STANLEY
Australia, 1983, 93 minutes, Colour.
Graham Kennedy, Nell Campbell, Peter Bensley, Max Cullen, Michael Craig, Leonard Teale, Harold Hopkins, Susan Walker, Lorna Lesley, Willie Fennell, Esben Storm, David Argue.
Directed by Esben Storm.
Stanley is an attempt at Australian comedy - a spoof of Australian urban society, black humour about Australian pretensions and the Australian image. Much of it works. However, the critics were sharply divided on the merits of the film and its humour. It received some devastatingly negative reviews.
The film is the work of writer-director Esben Storm (the serious 27A, In Search of Anna, With Prejudice). Storm has a guest appearance in the early shoe store sequence. He seems to want to look at the self-proclaimed egalitarian image of the normal Australian - and poke fun at it. Filmed in a bright and breezy Sydney, the film has some entertaining performances, especially by Nell Campbell as the heroine and the group acting as the Norris family. It is hard to tell whether Peter Bensley as Stanley is a good actor or not. He has to play the difficult role of the eccentric millionaire - even seeming dim-witted at times. Max Cullen enjoys himself as a butler with espionage experience. Russell Boyd photographed the film, there is a jaunty score with some songs - and an atmosphere of humour which popular audiences who saw the film seemed very much to enjoy.
1. The effect of the film as a comedy? Satiric fantasy? A black fable for Australian audiences?
2. The Australian flavour: the visual impact of Sydney, the harbour, the suburbs? Buildings? Urban comedy?
3. The musical score, the songs, the lyrics - the title and credits song?
4. The humour: verbal (witty, corny), visual (gags, pratfalls, odd and send-up images)? Deadpan humour? Satire, spoof?
5. Reality and fantasy: the realism of the locations, the people? Behaviour? The search for Australian 'normal'? The fantasy: the wealthy, their meetings, their lifestyle, affluence, homes, boats? The exaggerations? The atmosphere of James Bond, police chases etc.? The final knight in shining armour? The blend of reality and fantasy?
6. The focus on the normal Australian family: the criteria, behaviour? The presentation of the rich and eccentric multinational corporate people? The Norris family of suburbia: the home, the gardens, the gnomes, the extra room, the wife's pottery etc.? The Norrises of Jones St., Smithton? The ironies in the names: Norm, Dorrie, Patty, Morrie?
7. The focus on Stanley and Peter Bensley's presence and charm? Simple yet the hero? His achievement throughout the film? The early morning rising, the boat, the wealthy lifestyle on the harbour, going to his father's business, the meeting, his eccentricities, the demonstration with the dog food and advertising? His father's reprimands, going out the window? The prospect of the asylum? A hopeful beginning for the film? Audience sympathy for him or not? The search for the normal family, the computer? His being spied on? His relationship with his mother and the secret telephone calls? His subservience to his father - Sir Dad? The avoiding of his father? The ultimate showdown with him?
8. The Norris suburban home: Dorrie and her pottery, Norm and the garden. Patty and her studies, Morrie and his driving? The first impressions? Their activities. going to work? Having a beer. watching TV, the meals? Sport, barbecue? Norm talking man-woman? The ingredients for the popular image of the average Australian normal family?
9. Stanley feeling at home, wanting to become ordinary? His capacities for observing each? His relating well to each of the family? His discovering them. in succession, in compromising circumstances? Patty and her aboriginal boyfriend and letting her in with his key? Delivering goods to Dorrie and catching her with the president of the bowling club, the gay bar and discovering Norm with his boyfriend. the hooligans chasing Morrie? Stanley and his coping with the situations - shock. comic touches e.g. fighting the hooligans? The phone calls from each of the family to Stanley? The arranging of the Saturday meetings? The encounter with Harry at the health spa. giving him the money? Dorrie and the problems of the embezzlement and Stanley giving the money? Patty and the question of the abortion? Taking the money and going north? Morrie and the thugs and the slapstick chase. violence. fight?
10. Stanley looking for a job. his encounter with Amy and her sister? His conditions for work? His behaviour in the agency? The shoes and the comedy - visual. corny? The park and encountering Amy at lunch? His refusing to be put off by her? The encounter on the roof? Her reactions to his being boring? His false story? Her story about the bullfighter and South America? Amy's sister and her pushing her for dates? The gifts - flowers and chocolates? Amy going out in exasperation? The Spanish restaurant and the Fred Astaire-Ginger? Rogers dance routine? The harbour, going to the island. the swim? Finally being caught? Amy's reaction against Stanley? Her chocolate-eating sister's support? Stanley's persistence and being a knight in shining armour capturing her and riding off into the sunset?
11. The spoof of spy thrillers, the butler and his contacts and disguises. the chases. the boat. the cars, the violence?
12. Michael Craig and Sir Dad, the running of his business. Stanley's failures. ten years absence? His demands, the asylum? The final confrontation? Stanley's mother and her wealth, covering up the phone calls, her dithering?
13. The showdown at the Norris household, wondering what was normal? The family all splitting up?
14. Themes of Australian wealth, pomposity, big business?
15. The satire with the shoe salesman - his eccentricity. sexual fetishes - and his being arrested by the old-time homicide detectives?
16. The glimpse of the two sisters. matrimonial prospects. business agencies for employment?
17. The Australian taboos and their being poked fun at: drugs, extramarital affairs, homosexuality, liaison between white and aboriginal?
18. The effectiveness of this kind of satire - is it needed for Australian audiences? Is the Australian audience capable of accepting it, laughing at itself?
