NEIL LYNNE

Australia, 1984, 110 minutes, Colour.
Sigrid Thornton, Paul Williams, Judy Morris, David Argue, John Howard.
Directed by David Baker.

Neil Lynne was a big-budget feature of 1984. However, it was not well received and had difficulty in finding a distributor.

It is an attempt to look at Melbourne in the '60s from the point of view of a boy from Ballarat who emerges from a comparatively traditional country life to the upheavals and protest of the late '60s. The film re-creates the atmosphere at the universities with their trendiness and radicalism. The film also focuses on Vietnam questions, conscientious
objectors as well as those who went to war. The film makes the transition to the '80s with the survivors, much more comfortable and settled, looking back on the significance of the past. The film is an attempt to re-create the past, understand it. Many critics did not like the stance taken - a seeming repudiation of the past and a settling-down, even complacency, in the '80s,

The film was co-written and directed by David Baker, who directed The Family Man episode in Libido, A Salute To The Great MacArthy?, Squeaker's Mate. Only the segment from Libido was well-reviewed - and Baker has had a very chequered career, not helped by this film. It is quite well designed, attractively photographed, well-acted - although, again, critics declared that many of the lines were 'unactable'. Brandon Burke stands out very well as Eric. Sigrid Thornton has an almost impossible role as the erratic Fennimore and Judy Morris sustains a part that probably seemed good on paper but is hard to understand on screen. Comparisons can be made with Steven Wallace’s view of education in the mid-'60s at Sydney University, The Boy Who Had Everything.

1. Impact of the film? As drama? As portrayal of characters? Exploration of issues? The critical 'thumbs-down' on the film? A piece of Australiana?

2. The re-creation of the period from the '60s to the '80s? Ballarat and the life of the country town in the '60s, attention to '60s detail? Melbourne and the universities in the late '60s? Universities, protest, the drug scene, affluence, the media? The questions of Vietnam? The visualising of the war experience? The '80s and the calmer (more complacent?) approach? How authentic the characters and situations? The memories? The role of the musical score, the insertion of the songs?

3. The film as retrospect on a generation: the teenagers of the '60s, home life, exams, study and academic futures, expectations? Exam results and prospects? The conformist and the non-conformist? The dreamer, the shock-trooper? The '60s and the change of consciousness, rebellion, questioning of values, rebellious stances, concerns, ego trips, drugs, self-destruction, destructive attitudes, betrayals, hopes? The social and political atmosphere? Seen from an '80s viewpoint? The film's '80s stances, judgments on the '60s? How much understanding? Purging of memories? Adjustment to the '80s?

4. The portrait of Neil, at home, playing cards with Eric, the contrast between the two teenagers, exam results? The friendship and its depth? Neil's-father and his work? The visit of Patricia, his infatuation, the letters, the sexual relationship? Eric and his art protest and the elections? The status quo of the Liberal Party of the time? The transition because of his father's death? Neil's freedom and move to Melbourne? The end of the '50s and the emerging of the '60s? The atmosphere of Melbourne, the universities, university papers, the students, student councils, meetings, demonstrations, information and publication? Neil and his being swept into this world? His gifts, abilities, lack of abilities? His emergence in the lifestyle, the radicalism? The erratic behaviour, emotional turmoil? Patricia and the friendship, the contacts, the giving of information? The infatuation with Fennimore and the ups and downs in their relationship? The affair? The visits to her mother? The friendship with Eric, its ups and downs, Eric and the drug scene, his weakness, resentments? The factions and politics? Eric's death and the betrayal? The relationship with Fennimore and its collapse? Conscientious objectors, hiding at Fennimore's mother's home? The disillusionment of the '60s? Neil going to Vietnam, the experience of the war, his motives, the hold of Eric, his love and hatred, for himself, a seeming death wish, vicious attitudes? The purging of the '60s? The transition to the '80s, Fennimore and her child, a calmer atmosphere, his career? The memory of Eric in the daughter? Patricia's coming out of prison? His meeting her? The '80s and his future? How typical a man of his decades and generation?

5. The portrait of Eric - creative, artistic, loud, nonconformist? Friendship with Nell? The card games, the exam results? His art and the political protest? Bohemian lifestyle? His work in Melbourne? His followings? The drug scene? The university, his flamboyant style? The ups and downs of his relationship with Fennimore? Emotional collapses? Friendships and betrayal? Drugs and his death? The revelation of weakness? Comparisons with Neil?

6. Sigrid Thornton's portrait of Fennimore - Melbourne, society, affluent, rebellion? The university, bohemian lifestyle, flat, relationship with Eric? With her mother? Erratic emotions? Drugs? Affairs, violence? Politics? The liaison with Neil? Eric's death? The aftermath and the '80s - suburbia, her daughter, relationship with Neil and Patricia?

7. Patricia and her background, age, her relationship with the Lynne family, her visit, Neil's infatuation, the letters, the sexual liaison? Her work in Canberra? Left- Wing sympathies? Giving of information, its publication, the law, her leaving, her serving a prison term, the emergence from jail - the impact of jail and her entering the '80s?

8. A portrait of the country people of the '60s, and their comparatively quiet lifestyle, values, expectations? An image of Australia in the previous decades? The eruption of the '60s on this society?

9. The young in the radical days of the '60s? The range of characters on the campus, the busy activity, art, music, theatre, drugs, the media? Academia? Political stances? Objectors? Authority? Trendiness?

10. The film's stance on Vietnam. commitment by Australian troops, the presence of Australian troops, the waging of the war, attitudes towards the Vietnamese? The emotions of the soldiers? Neil and his reasons for being there?

11. The political stances of the '80s? The aftermath of the turmoil in values? How settled the '80s? '80s attitudes towards the '60s? Political stances, interpretation - for an '80s audience?