MOVING OUT

Australia, 1982, minutes, Colour.
Vince Colosimo.
Directed by Michael Pattinson

Moving Out was a small-budget Australian film of 1982. However, it made quite an impact with its picture of Italian migrants coming to Melbourne, settling in the inner city, coping with prejudice, the children and the local education, the parents trying to get jobs, the image of the extended family with the Catholic background. It also showed the ambitions of the Italians in central Melbourne trying to make enough money over the years so that the families could move out into the more affluent eastern suburbs, specifically Doncaster. The film was very strong in its impact in its time - and is interesting as presenting a view of the 70s and 80s and migrant aspirations and dreams.

The film also introduced the young Vince Colosimo as the little boy at the centre of the film. Two years later he was to appear in Street Hero. After his education, he appeared in many television features as well as films. By the beginning of the 21st century, he was an established character actor appearing in many films and winning the Australian Film Institute Best Supporting Actor award for Lantana in 2001.

The film was written by Jan Sardi who also wrote Street Hero (and who also wrote Shine). The film was directed by Michael Pattinson who made a number of features in Australia including Secrets and then went to Hollywood where his career was much less than spectacular.

1. The impact of the film? Quality, awards? Enjoyment? Relevance?

2. The atmosphere of Melbourne, Fitzroy and the inner city suburbs? The sights, sounds, atmosphere? Lifestyle and detail? Colour photography? Importance of the editing? The score? The songs? The Italian music and lyrics? The audience being immersed in the atmosphere?

3. The screenplay and the use of English and Italian? No sub-titles for the Italian? The interaction of English and language, especially in Gino? His having to translate at various times? The difficulties of language and communication? sounds and expression? The non-ltalian-speaking audience puzzled by the Italian? Feeling for the plight of the immigrant as regards language?

4. The presentation of migrants in Australian films, television? Their proportion of the Australian population in the '80s? The number of Italians in Australia? In Melbourne? Responses to the Italian migrants, pro and con? Prejudices, acceptance? Imported styles of behaviour, traditions? Keeping the traditions in Australia? The self-image of the Italians? The differences in the generations? Motivation for future in Australia, hopes, hard work and ambitions?

5. The memories of Italy: Gino and his final speech to aria, his remembering about going to Australia, the reaction of his grandfather, wanting to go back and see his ageing grandfather? The reasons for migration, hopes? The story of Maria's family? Gino's parents and their 80 years in Melbourne? Not learning the language, home life, school for children, hard work and making money, socialising with friends Italian style? The new family and the bonds with the old? The moving out of the title and Gino's family going to Doncaster and the process starting again with the new family?

6. The accuracy of the portrait of Gino's parents: his father and his place in the household, his hard work, his hard attitude towards his son? The mother and her fussing, exuding mother love, not learning English, her mannerisms embarrassing Gino? The home talk, interests, the new house? The build-up for the trip to the airport, behaviour at the airport?
The party and their enjoyment of it? The visit to the school and Gino's father discussing Gino, with limited English, with the teachers? The visit to the police station and his mother's embarrassment and pleading for her son? The comparison with Renato's parents and their pressure on him? A sympathetic look at migrants, their style, limitations?

7. The film's focus on Gino, the eight years of becoming an Australian, his learning English, accepting the Australian lifestyle, the contrast between home life and school? His embarrassment with his mother's fussing over him? Behaviour with the rest of the kids at school? With friends, teachers? The football match and the insults to 'wags' etc. ? His wanting to talk Australian, his slang and his mother's reaction to this? His poor speaking of Italian? His having to translate - material embarrassing to himself? His being able to deceive his parents in translation? The comparison with Renato? The experience of Melbourne life in Fitzroy? The adaptation to Doncaster and upward mobility? His not wanting to go? The experience of change and his having to accept it?

8. How did the film show changes in Gino: glimpsing him during a short but crucial period of his life? His adolescence and the parallels with any Australian without problems of the migrant family? The comparison with Alan and his being a drop-out? With Renato and his push, the relationship and comparison with others in the school? The school and his insolent style of behaviour, response, lack of interest? The bad reports? Learning Dorothea McKellar's poem and not being able to repeat it? The surly reaction to Mr Aitkens? The favourable response to the art teacher and his moulding the fist in clay? Maria and her attractiveness, his not responding to her inquiries, the sympathetic talk at the end? His response to her family? The exasperation with Pippo, especially as regards the bed, the breaking of the fist? His seeing himself in his own family? Reacting? His age, shaving, puberty, sexuality, relationship with Sandy? The pressure of the peer group and the playing of the games, behaviour on the train etc? The breaking into the house and the police reaction? His having to move from Fitzroy - and the rather offhand farewells from the school? The bond with the fat boy, with Renato? Had he grown in self-acceptance during the film?

9. Renato and the shop, behaviour in the classroom, his dark glasses, becoming the butt of jokes, his flirting, preoccupation with sex, pushing his friends around, the genial comedian? His future? The, contrast with Alan, not working, the wrecked car, the taking of the car symbols, beer and cigarettes, talking? The visit to the house? Symbols of life in Fitzroy?

10. The picture of the girls: Sandy and her attraction towards Gino, the talks in the car, smoking and drinking, her saying goodbye and the others joking, her visit to Gino's house, breaking into the house, sexual advance and her disappointment? The contrast with Helen and her talk, vulgarity, easy, the butt of jokes, the satire - with point about this kind of girl?

11. The contrast with Maria, her arrival, settling into the home, learning English, talking about the homeland, the photos, reaching out to Gino, listening and helping?

12. Life at home: the grandmother and her age, retreating into silence, the Rosary, the impact of her death? Meal times - presence, absence? The television? The airport? Study - and the reading of the encyclopaedia bought by Gino's father? Shaving? Sharing the house with the new family? Sharing rooms? Pippo and his breaking his arm at the airport, the small boy adjusting to Australian society - an image of Gino eight years earlier?

13. The Italian party and its exuberance? Food, singing and dancing, jokes, arguments Italian style?

14. Youth recreation in Fitzroy: the electronic games, the money, talk, the wrecked car, behaviour on the train, visiting the shops, kicking the football?

15. School and education: the prologue with the football match and the pep talk, Gino being punched, the classes and the insolent behaviour, surly responses? Aitkens and people being rude to him, the learning of’ My Country' with the ironic English-Australian? background for Continental migrants? Aitkens' stories about students in the past, appreciation of him as a teacher? An accurate sketch of a dedicated ageing teacher, exasperated? His keeping Gino back? The clash with the dropping of the books? His farewell at the end? The teacher discussing G1no's work with his father, his making Renato the butt of the jokes in class? The art teacher and her sympathy, giving him the key? Gino's response that school was 'not bad'? Education - for what? Marks, competitiveness, jobs? The Italian boys in the English school tradition? The look of the school, the inner city schools, the toilets and the smoking, the fire?

16. The adolescent world, the film taking its viewpoint, the born Australian and education and adolescence compared with the problems for the migrant? Australia and identifying: sport, television, language etc?

17. How accurate a portrait of Australian urban society of the '80s with its style, values, humanity?