Jindabyne (film)

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Jindabyne

Promotional poster for Jindabyne.
Directed by Ray Lawrence
Produced by Philippa Bateman
Garry Charny
Catherine Jarman
Written by Raymond Carver
Beatrix Christian
Starring Gabriel Byrne
Laura Linney
Deborra-Lee Furness
John Howard
Music by Paul Kelly
Dan Luscombe
Cinematography David Williamson
Editing by Karl Sodersten
Distributed by Roadshow Films
Release date(s) July 20, 2006
Running time 123 min.
Country Australia
Language English
IMDb profile

Jindabyne is a 2006 Australian drama film adapted from the Raymond Carver short story So Much Water So Close to Home, by award-winning director Ray Lawrence and starring an ensemble cast including Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney, Deborra-Lee Furness, John Howard. Jindabyne was filmed entirely on location in and around the town of the same name - Jindabyne, New South Wales, situated next to the Snowy Mountains. The film was written by Beatrix Christian.

Jindabyne had its world premiere at Cannes and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in Australia on 20 July 2006 and was released in the United States on April 27, 2007.

Tagline: Under the surface of every life lies a mystery.

Contents

[edit] Cast

Principal Cast and Characters
Laura Linney as Claire
Gabriel Byrne as Stewart
Deborra-Lee Furness as Jude
John Howard as Carl
Chris Haywood as Gregory
Leah Purcell as Carmel
Eva Lazzaro as Caylin-Calandria
Sean Rees-Wemyss as Tom
Alice Garner as Elissa
Stelios Yiakmis as Rocco
Simon Stone as Billy
Betty Lucas as Vanessa

[edit] Plot

On an annual fishing trip, in isolated high country, Stewart (Gabriel Byrne), Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis) and Billy (Simon Stone) find an Aboriginal girl's body in the river; she has been brutally murdered by a local electrician. Stewart, who found her, is initially distraught, and his screams bring the other men, who are equally disturbed. It's too late in the day for them to hike back to the road and report their tragic find. They spend the night, but before they can hike out to get help the next morning, Stewart gets up early and goes fishing. He returns to camp holding a large fish he's caught up for the other men to see, and wordlessly the men decide to continue their fishing trip instead of hiking out to alert the authorities about the body. Their only act of "mercy" is to secure the girl's body by the ankle to the riverbank, so she won't drift downstream and get lost in the rapids.

While the men are gone, the men's wives and girlfriends get together socially. During their conversation, Jude (Carl's wife) reveals that their daughter died nearly two years ago, leaving them to raise their granddaughter. When Stewart's wife, Claire (Laura Linney) remarks that she doesn't think Stewart would want more children, Jude reveals that Claire had a mental breakdown after her son was born and left the family for 18 months.

The men return home late Sunday night. After reporting the body to the police, they each go to their respective homes. Stewart goes home to Claire and finds her sleeping on her stomach, reminiscent of the posture of the dead body. He talks to her briefly and initiates intimacy, which later causes problems when Claire finds out he left the girl's body to keep fishing.

The next morning, the police show up at Claire and Stewart's house to ask Stewart to answer some more questions. The men gather in the sherriff's office, where the sherriff expresses his disgust that they would "fish over a dead body" instead of reporting it as soon as they could. Claire is stunned that Stewart would do such a thing and keeps trying to understand his reasons for being so selfish. Because the girl was Aboriginal, many believe the men neglected the dead girl out of racism. All of the men's businesses are vandalized in retaliation, with painted slurs branding them racists.

Claire is the only one of the group of men and their wives who feels any remorse for what happened. The other wives repeatedly defend their husbands, and the husbands defend their actions. Arguing that it "didn't make any difference to the dead girl; it's not like she had feelings anymore," Carl epitomizes the callousness with which the men treated the murdered girl. The more Claire pushes Stewart and the others to make amends, the angrier everyone becomes. Jude, Carl's wife, "just wants things to get back to normal again."

Prior to the fishing trip, Claire had begun throwing up repeatedly from morning sickness, which she hid from everyone. With her marriage unraveling, and haunted by her postpartum breakdown and abandonment of her first child, she inquires of a medical professional about how to get an abortion.

Despite encountering hostility from the rest of the group, Claire continues to try to reach out to the girl's family. She gathers donations to give to the girl's family for her funeral. Claire even goes to the family's home and is rebuked. She later returns to give them the money she has gathered.

Increasingly incensed that Claire continues to make a big deal out of their mistakes, Stewart erupts in rage one evening when Claire asks him to talk about it. The two begin fighting physically, while slinging barbs at each other about their past mistakes.

The next day, Claire goes to the memorial service. The rest of the men and their wives show up to pay their respects, too. When Stewart apologizes on behalf of the men, the girl's father throws dirt on him, spits on the ground and walks away, but there are no further objections to their presence.

Throughout the movie, the murdering electrician continuously pops up around the characters, and even attends the memorial service. He is never caught.

[edit] Reaction

Jindabyne was both a commercial and critical success – The Age hailed it as "easily one of the most engrossing, thoughtful, adult-oriented big-screen dramas produced in Australia for 20 years."[1] The film won awards both in Australia and overseas.


[edit] Festivals

[edit] Awards

Won:

  • 2006 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards: Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Deborra-Lee Furness).
  • 2006 Valladolid International Film Festival: Best Actress (Laura Linney), Best Music.
  • 2006 Stockholm Film Festival: Best Manuscript (by Beatrix Christian), FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film.
  • 2006 Aria Fine Arts Award: Best Soundtrack (Australia)
  • 2006 Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards: Best Achievement in Sound for Film Sound Recording, Best Achievement in Sound for Film Sound Mixing, Feature Film Soundtrack of the Year.
  • 2006 Edinburgh Film Festival: Herald Angel Award

Nominated:

  • 2006 Australian Film Institute Awards: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Original Music Score, Best Actor in a Lead Role (Gabriel Byrne), Best Actress in a Lead Role (Laura Linney), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Deborra-Lee Furness).
  • 2006 IF Awards: Best Director, Best Actress (Laura Linney), Best Actor (Gabriel Byrne), Best Cinematography.
  • 2006 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards: Best Film, Best Actress in a Lead Role (Laura Linney), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (John Howard), Best Music Score.
  • 2006 Valladolid International Film Festival: Golden Spike (Ray Lawrence).
  • 2006 Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards: Best Achievement in Sound For Film Sound Recording, Best Achievement in Sound for Film Sound Design, Best Achievement in Sound for Film Sound Mixing, Feature Film Soundtrack of the Year.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jindabyne: This is Australian cinema at its finest and most mature The Age, July 21, 2006.

[edit] External links