DANNY DECKCHAIR

Australia, 2003, 100 minutes, Colour.
Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto, Justine Clarke, Rhys Muldoon.
Directed by Jeff Balsmeyer.

Danny Deckchair is a very pleasing Australian film – one of those quirky little comedies that are so characteristic.

Rhys Ifans (famous from Notting Hill – but also charmingly serious in Chromophobia and sinister in Hannibal Rising) is a truck driver who ties helium balloons to his deckchair so that he can float away – he forgets the scissors which he wanted to cut helium balloons one by one for him to come down and he finally lands in the backyard of an attractive parking attendant, played by Miranda Otto. These are very affable characters, with the touch of romance – and some sly digs at self-aggrandising media. It is a very pleasant experience.

1. A quirky Australian comedy? The gentle touch? Images of men and women? Conventions and freedom? Real life, finding freedom? The media?

2. The Sydney settings, the suburbs? The contrast with Bellingen, the northern rivers, the small town, the beautiful scenery? Musical score and songs?

3. The title, the focus on Danny, Rhys Ifans' quite gentle presence and performance as Danny? Initially in the cement, preparing for the holiday? Poking around the house, his relationship with Trudy, her saying the holiday was not on, his mooching around, overhearing her say he was going nowhere? His meeting with his school friend in the shop, getting the balloons, the barbecue with friends, blowing up the balloons, ready to see if the experiment worked?

4. Watching the football, the scoring of the goal, the chair taking off, the exhilaration of the flight, over Sydney, into the storm, the peace of the countryside, the fireworks at Clarence, his coming down, landing in Glenda's garden? The people at the Macadamia Festival, rushing, thinking it was a UFO, Glenda covering for him and saying he was a professor?

5. Danny's experience in Clarence, being saved by Glenda, pretending to be the professor? Waking up, Glenda being a traffic cop? The little girls taking him to the river, his jumping in the river from the bridge? In the town, inviting Glenda to the ball? Sprucing up, helping her look glamorous? The ball, the dances, everybody's comment? Glenda falling in the water, his jumping in, everybody following suit?

6. His meeting the people of Clarence, Big Jim and the talk about the election, the big voice for the little people? The sitting candidate? The workers and laying the cement? The old man feeding the birds? The schoolteacher, Glenda's other friends? Dave and his jealousy? The transformation for Danny, avoiding the media, getting to know Glenda, fixing the bike, the ride, the speeding ticket? His standing in for Jim at the speech after doing such a success with the pancake breakfast? His speech, saying that the people were not little, that they built the town, the applause, the prospect of his being a new candidate? Going home after being in the pub, Glenda and her tension? Her wariness, the night together? The next morning, the media pursuit, Trudy arriving, the helicopter taking him back to Sydney?

7. Glenda, her background, her hippie parents, university? Her being a traffic cop? Dave and his attentions? Her covering for Danny? The meeting of all her friends, her blossoming, the ball, the gown, in the water? The motorbike? Darren and the art classes? The change, her waiting for Danny with the meal, the night with him? Her disappointment with the truth - his telling it to her, her connecting with what she had seen on the television?

8. Trudy, at work, ambitious, the real estate deal with Sandy Upman, telling lies about the holiday, exasperated with Danny, the barbecue, his going, her grief, Sandy Upman's attentions, going on the media, the media circus around her, waiting on her hand and foot? The news, going to the airport with Sandy, the helicopter, embracing Danny, taking him back to Sydney, Danny punching Sandy Upman? Its being on the television? The return, the party, her trying to make up, her having to admit that their relationship was broken? Tough for the future?

9. Sandy Upman, on the television, out with Trudy, the deals, his being attracted to her, the news break, helping her with the interviews, Danny seeing them embrace on television? The big scoop, his being outwitted by the media, the helicopter, losing his job, being punched?

10. Danny and the crises, back in Sydney, with his friends? Remembering Clarence? The farewell to Trudy? Talking with Pete in the truck, trying to tell the story, the realisation, the army and its promise for help and his parachuting into Glenda's garden again? Her being on the bike, the parachute going into the air? Their sitting in the sun, speculating about going camping?

11. A comedy with smiles rather than laughs? Rhys Ifans' pleasant characterisation of an Australian man? Miranda Otto as the Australian woman? Cities, small towns, the spirit of pioneering and hope in the country towns compared with the cities? The criticism of the media?