Jindabyne (film)

Jindabyne

promotional poster
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
Edited by Karl Sodersten
Distributed by Roadshow Films
Release dates
 20 July 2006
Running time
 123 minutes
Country Australia
Language English
Box office $6,044,112[1]

Jindabyne is a 2006 Australian drama film by director Ray Lawrence and starring Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney, Deborra-Lee Furness and 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, and was adapted from the Raymond Carver short story, "So Much Water So Close to Home", which was also the basis for one of the storylines in Robert Altman's Short Cuts. Carver's story had been retold in song by Paul Kelly in his song "Everything's Turning to White", from his 1989 album So Much Water So Close to Home and Paul Kelly would go on to write the score to this film as well.

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

Plot

On an annual fishing trip, in isolated high country, Stewart (Gabriel Byrne), Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis) and Billy (Simon Stone) find a girl's body in the river; she has been brutally murdered by Gregory (Chris Haywood), a local electrician. The girl turns out subsequently to be Aboriginal; it is not clear whether the men observe this. Stewart, who found her, is initially distraught, and his screams bring the other men, who are equally disturbed. It is 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 has 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. They secure the girl's body by the ankle to the riverbank, so she will not drift downstream and get lost in the rapids.

While the men are gone, some of the men's wives (Jude and Claire) and Rocco's girlfriend (Carmel), 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 does not 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 police station, where the police officer 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, some believe the men neglected the dead girl out of racism. All of the men's businesses are vandalised in retaliation by Aboriginals, with painted slurs branding them racists.

Claire and Elissa (Billy's partner) are the only ones of the group who express any remorse and condemnation for what happened. Jude repeatedly defends her husband Carl, Carl and Stewart defend their actions. Arguing that it "didn't make any difference to the dead girl; it's not like she had feelings any more," Carl epitomises 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 unravelling, and haunted by her post-post-partum 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 apologises 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.

Cast
  • Sean Rees-Wemyss as Tom
  • Alice Garner as Elissa
  • Stelios Yiakmis as Rocco
  • Simon Stone as Billy
  • Betty Lucas as Vanessa
  • Tatea Reilly as Susan

Reaction

Jindabyne was commercially successful, but reviews were mixed. The Age hailed it as "easily one of the most engrossing, thoughtful, adult-oriented big-screen dramas produced in Australia for 20 years. However, A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that "The real flaw is that the movie's best features -- the aching clarity of its central performances - threaten to be lost in a wilderness of metaphor and mystification."[2] The film won awards both in Australia and overseas.

Festivals

Awards and honours

Won:

Nominated:

Box office

Jindabyne grossed $5,302,912 at the box office in Australia.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jindabyne.htm
  2. ↑ "Jindabyne: This is Australian cinema at its finest and most mature". The Age. 21 July 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  3. ↑ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office

External links