RIVER STREET

Australia, 1996, 88 minutes, colour.
Aden Young, Bill Hunter, Essie Davis, Tammy Mc Intosh, Sullivan Stapleton, Joy Smithers, Lois Ramsey, Bruce Venables.
Directed by Tony Mahood.

River Street has a Melbourne setting. It is reminiscent of some American telemovies which touch on personal and social issues in a light and accessible style. Aden Young is an ambitious young real estate agent about to marry the boss's daughter. Through an offbeat accident, he is given 100 hours of community service. In this new world, he still tries to exploit unaware victims, but eventually he comes to his senses and has to decide whether success of integrity are really what he wants out of life. Not a world-beater, but a concerned movie that eventually wears its heart on its sleeve (and finds that this is often the right place!). Social concern.


1. Australia in the 1990s? The city of Melbourne? Developments, business, charities?

2. The title of the locations? Melbourne, the river, the buildings, facing the river? Homes, shelters? Ordinary life in inner Melbourne and suburbs?

3. The title, the river-front developments? The consequences?

4. Ben and the situation, young, ambitious, unscrupulous, engaged to Sharon, Vincent as his boss and role model?

5. Opportunities, the situation, the clash with Vincent, Ben missing the option? His being in court?

6. The sentence, community service? Wendy, the children, his work, the plan? The property, ambition the deal?

7. Grandmother, holding up the deal, her stubbornness?

8. Ben, the challenge of the community service, interactions with Wendy, with the children? The appeal to his conscience, doing good, finding his better self?

9. The blend of the serious and the humorous, emotional, probing values, possibilities for redemption?