TOP KID
Australia, 1985, 56 minutes, Colour.
Emil Minty, Garry Mac Donald, Harold Hopkins, Joss Mac William, Michelle Fawdon, Rhys Mc Connachie, Peter Whitford.
Directed by Carl Schultz.
Top Kid is one of the Winners series, a series sponsored by the Australian Children's Television Council under the directorship of Patricia Edgar. This film was written by Bob Ellis, directed by Carl Schultz (Goodbye Paradise, Careful He Might Hear You) and photographed by John Seale. It is set in the late 1940s, focuses on an inner Sydney city Christian Brothers high school and a boy who has the ability for speed reading and answering intelligence tests. The film remembers such radio programmes of the time as The Quiz Kids, hosted by John Dease.
Emil Minty is excellent as the 10-year-old who stands out from the others because of his abilities. He is also persecuted by the others and criticised by his father (Harold Hopkins) for not being normal. The film also shows the Christian Brothers promoting their top kid - as well as doing some Jesuitical reasoning for him to participate in rigged questions in the programmes. Garry MacDonald? is the quizmaster.
The film is interesting and entertaining - as well as mirroring a great deal about Australian education, the attitudes of cutting down tall poppies, the type of ambition and honour amongst Australian men of the post-war period. Bob Ellis's screenplay is both nostalgic and strongly critical.
1. The contribution of the Winners series to children film and television? Aim, audience, kinds of stories, Australian focus, values and questions?
2. Location photography, Pyrmont and the inner suburbs of Sydney, the views of the bridge from the inner city suburbs? Homes, Christian Brothers' High, the radio centre? Authentic look at the period, costumes and decor? The memories of the radio era?
3. The story of Gary Doyle: audiences identifying with him? A 10 year-old, the late '40s, at home, his relationship with his brothers and sisters, the love of his mother, his father's severity? The need for money? His fathei's jealousy of his son and not wanting him to go to a snobs' school, wanting him to be normal? Gary listening to the quiz programmes, trying to answer the questions, continually learning, reading, doing his homework, the long essay and his reading it out in the class, the boys' reaction, putting him down, tripping him, bashing him, breaking his glasses? His poor performance at cricket batting and catc hing? In class? His daydreams and hopes? The old Brother and support for his essay, writing? Brother Kennedy discovering his reading capacities, memories of Hiavatha? The headmaster and the tests, reciting Hlawatha for the whole school? The interview with Mr Carmichael for the Top Kid programme? The discussions with Freddie Brook and the preparation for the programme? The headmaster wanting Gary to go to the better school, his father's refusal? His success on the programme, the boys' attack and bashing him, the school assembly and his not dobbing the boys in, the reconciliation with them because of it? The pressure about the questions, the bribes of the sponsors, the trick and planned questions, his going to confession to discuss it with the priest, not telling lies, discussing it with the Brothers, their reasoning for compromise, the question about Thomas More, his giving a further answer - and his final dilemma of whether he should have answered the question or not? The portrait of a young Australian boy with intellectual capacities?
4. The portrait of the clever boy, skills, opportunities and lack of opportunity, Australian levelling of all, cutting down of tall poppies, the value of sport, the pressure of peers, no dobbing? The pressure in the Catholic schools from the teachers to take advantage of opportunities? The contrast with his interests, achievement, intelligence?
5. The Christian Brothers: the old man and the chaos in his classroom. support of Gary, getting him to read the essay? Brother kennedy and his help? The headmaster, the reading test, the school assembly, the discussion with Gary's father? Christian Brother values, their trying to persuade Gary to go along with Freddie Brooks' proposal and yet not tell a lie? Gary's challenge - would they do the same thing, no answer?
6. The sketch of his parents, their support, traditions, Gary's father and his discussion about people doing well - the man who wanted to be the opera singer but got a job as a foreman and was singing in the church choir, 'doing very well'? Gary's sister and her help, sympathy, reading the 'Daily Mirror' to get the report about the boys bashing Gary? The support at the end? Gary going to the new school?
7. Freddie Brooks, the radio personality, working with the Top Kids, his interview with Gary and amazement at his abilities? The world of radio, the sponsors, the live audience? The show, the treatment of the kids, the sponsors amd the rigging of the questions? Morality?
8. The picture of the kids - rough primary school kids at school, bullying, their codes - and growing up the same?
9. The film's focus on Australian themes of education, growing up?
