ODDBALL
Australia, 2015, 90 minutes, Colour.
Shane Jacobson, Sarah’s Luke, Alan Tudyk, Deborah Mailman,
Directed by Stuart Mc Donald.
Oddball is a very easy film to watch – especially if you love dogs and, an added bonus would be a love for the fairy penguins. This is mostly what the film is about.
The setting is the Victorian southern coast, along the Great Ocean Road, the coastal town of Warrnambool. Since much of the film was made there, along with a great deal of added footage of the 12 Apostles (or however many there are these days) which should do wonders for the Victorian Tourist Commission, with the backing behind the final credits continuous helicopter turns around the cliffs and the Apostles.
And, again, this is a true story, with a comment at the end that it served as an example for other organisations and local councils for protection of endangered creatures.
On the human side, the main star is Shane Jacobson, as Swampy Marsh, big and cuddly in many ways, memorable, of course, for being Kenny, but appearing in quite a number of films, including the Jack Irish television movies. This time he is the, scruffy, bearded, a local organic egg producer – with a large pet dog, a Mareeba, who is also cuddly - if one could get one’s arms around him. But when they go into town, Oddball inevitably causes all kinds of rumpus and destruction. We see him at a rehearsal for the opening of a model village, with all kinds of technical equipment, all up-ended and a lot of it in smithereens. At a local council meeting, Oddball is roundly condemned and confined to Swampy’s farm. But there is sympathy from the Mayor, who has a soft spot for Swampy (Deborah Mailman).
And as if acting with an animal and with penguins was not enough, Swampy also has one of those screen-cute granddaughters, Olivia (Coco Jack Gillies), living with her single mother who is the local officer on Middle Island, a walk through the tide from the beach, for the preservation of the Penguin Colony. The famous W. C. Fields’ dictum of not acting with animals or children does not seem to phase Shane Jacobson. In fact, when they find an injured penguin, he and his granddaughter discover that Oddball is attracted to the Penguin in a most protective kind of way.
Since the penguin population is going down on the island and there is a threat of funding being stopped, Swampy’s daughter, Emily (Sarah Snook), who has inherited the job and interest from her late mother, the penguins have to be protected from a marauding fox.
And, there is a little bit of romance, as Emily is attracted to a visiting American (Alan Tudyk) who works for tourism, responsible for the creation of the historical village, and interested in whale-sighting, suggests that the family might move to the United States if the penguin colony fails.
The screenplay indulges in a little bit of anti-Americanism, especially when someone fires a relaxant dart at Oddball and introduces a fox. Actually, we were all a bit anticipatory in thinking about the American.
All in all, this is the kind of film that we would watch comfortably in the cinema and families would enjoy watching on DVD and television, a nice Australian film, emphasising Australian characteristics and accents, which, one might say, is in something of the tradition of films like Storm Boy and Red Dog.
1. True story, a local story, Victoria, Warrnambool, the southern coast of Victoria?
2. Film for the wider audience, and dog lovers, fairy penguins, the human story?
3. The title, expectations, the Maremma dog, Oddball as a character, behaviour?
4. The town Warrnambool, the detail, homes, streets, offices of the Council? The island and its terrain, the coast, the 12 Apostles, the cliffs? The musical score?
5. The dogs, the fairy penguins, the foxes?
6. The story of the penguins, the fairy penguins, coming from the sea, going into the sea, the return? The foxes as predators? The low numbers of surviving penguins, the lack of finance, checking the numbers, dead – and the revival, and as an example for fostering penguins and other species?
7. Emily, her work, inherited from her mother, her mother’s death, keeping on the work, love for her father, the bonds with him, her daughter, life as a single mother, with her daughter, her professional work? The meeting with Bradley, the possibilities of marriage, leaving Warrnambool, going to New York City, making up for lost opportunities? The plea to the Council for funding? Jack and Zoe and their work on the island, the plan?
8. Swampy Marsh, Shane Jacobson, his look, working with chickens, the detail of life, the eggs, living alone? Love for his daughter, granddaughter? Oddball as his companion? Details of life, forbidding him to go to town, his coming in the truck, the enormous chaos, especially for the setting up of the village and the opening? The expensive projector? The order to stay out of town? Bradley supporting him at the Council? The sinister dog catcher, the police, the mayor, the councillor and his bike?
9. The granddaughter, her love for Oddball, mother, grandfather, reaction to Bradley, the gift of the shoes, and later wearing them, liking him? With Oddball and the penguins? Her plan, the checking? The success, her mother? Her revealing what happened?
10. Bradley, the American, tourist bureau, creating the village, the plans, the rehearsal, the expensive projector? His taking up the cause of the whaling centre? Speeches to the Council? His being the main suspect for bringing the fox to the island?
11. Emily, going with Bradley to Melbourne, the future?
12. Oddball and the chickens, Swampy and their finding Pocket, Oddball and his care for the penguin, testing this out on the island?
13. The introduction of the fox, the dart, the hooded figure, audience suspecting Bradley?
14. Swampy, finding the dart, Jack and the dart into him, at the restaurant and Jack as waiter, the phone in the pocket, listening in to the conversation,
confronting Bradley?
15. The granddaughter, going to the pound, getting Oddball out, the reaction of the dog catcher, the pursuit? The policeman?
16. Everybody on the island, catching Zoe, her past talking with Emily, the explanation of the relationship with the whaling enthusiast?
17. Bradley, the goodbye?
18. The happy ending, the family together? Oddball?
