THE NUGGET

Written, directed and produced by
Bill Bennett

"As original as it is funny, The Nugget is a gem and should go straight into the poolroom of Australian comedy." (Michael Crooks, Filmink Magazine, 2002-2003.)

Cast Overview

Eric Bana - Lotto
Dave O'Neil - Sue
Stephen Curry - Wookie
Belinda Emmett - Cheryl
SallyAnne Ryan - Darlene
Karen Pang - Moon Choo
Peter Moon - Ratner
Vince Colosimo - Dimitri
Max Cullen (narrator) - Wally
Alan Brough - Jurgen
Jeff Truman - George
Chris Haywood - Doug
Jean Kittson- Joyce
Glenda Linscott - Bunny
Jane Hall - Lucy

Executive Producer - Richard Sheffield

Producer/ Director/ Writer - Bill Bennett

Producer- Jennifer Cluff-Bennett

Line Producer - Ann Foland

Co-Producer - Silvana Milat


Original Music - Nigel Westlake

Cinematography - Danny Ruhlmann

Film Editing - Henry Dangar

Casting - Jennifer Cluff
Production Design - Nicholas McCallum

Art Direction - Jenny O'Connell

Set Decoration - James Watts

Costume Design - Louise Wakefield

Make-up Department - Katherine Brown (makeup designer)

Production Management - David Suttor (Unit Manager)

First Assistant Director - Rachael Evans
Second Assistant Director - Clair Parker

Art Department
Storyboard Artist - Jeff Balsmeyer
Construction Co-ordinator - Geoff Howe

Sound Department
Music Preparation - Laura Bishop
Dialogue Editor - Sonal Joshi
Sound Recordist - Ben Osmo
Sound Designer - Wayne Pashley
ADR Recordist - Julie Pearce
Sound Effects Editor - Fabian Sanjuro
Score Preparation - Aaron Symonds

Visual Effects
Digital Compositor - William Gammon
Digital Compositor - Ben Roberts
Visual Effects Supervisor - Ben Roberts

Other Crew
Music Supervisor - Andrew Kotako
First Assistant Editor - Milena Romanin
Assistant to Composer - Aaron Symonds

RELEASE DATES

Cinematic Release - Australia - 17th October 2002
Cinematic Release - Canada - 10th September 2002 (Toronto Film Festival)
DVD Release - Australia - 5th March 2003-05-01

BOX OFFICE - Period Weekend October 17-20
No. 5 (Top 20) - 1st week in Release - 131 screens/$4,425 - screen averages - $579, 000
DURATION - 95 minutes

CLASSIFICATION - PG


BIBLIOGRAPHY - INTERVIEWS

ROVE LIVE - Belinda Emmett and Steve Curry appeared on the program to be interviewed by the affable Rove McManus, which is quite entertaining as McManus is Emmett's real-life partner, and is good mates with Curry, therefore providing a more laid-back and relaxed interview than would normally be the case.

Empire Magazine - On release of the movie, did an interview with director Bill Bennett.

Urban Cinefile - Andrew L. Urban provides extensive interviews with director Bill Bennett and the main cast of the movie that was included as an extra on the DVD package release of the movie. The interviews were conducted in Mudgee, on location during the shooting of the film.

The interviews are quite insightful and help to paint a good picture of the production of the film itself, as well as providing a glimpse into the mind of the director. "From the writing through the shooting to the editing and finally to seeing the film with an audience is "a distinctly different stage", says Bennett. (Bennett, Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, p 3 of 5, 2002)

The interviews which are included on the DVD, number nine in total, and include:

Stephen Curry and Belinda Emmett on "Rove Live"
Bill Bennett
Eric Bana
Dave O'Neil
Stephen Curry
Belinda Emmett
Peter Moon
Vince Colosimo
Alan Brough

IF Magazine - conducted an interview with Bill Bennett soon after the films theatrical release.

GOOD WEEKEND MAGAZINE - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Writer Garry Maddox conducted an interview with star Eric Bana on the 18th of October, 2002. The article was entitled, "Golden Boy", and focuses on Bana's role in the Nugget, as well as his rise in Hollywood.

"... Eric Bana's research for his role in The Nugget was much simpler. He hung out with a road gang in the country town of Mudgee..."

"You have to ask whether Bana ... dug a few holes with Mudgee Council's finest."
"I didn't touch a bloody tool," the actor said firmly."

"We sat around and answered their questions. [He puts on a knockabout drawl.] 'What's that bloody so-and-so doin' these days? I haven't seen him on the tele."
(Bana, E, Maddox, G, Sydney Morning Herald, pp1-2, 2002)

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

Nick Miller, writer for the West Australian, interviews Eric Bana on his rise in Hollywood and his role in The Nugget, and the extremity of going from one to the other. The article appeared in the West on Tuesday October 15th 2002.

"It was a homecoming in more ways than one. Though director Bill Bennett swears it's coincidence, the cast list reads like Eric Bana's Mates' Reunion. Co-stars Dave O'Neil and Stephen Curry played various characters in Bana's TV series Eric. Curry also appeared with Bana in The Castle."

"Co-star Vince Colosimo is even better mates, having taken over Bana's role in Something in the Air as well as having a significant role in Chopper."

"So there they all were, a bunch of mates from Melbourne making a true blue comedy, with no guns or helicopters or severed ears."

(Bana, E and Miller, N, The West Australian, p6, 2002)

THE BULLETIN

Writer Maxine McKew interviews Bill Bennett, about his latest release "The Nugget", as well as his soon-to-be-released movie, "Tempted", as well as getting the dirt on his critics, Hollywood productions, Hollywood actors, and the war in Iraq. The interview printed in the October 30th, 2002 issue of the magazine.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS - REVIEWS


Carruthers, Avril. In Movie-Vault.com, 2002 p 2 of 2.

Crooks, Michael. In Filmink.com.au, 2002 - 2003, p 2 of 2.

Hall, Sandra. In The Sydney Morning Herald, October 2002, p 2 of 2.

Martin, Andrew. In The Age, October 2002, p 2 of 2.

Morris, Clint. In Film Threat, 2002, p 2 of 2.

Naglazas, Mark. In The West Australian, October, 2002, p 2 of 2.

Rigg, Julie. In Sunday Morning, October, 2002, p 1 of 2.


DVD REVIEWS

Idato, Michael. In The Sydney Morning Herald, April 2003, p 1 of 3.

Roberts, Peter. In DVDANSWERS, 2003, p 1 of 5.

Urban, Andrew.L. In Urban Cinefile, 2003, p 1 of 4.

ON-LINE PRESENCE

www.abc.net.au

www.dvdanswers.com

www.theage.com

www.smh.com.

www.thewestaustralian.com

http://global.factiva.com

www.flimink.com.au

www.flimthreat.com

www.movie-vault.com

www.urbancinefile.com.au









CRITICAL REVIEW

The Nugget is an Australian Comedy that can also be seen as a fable. It was written, directed and produced by Bill Bennett, (Kiss or Kill), and based on the John Steinbeck novella, "The Pearl."

"I'd always wanted to make a film about The Pearl, the John Steinbeck novella about a poor Mexican fisherman who finds a beautiful pearl and comes into instant wealth. It sets off a series of changes in his life - and in that case, quite tragic ones. I then found that the film rights weren't available and I started thinking about an Australian equivalent, but in a comedic form." (Bennett, B, Urban, A, Urban Cinefile Feature, 2002, p3 of 7)

The movie centres on the discovery by three friends of a gold nugget that promises wealth and riches but strains their friendship. The Black Tar Gang (who work for the council on the roads) comprises Lotto, (Eric Bana) who is so called because he buys a lotto ticket every week, but is actually very unlucky. There is also Wookie, (Stephen Curry), who is always coming up with conspiracy theories and reads the supermarket tabloids, and is convinced he saw a Star War's Wookie behind his garden shed. Last, but by no means least, is Sue, who successfully sued a pie company after finding a finger in his steak and bacon pie.

The story gets underway with the Black Tar Gang heading to the hills of their small town to do some prospecting with their new, jointly-acquired, metal detector. When Sue, in a typically Australian Larrikin gesture, comes across some specs of gold by accident after taking a leak in the bush, it leads them to the Nugget.

While the discovery of the Nugget promises wealth and riches, it also brings with it greed and evil, in the form of local car-yard foe, Ratner (played by Peter Moon) and brothel-owner, fish-shop, and deli-owner, Dimitri (played by Vince Colosimo).

The three tight-knit mates' friendship is also tested with the proclamation of Wookie's wife Darlene, (SallyAnne Ryan), that the Nugget is solely theirs, as Wookie's name is on the mining lease of their property in the hills where the nugget was discovered.

The main theme that runs through the movie is that of friendship and mateship. It looks at how circumstances coincide to present stumbling blocks in the path of friendship, in the guise of wealth and riches.

The movie has a distinctly Australian flavour, and is very much-so in the vein of recent-classics "The Castle" and "The Dish". One could be forgiven for thinking that it was actually produced by Working Dog Productions, instead of Bill Bennett. The movie has many "Ocker" aspects to it, from the idiosyncratic behaviour of the Black Tar Gang, to that of the over-the-top and wacky characters that also inhabit the movie, such as Ratner and Dimitri, and Lotto's and Cheryl's nosy neighbours, Joyce and Doug.

While the movie had mixed reviews upon release, mostly discriminatory, I found the movie to be very enjoyable indeed. It moves at a good pace, and keeps the viewer interested. I believe that the representation of everyday folk stumbling into wealth and riches, is the depiction of every middle-class, suburban, Australian's dream.

Who has not brought a lotto ticket with the thought of what they would do with the winnings swimming through their head? That transformation from rags-to-riches and the consequences is a tale that has long fascinated movie-makers, and society in general.

CRITICAL UPTAKE

The movie was not a critical success, not garnering many good reviews or box-office sales upon release. The movie was mostly panned and criticised, as well as performing only averagely at the box-office, it did not enjoy a very long run at theatres.

However, at the first screening for buyers in Cannes, "there was even a splash of warm applause at the end." (Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile, 2003, p4 of 4) And the film was screened at the "Toronto Film Festival" in Canada, so it wasn't all bad news.

PRODUCTION

The film was written by Bill Bennett, "just to have a bit of a laugh. I didn't think it would get financed. I'd been writing a lot of dark material and had a gap in my schedule so I thought it'd be nice to cleanse myself as it were. A lot of my work has been quite serious - but in fact there's a fine line between drama and comedy." (Bennett, B, Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2003, p6 of 7.)

Bennett came up with the idea after trying unsuccessfully to make a movie of the John Steinbeck novella, "The Pearl". He then took the basic idea of that story and based it in Australia, with more twists and turns than the original.

The movie was fully financed in Australia by Film Finance and Macquarie films, and was distributed through Roadshow. It was filmed in Mudgee, NSW. But why was this the location of the film? "Well, for one thing, Jennifer Bennett comes from here and still has a family home just up the road from Madeira Road, where two adjacent houses have been taken over for the shoot ... Mudgee also suits the story and Bill Bennett's desire to anchor the film in small town reality." (Bennett, B, Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2003, p3 of 7)

"A day on the set turns into a day and a night; ... It's still (just) breakfast time by the time I get there. Locals are sparse in the main street, and film crew and cast are gathering for sidewalk breakfast at the café..."

"The day's shoot at Madeira Road begins at 2pm, with int and ext scenes, right through to night scenes. After snatching interviews between set ups, I watch the crew bustle and toil - it reminds me of a movable factory, with its carpenters, trucks, cranes, hoists, lights and rigs. A block away, caravans and the catering tent waits patiently for meal breaks." (Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2003, p5 & 6 of 7)



PROIR WORK

Writer, Director and Producer Bill Bennett, was a television news journalist earlier in his career, before switching to the field of films. His 20 year career involving documentary and feature flim-making, has led him to collect lots of praise and prizes. Amongst his best known works are "A Street to Die", "Kiss or Kill" and "Spider and Rose". He has made 10 features and more than a dozen documentaries, and has been honoured with two international retrospectives in recent years.

He has shot a number of features in the United States, including "Two if By Sea" and his latest film, "Tempted", which is being shot in New Orleans, and focuses on the tale of betrayal, passion, deceit and one man's jealousy and the havoc it wreaks.

POSITION OF AUSTRALIAN FILM

The main aspect of Australian film and cinema that the movie "The Nugget" explores is the theme of mateship. It is a typically Australian theme, reminiscent of the "Ocker" movies of the 70s. "The Nugget" contains many "Ocker" aspects, mainly embodied in the form of the three main protagonists, "The Black Tar Gang".

An example of this "Ocker" behaviour displayed by the "Black Tar Gang" can be found in the review by Avril Carruthers, on Movie-Vault.com, when she says, "The serious effort is reserved instead for demolishing several cartons of beer while watching one of them casually attempt to sling around the metal-detector (sans batteries)." (Carruthers, A, Movie-Vault.com, 2002, p1 of 2)

This observation brings into focus one of the many traits that the main characters exhibit that emulates "Ocker" behaviour.

The uniquely Australian flavour of the film has similarly been noted by many of the critics of the film.

Andrew L. Urban, of Urban Cinefile, says, "The low key tone and the small town setting deny audiences the large sized humour audiences have got used to with Australian comedies, where larger than life characters in a larger than large country do colourful things. Here, it's the dialogue and the characters, together with an Australian sensibility that ripples with edgy humour..." and also, "It really is the script, though, that impresses, with its combination of the vernacular and well-observed character-building material."

Further on, Urban considers the "mateship" theme; "The Nugget aims to amuse and entertain but it also has the parable's qualities about friendship. Mateship, actually, which is quite specifically an Australianism. This is reinforced by the narration device, which establishes the story and the characters, and draws together the major elements." (Urban, A.L., Urban Cinefile Feature, 2002, p3 & 4 of 4)

The reviewer for DVDAnswers.com, Pete Roberts, begins his review with these words: "Like so many Australian films seem to start nowadays, we begin in a typical suburban setting and come across some typical suburban characters. This time it's three mates, named the Black Tar Gang..." and also, "These three blokes are your typical Australian fodder, laid back (lazy), ambitious (stupid) and fun-loving (drunks)."

These quotes help to show how the movie is strengthening and promoting Australian stereotypes that date back to the "Ocker" period of the 70s.

Adrian Martin, of the Age, emulates these sentiments, saying, "Characters are defined in terms of traits (Sue's laziness) or tics (Lotto's favourite expression, "you're being harsh") that are repeated ad nauseam." (Martin, A, The Age, 2002, p1 of 2)

The Sunday Morning columnist, Julie Rigg, enforces the idea of the "Ocker" sentiments exhibited by the three main protagonists, with the words, "So it's a parable about greed and what's important, and another, very Australian idea. Where does a man's loyalty ultimately lie? Does he listen to his missus, or his mates?" At the end of her column, she enlightens us, with "As for choosing between the mates and the missus, I think the film has a... 'Stay laid back' seems to be the ultimate message. Avoid the complications, go have another beer." (Rigg, J, Sunday Morning, abc.net.au, 2002, p1 of 2)

The Sydney Morning Herald's Sandra Hall says, "As the title suggests, it's back to basics with Australian director Bill Bennett's latest film, The Nugget. I sense the influence of that seminal Aussie comedy, The Castle. Both pictures are about fundamental human values. And the Nugget's heroes, like the Castle's Kerrigan family, are under siege."

"They're trying the bonds of mateship firm against the urgings of their individual hip-pocket nerves after they come across a $6 million gold nugget on their shared prospecting lease outside Mudgee." (Hall, S, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2002, p1 of 2)

The best advertorial for the movie and it's "Australian" quality, is found in the review of Michael Crooks from Filmink magazine, who says, "When three rural Australian blokes find a gold nugget the size of an eight-year-old boy, they celebrate. How? By taking their wives to a Chinese restaurant and ordering not one, but two Mongolian Hot Plates. Not since the Castle has a film depicted the average blue-collar Aussie with such reverence and humour."

"The Nugget isn't out to enlighten, but just to provide a few laughs while a bunch of Aussies discover the true value of life... As original as it is funny, The Nugget is a gem and should go straight into the poolroom of Australian comedy." (Crooks, M, Filmink Magazine, 2002-2003, p1 &2)

A MEDIUM SIZED ENGLISH LANGUAGE CINEMA

A Medium sized English language cinema is what the Australian cinema can be described as. It means that local product occupies a minor place on the world stage and has to compete with the American market, which is the most dominant. Therefore, the Australian product must be quite different from the American product, but also be similar to the American product in order that it may compete. An example of this that can be found in "The Nugget" would be the distinctly Australian brand of "Ocker" humour, that is displayed in the movie, but at the same time, the rags-to-riches, instantaneous wealth story that is universal, and certainly has been deployed in Hollywood movies from time to time.

The unsuccessful nature of the "The Nugget" on home soil to make a solid impact on box-office figures, or with the public or critics alike, would have made it difficult to market internationally. The lack of home-grown success would not give the movie a platform from which to promote itself. Although home-grown success is not an indicator of international success, it is a favourable start for promotions and garnering international interest.

The "Australian" quality and themes that were prevalent within the movie would have made it harder to market to an international audience, as a lot of its appeal relies on an understanding of Australian middle-class values of mateship, as well as sporting an unmistakable Australian vernacular that would not translate well to international, and particularly, American, standards.

COLLECTING THE INFORMATION

I found sourcing material from books to be quite difficult, as the movie was fairly new (only released in November, making it a period of six months). However, there was quite a lot of information to be accessed from the web, through many film websites, that I have listed in the Interview and Review sections.

I also had the assistance of Danielle Toolin from the "Film & Television Institute of WA INC" situated in Fremantle, who helped with regards to the interviews, as well as Lucy Kuilman from "bjfilms".

The website that provided the most help and in-depth material was "Urban Cinefile".

REFEFERENCES

Empire Magazine, 2002, interview with Bill Bennett.

IF Magazine, 2002, interview with Bill Bennett.

Maddox, G. Good Weekend Magazine in The Sydney Morning Herald, 2002.

Miller, N, The West Australian, 2002, p6.

McKew, M. The Bulletin, 2002.

Urban, A.L. Urban Cinefile, Urban Cinefile Feature, 2002, p3.

Television Shows

Rove Live, TV Series, Ten Network, 2000-2003 (cont)

Movie References

Kiss or Kill, Bill Bennett, 1997.

A Street to Die, Bill Bennett, 1985.

Spider & Rose, Bill Bennett, 1994 (Australia), 1996 (US)

Tempted, Bill Bennett, 2002

The Castle, Rob Sitch, 1997

Two if By Sea, Bill Bennett, 1996.