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magazine said "The film is full of charm and had so much... potential, it’s frustrating that it’s not better than it is: it looks splendid, has a magical atmosphere and features fantastic actors... However, once more, as a writer Howson made a series of errors, notably under-utilising his characters
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I wrote in one long night, and it captured a real energy. Even when I was writing it I had no idea where it was heading. Which is good, because neither did the audience. It’s the only script of mine that didn’t need a polish and that not one actor wanted to change a word of it. It really did capture
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It became the first
Australian film sold to Miramax and opened the London Film Festival in 1990 and was selected for competition at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival. Even I can’t explain its appeal. In fact, it breaks quite a few rules of the formula movie, and perhaps that’s why it worked. The
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Steven Wilson travels from the outback to visit his Gran in
Melbourne for the school holidays. Gran's former role as a showgirl enables Steven to be drawn in by the magic of the theatre. While watching a performance of
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publicity by-line on the
Miramax poster was, “A look at the magic of innocence.” And that’s what it was.
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Howson had been a child actor and had worked extensively in the theatre. He later said of the film:
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and including a dream sequence in act three that goes for twenty minutes."
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49:Produced by
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29:Directed by
441:1990 films
435:Categories
304:References
269:Production
241:Gary Sweet
217:Pat Evison
211:Max Phipps
154:Box office
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68:Pat Evison
65:Max Phipps
39:Written by
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133:Australia
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