Oranges and Sunshine

Oranges and Sunshine
Theatrical film poster
Directed by	Jim Loach
Produced by	Camilla Bray Iain Canning Emile Sherman
Written by	Rona Munro
Based on	Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys
Starring	Emily Watson Hugo Weaving David Wenham
Music by	Lisa Gerrard
Cinematography	Denson Baker
Edited by	Dany Cooper
Production company	See-Saw Films Sixteen Films
Distributed by	Icon Film Distribution
Release dates	8 October 2010 (2010-10-08) (PIFF) 1 April 2011 (2011-04-01) (United Kingdom) 9 June 2011 (2011-06-09) (Australia)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United Kingdom Australia
Language	English
Budget	$4.5 million
Box office	$6,299,747[1]

Oranges and Sunshine is a 2010 drama film directed by Jim Loach with a screenplay by Rona Munro, based on the book Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys.^[2]

Plot

The film is based on the true story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham who uncovered the scandal of "home children",^[3] a scheme of forcibly relocating poor children from the United Kingdom to Australia and Canada.^[4]

Margaret reunites estranged families, who are situated in Australia and the U.K., and brings worldwide attention to the cause.

Deported children were promised oranges and sunshine but they got hard labour and life in institutions such as Keaney College in Bindoon, Western Australia.^[5] Many were given to the Christian Brothers where they were repeatedly raped. ^[6]

Cast

• Emily Watson as Margaret Humphreys
• Hugo Weaving as Jack
• David Wenham as Len
• Richard Dillane as Merv Humphreys
• Tara Morice as Pauline
• Stuart Wolfenden as Bill
• Kate Rutter as Vera
• Lorraine Ashbourne as Nicky
• Federay Holmes as Charlotte
• Helen Grayson as Bureaucrat
• Ruth Rickman as Orphan
• Harvey Scrimshaw as Ben
• Molly Windsor as Rachel
• Neil Pigot as James
• Tammy Wakefield as Susan
• Adam Morgan as the Intruder
• Neil May as the Commuter
• Adam Tedder as the Doctor
• Greg Stone as Bob
• Aisling Loftus as Susie

Production

Filming

Filming took place in Adelaide, South Australia, Nottingham, at Wirksworth in Derbyshire. Some interior scenes were filmed at the University of Leicester, Leicestershire and the porte-cochère of Nottingham railway station. Other locations that appear are a train on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway; Australia House in London and an overview of Nottingham Council House and the Old Market Square.

A casting session was held in Nottingham to find one boy and one girl for the roles of Margaret's children.^[7]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 71% based on reviews from 68 critics.^[8]

Accolades

References

External links

• Oranges and Sunshine at the Internet Movie Database
• Oranges and Sunshine at Rotten Tomatoes
• Sixteen Films
• orangesandsunshine.com.au
• Child Migrants Trust Official website for reuniting children