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Men’s Group (2008)

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clip 'Are you a father?'

Original classification rating: MA. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

Group convenor Paul (Paul Gleeson) asks newcomer Anthony (William Zappa), an advertising executive, if he is a father. Anthony has difficulty answering. He suddenly breaks down and says that his daughter died in a road accident and that the vehicle involved was a model promoted by one of his advertising campaigns.

Curator’s notes

by Lynden Barber

The scene marks a turning point in the narrative, representing the first twist of the key that unlocks the men’s most deeply buried emotions. If someone asks you to explain the difference between sentimental tears and real, earned emotion in a film, play them this clip.

Zappa, a respected stage veteran with a relatively modest number of film roles in his career, gives a remarkable performance in this key scene. Anthony’s tears reflect a pain that appears so real, so deeply felt, that the scene is emotionally confronting. And the way he recovers with an apology, a bad gag and a forced laugh, ends the scene to perfection.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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