NEVER TELL ME NEVER

Australia, 1998, 90 minutes, Colour.
Claudia Karvan, Diane Craig, Malcolm Kennard, John Howard, Robert Mammone.
Directed by David Elfick.

Never Tell Me Never is based on the book by Janine Sheppard about her accident and her learning how to walk again and especially to pilot a plane. The incidents take place in the second half of the 1980s. Janine was training for the Olympics in skiing but suffered an accident and was confined to hospital for a long time. Claudia Karvan gives a strong performance as Janine, full of determination in a rough and ready Australian style. Diane Craig portrays her mother, John Howard the sympathetic surgeon who operated on her, Robert Mammone a sympathetic doctor and Malcolm Kennard her eventual husband. The film adds at the end that she and Tim married and have three children.

1. Popular telemovie for the home audience? Sportswoman? Accident? Hospitalisation? Recovery?

2. The New South Wales settings, the city, the countryside, the aerial sequences? The musical score?

3. The film based on a true story, the portrait of Janine Sheppard, her struggles, her victory over her disability?

4. The title, Janine's attitude, the themes of the film?

5. The structure of the film, Janine and her progress, the flashbacks?

6. Audience response to Janine Sheppard, as a woman, sportswoman, role model? Her being presented at the end of the film as a role model?

7. Her background, age, experience, university studies, her relationship with Scott, the cycling, the skiing training, the events, the fellow sportswomen? Her prospects?

8. Her family, their support? Her relationship to her parents? The university and her wanting to go to the Olympics and continue training? The accident, the hospital, the chapel and the parents praying, at her bedside? Adrian and his professional support?

9. The possibilities of her career, Canada, success, the frostbite sequences and her determination, her decisions, training?

10. The visualising of the accident, the way that it was remembered?

11. The helicopter, Adrian and his support, the hospital, the operating theatre, the reactions of her parents, the staff? Her own personal impatience? Her relationship with Darryl and his support? Treatment, the beginnings of movement, further operations, Adrian and his advice, the physiotherapy? Her not wanting a wheelchair? Scott, the relationship, her being different, her breaking the relationship? Her own attitudes towards sexuality, marriage?

12. The psychological dimension of her recovery, feeling sorry for herself, wanting not to depend on others, the support of her friends, the falls? The later trouble with her toes and the further operation?

13. Planes, the visit, her interest in training, the male world, the woman in this world, the reception? The boss, listening to her? Tim and his attitude? The flight, her being accepted, the beers, her further training, taking people up? Making a success?

14. Her going to the outback with Tim, the journey, the family? Her relationship with Tim, his character, work, flying, farming, the proposal? The marriage?

15. Her speech, her future, Adrian in the audience, her being a role model?

16. Darryl, his work as a doctor, his being alone, his love for Janine, the pathos of his suicide?

17. The postscript and Tim and Janine happy, the family, the photo of Janine Sheppard in the final credits?