JUST FRIENDS

Australia, 1985, 50 minutes, Colour.
Sherie Graham, Mitch Ambrose, Lindy Davies, Bruce Myles, Lucinda Cowden, David Argue.
Directed by Michael Pattinson.

Just Friends is one of the series of short films made for children’s television, supervised by Patricia Edgar (pictured above), in 1985. This film was written by Jan Sardi who was to write screenplays for such films as Shine, Love’s Brother, Mao’s Last Dancer. It was directed by Michael Pattinson whose films include Moving Out and Street Hero.

This is a suburban film. It focuses on a young girl, during school holidays, going to the roller skating rink. She joins a gang and doesn’t know what the consequences will be. The film shows the difficulties of boys and girls at the beginning of puberty, at the beginning of high school, issues of going steady, breaking up, finding identity.

1. The Winners series? The children’s audience? Parents?

2. Suburbs, homes, school, the rink? The musical score?

3. The title, the tone, relationships between boys and girls, at early teen stage?

4. The background of families, moving, at home, meals, permissions for children, concerns, the pregnant daughter, worries, neglect?

5. The character of Susan, new in the area, going to school, her friends, the school holidays? The boy, the partner in skating, the dates, the parties, the home? The Italian background?

6. The parents, their coping, their jabs at their children, the issue of pregnancy? The hospital, the child, care?

7. The portrait of the boys, Buzz as the leader, his roller skating? Tough? The gangs? The girls and their following on? Part of the gang?

8. The girls, their friends, talk, break-ups?

9. Competitiveness, achievement, becoming a winner even in a difficult situation like this?