TRAVELLING LIGHT
Australia, 2003, 84 minutes, Colour.
Pia Miranda, Sacha Horler, Brett Stiller, Tim Draxl, Marshall Napier, Heather Mitchell, Tamblyn Lord, Simon Burke.
Directed by Kathryn Millard.
Travelling Light is a rather slight story, set in Adelaide in 1971. It focuses on a family, mother and father and two daughters. Surface-wise they seem ordinary. Below the surface, there are many difficulties.
Marshall Napier and Heather Mitchell are always reliable and portray the parents. He is commonsensed, she is something of a hypochondriac, fearful of life. The two daughters are played by Sacha Horler, who is married to the very conventional Brian (Tamblyn Lord) and lives in the country. She is prone to depression and breakdown. Pia Miranda is the younger daughter, studying at teachers’ college, making a mess of her practice rounds, wanting to be a photographer, an arty photographer, instead.
One of the catalysts of the action is an American poet, Lou (Brett Stiller). He becomes friendly with Lee (Pia Miranda) and her group. He also gives a press conference, composes the kind of poetry that was popular with the beat generation and the protest generation.
The film shows the developing friendship between Lee and the poet. However, there is the problem of the next-door-neighbour, a young man who lives with his mother, uncertain of his sexuality, who becomes attached to the poet. On the other hand there is Bronwyn (Sacha Horler) and her fear of pregnancy, the suggestion that she undergo electric shock.
There is also a subplot about the television station where the friend next door works as a studio hand. Simon Burke does a parody of the kind of television personality of the period, confident, intervening in the advertisements, singing a song with dreadful lyrics, celebrating the Christmas program for the adoring older audience.
This all goes into the mix with some comic and serious touches.
1. A South Australian story, Adelaide, 1971, the particularities of Adelaide, the universal story?
2. Suburban Adelaide, homes and their styles, clothes and cars, the contrast with the countryside, homes and roads? The television station? Real – of the period? The musical score, the range of songs?
3. The title, Lee and Bronwyn, Lou?
4. The Ferris family, a nuclear family, not without difficulties, not living up to the ideals? Dad as sensible, practical? Loving his wife, the outings – and pre-television to the airport? The mother, anxious about turning off appliances, unable to go out? Their relationship to their daughters? Welcoming them at home? Lee and her wanting to move out, her father advising her to wait for the right time? Bronwyn using home as a refuge?
5. The background story of the grandfather who committed suicide, the mother and her concern about telling this story to her daughters? Bronwyn and her concern about mental instability? In the family? Electric shock? The grandmother and her calm visits?
6. Lee’s story, as children and her bond with Bronwyn? Teacher-training, the teaching rounds, her making a mess of things, the clashes with the principal, her photography, her skipping classes, answering back? Swearing on television – and the breaking of the bond? Her happiness that this happened? Her photography, photographing herself, others, art style? Lou, the airport, the photos, admiring him, meeting him at the club, her group and their friendship with Lou, her conversations with him, discovering the photo in the book of poetry, realising that he was from Adelaide? The fountain, the detergent? His going on television, her reading the poem, swearing (and her mother missing out, her father being stunned, the grandmother admiring)? Her support of Bronwyn, talking with her, the visit to her house, the meals with Brian, Lou’s advice and her being herself? Travel light?
7. Bronwyn, her age, married to Brian, the house, the home movie, Brian going to work? Her continually being upset, leaving, going home to her parents, her talk? The pregnancy and the doctor? Shopping, the juicer, the new fridge, her breakdown and the raise? Throwing everything out? The discussions about electric shock? Talking with Lee on the road, her fears? The miscarriage? Her not telling Brian that she was pregnant?
8. Gary, living with his mother, friendship with Lee, working at the TV station, the date with the other executive, the talk about left-hand drive, his backing out of the relationship? The date at home, the girl, telling his mother off? Discussions with Lee about sexuality? Kinsey? Lou and the attraction, listening to him, the sexual encounter? His future?
9. Brian as ordinary, clothes, going to school, chipper, the car? The home movies? Obtuse in his relationship with Bronwyn? The family meals, the gift of the fridge, the electric shock?
10. Lou, the poet, on the plane, his verses, the press conference, 70s protest, his performances and poetry? With Lee, the group, the outings? The discussions, their admiration for him? The American background? Talking with Lee about parks and fountains? With Gary, the relationship? The photo, the truth about his being from Adelaide, the detergent in the pool, his wanting to get away from home, his not coming back? The poem on TV, his being deported for swearing?
11. The TV station, Simon Burke as Ray Sugars, television in 1971, the comperes, the joviality, the parody and the performance? Makeup, the audiences, the advertisements, the co-host and her being straightforward? His intervening? His song – and the lyrics? The Christmas program?
12. A glimpse of the past, real, heightened, comic and sad?
