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Clip description
James Casey (John Meillon) visits his estranged wife Constance (Noeline Brown) to demand her help in granting their terminally ill son’s second wish.
Curator’s notes
Perhaps because our comic tradition revels in the self-evident, ‘serious’ Australian drama often seems to deliberately avoid the most obvious scenes, particularly if they threaten to be highly emotionally charged. This clip comes from a pivotal moment in The Fourth Wish when Casey has to tell his wife that their son is terminally ill, yet we don’t actually see that scene. It’s an odd choice on the part of the filmmakers, robbing us of a potentially strong, emotional moment. Nevertheless, what we do see is among the strongest material in the series. The straightforward camerawork and lack of distracting incidental music firmly puts our focus on the performances.
Noeline Brown, known primarily as a comedienne, is thoroughly convincing here as a woman who knows her own weaknesses. In this short sequence, she impressively runs through an array of emotions: wariness, steeliness, fear, vulnerability and shock. Constance is the most rounded character in the series and brings out the best in James too. In this scene she helps us see his obstinacy as strength, stemming from a deep love for his son and a desire to make his last months memorable. Brown and Meillon are perfectly believable as an estranged couple; their interactions have a spark suggestive of former passion that too easily boils over into conflict.
