Titles tagged with ‘dysfunctional families’
23 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year
1970s
Shirley Thompson versus the Aliens feature film – 1972
Maverick filmmaker Jim Sharman’s first film is unique – an engaging potpourri of sci-fi, rock’n'roll, anarchic comedy and psychological drama.
Just Out of Reach short feature – 1979
Brilliantly acted and shot, Just Out of Reach sits comfortably alongside other films produced during this rich and creative period of the Australian film industry.
1980s
A Hard God television program – 1980
A Hard God, based on the play of the same name, is the story of a working-class Irish-Australian Catholic family in Sydney in the 1940s.
Harlequin feature film – 1980
Smoothly directed in widescreen, Harlequin is one of the more polished Australian films of its day and a notch above the ordinary genre film.
An Exercise in Discipline: Peel short film – 1982
In Jane Campion’s Palme d’Or winning student short, a bickering red-headed family on a weekend road trip reach a standoff by the side of a country road.
Next of Kin feature film – 1982
On her mother’s death, Linda Stevens inherits an isolated retirement home. Strange events occur, leading Linda to believe an evil force dwells in the house.
A Girl’s Own Story short film – 1983
In this short film by Jane Campion about changes afoot in 1960s society, teenage girls get in trouble for acting out Beatles concerts in the playground.
Fran feature film – 1985
A vivacious young mother is married to a violent man. Her desperate need for love leads her to some tragically inappropriate choices.
Edens Lost television program – 1988
A beautiful woman’s obsession with one man damages the lives of all around her.
Sweetie feature film – 1989
Ambiguity is filmmaker Jane Campion’s preferred method in Sweetie, and it works superbly as a destabilised narrative because of it.
1990s
Love Serenade feature film – 1996
The director’s light touch and the performances allows Love Serenade to get away with an outrageous joke involving a big fish.
The Quiet Room feature film – 1996
Why does a seven-year-old girl refuse to speak? Increasingly vicious arguments between the parents are not the whole story.
The Sound of One Hand Clapping feature film – 1997
Sonja Buloh returns to Hobart 20 years after leaving her violent father, Bojan. Their reunion ignites painful memories of shattered family life.
Holy Smoke feature film – 1999
Ruth Barron falls under the spell of a guru while visiting India. Her desperate family hires cult deprogrammer PJ Waters to confront Ruth.
Soft Fruit feature film – 1999
This comedy, drenched in grief and family conflict, would be a tragedy if it were not so funny and affectionate.
2000s
Chequerboard Revisited – Episode 3: I Reckon I’m an Average Australian television program – 2000
Kevin and Margaret, filmed three times over a 30-year period, show how attitudes towards marriage have changed in Australia between the 1960s and 2000.
The Goddess of 1967 feature film – 2000
The Goddess of 1967 is a love story that’s made more powerful by its ambiguity and its lack of conventional storytelling.
Love My Way – What’s in a Name television program – 2004
The understatement accompanying several key dramatic scenes stands out; they are treated with a wry humour that doesn’t lose sight of the emotion involved for the characters.
Modern Love feature film – 2006
Like Wake in Fright, Modern Love plays upon the threatening nature of the Australian outback as an ordinary man undergoes an extraordinary personality change.
Suburban Mayhem feature film – 2006
Katrina, played astonishingly well by Emily Barclay, controls every man in her small kingdom with an overpowering sexuality.
Last Ride feature film – 2009
On the run in rural South Australia, a former convict and his 10-year-old son get to know each other for the first and last time.
2010s
Animal Kingdom feature film – 2010
A nervous 17-year-old boy struggles to survive his scary new criminal family after the death of his mother.
Toomelah feature film – 2011
A hard-hitting film about the impact of poverty, drugs and alcohol on the life of a young boy living in an Aboriginal community.
