia. In many respects it could be anywhere in the world - as the cold and the wind and isolation are far from the public image of Australia. I first saw this film when I was seven with school at the cinema - and bawled my eyes out. The alienation from his father than Storm Boy feels is ameliorated by the connection to the land and the the animals via a local Aboriginal man Fingerbone - thereby making it a very spiritual film for many. I've since showed it to my own son who enjoyed it but then...inconsolable - said "why did you show this to me?!" Think Ring of Bright Water, or Old Yeller by way of animals bringing out the best in us...

This timeless classic Australian masterpiece did not disappoint in the slightest. The cinematography is brilliant, the acting is great (remember this was 1976 Australia) - especially from child actor Greg Rowe (who is now all grown up and living with his wife and two kids in Canada). David Gulpilil also provides a wandering Aboriginal man mysticism to the film and he looks quite younger than in Australia but it's like he is playing the same character. A character well suited to him. The area in which it is set is just beautiful and while Storm Boy battles with his needs to see the greater world and gain an education - all I wanted to do when watching was to swap places with him. The film supplies a lot of themes about nurturing, growing, the circle of life (thankyou Lion King), isolation, friendship and the morality of right and wrong. The battle between life in general and the life the rest of the population says we should be living.

The film is funny at times, touching, sad and inspiring and will make you want a pet pelican!!!

Try and get to see this one - I know Target has them for $7- and you can probably pick up at most places for same price - or rent it. One disappointing thing about it - the DVD is a straight copy of an older print - it is not remastered, but somehow to me this added to it's age and quality - like a fine port on film.

A touching, very human movie that is a great story. The natural Austarlian coastline locales are stunning. It seems to be usually not very sunny which adds to the mood (and the visual beauty of the place as well; I think the weather is a necessary ingredient in making this such an excellent film.) This is the most real movie (maybe) I've ever seen. A ten-year-old boy lives with his father in a shack-y, though cozy, small hand-built house located right near the beach. Father has a very small fishing boat. We don't see him actually fishing, but on the dock preparing to go out, or coming back in. He puts food on the table and seems to do a good job caring for his son, who loves him. The boy is not in school and this becomes an issue as the story progresses. The boy meets a young Aborigine man (in his early 20s) one day when he is out on his own, as he tends to be, sailing on his tiny homemade raft, and after encountering each other a second time they become friends. While they are together, they find three baby orphan pelicans, which Storm Boy adopts. (Storm Boy being the nickname given to him by his Aborigine friend.) I don't want to tell anymore so as not to ruin it. Let it suffice to say that drama ensues, in various ways, as the story goes on, and it is all moving, and as I said, very human. It will definitely touch your emotions. I think this is a story everyone could relate to.