MR EDMUND

Australia, 1990, 50 minutes, Colour.
Rebecca Smart, Steven Scott-Young?, Robert Grubb, Rhondda Findleton, Willie Fennel, Betty Lucas.
Directed by George Whaley.

Mr Edmund is one of the series of More Winners, the tele-movie series to back up the original Winners, produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation. The series has a number of films with top Australian writers and Directors and strong casts. The focus is on the experience of children - and their capacity for overcoming environment, difficulties - winning.

Robert Grubb (Gallipoli, The Flying Doctors) is excellent as the enigmatic but genial lodger, Edmund. He performs a function in a household, changing people's lives, especially encouraging the dreams of poor children. Grubb sings his own songs as he busks at Circular Quay and performs in the Sydney Opera House. Rebecca Smart (The Shiralee) is the daughter with ambitions and dreams. The strong supporting cast includes Willy Fennel. There are themes of environment, the hardships of poverty, dreams, hopes, the shattering of dreams, the need to have strength to achieve.

Direction is by actor, stage-director George Whaley.

1. A children's film? Family film? The response of children, adults?

2. The Sydney settings, the centre of the city, the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, the streets, peoples homes? The musical score? The range of songs and opera excerpts?

3. The title and the focus or, Mr Edmund, a personality, his place in household, his effect on the boarders, on the family? Dreams and their achievement?

4. The portrait of Mr Edmund: his arrival, puzzle in the household, friendship with everyone? Attracting the children, their curiosity? His guiding them?

5. His busking and singing? Their collecting the money? The friendship with Mrs Winkel and persuading Sam to see her as a human being? The discussions with Margaret - and his sticking to his point to support the possibility of dream fulfilment? The plans for the concert in the Opera House? the other boarders? The preparations with Mrs Winkel? Her illness, the discovery of the truth? The plans for the concert - going to the Opera House, joining the tour, the performance and people's response? His achievement? A transformer of peoples
lives?

6. Sam and Cherry, living with their mother, friendship, fights? Sam and his suspicions of Mrs Winkel as a vampire and his bad behaviour? Cherry and her dreams of being a lawyer? Their widowed mother, memories of their father, no money? The interaction between Sam and Cherry? With the boarders? Mr Edmund, following him, looking into his case? Befriending him? The change of attitude towards Mrs Winkel, her friend? Her coming to the birthday party? Busking with Mr Edmund, collecting the money? The plan for the concert? The practices, Cherry turning the pages, Sam ushering? Mrs Winkel's illness - and Cherry's disillusionment? Mr Edmund taking them to the hospital, the reconciliation? Going to the Opera House, the performance and the fulfilment of dreams? A future for the
children?

7. The boarders: the old man and his coat, helping Sam with the ushering? The decoy so that the two Armenian brothers could photocopy the programme? Their friendship, in the house, with Margaret, the birthday party and the presents? The talking to Mr Edmund in their own language?

8. Mrs Winkel, the lonely refugee? Her crankiness, the mugger and the rescue? Her thanks to Mr Edmund, inviting them to afternoon tea? their story? The Opera House, the piano playing, the practices, booking the Opera House? Her illness, hospital and the truth about the money? Her daughter and son-in-law and their reaction?

9. Margaret as a hard working widow, not wanting to be disillusioned, her husbands drinking, the debts? Taking in boarders? With her children, not encouraging Cherry to go to the university and think about law? their arguments with Mr Edmund? The party, going to the concert, her final happiness?

10. A portrait of a group of ordinary human beings, adults and children - and a positive outlook on life?