FATAL HONEYMOON

Australia/US, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Harvey Keitel, Billy Miller, Amber Clayton, Gary Sweet, Andrew S. Gilbert.
Directed by Nadia Tass.

Fatal Honeymoon is a television movie capitalising on actual events, the death of a young wife, drowned at the Barrier Reef and the charges against her husband for murdering her.

What the film focuses on is the couple, the smooth and sinister charm of the husband, the eagerness of his wife, loving him but also getting away from a rather smothering relationship with her father, the film also focuses on the father, his grief, his quest for vengeance – and he is played by Harvey Keitel.

Most of the action of the film takes place in Alabama, the home state of the couple. The screenplay builds up the relationship, its tensions, the unreliability of the husband. He is a keen diver and his wife is not but she agrees to go diving during their honeymoon in Australia at the Barrier Reef. She dies 11 days after the wedding.

The style of the film is very much popular magazine, giving some background to the story but also feeding somewhat on audience curiosity. While the husband was charged with murder, he pleaded guilty to negligence and manslaughter and received short sentence, going home to America where he was charged again but the case dismissed.

Of interest is the fact that the director is Nadia Tass who made such films as Malcolm, The Big Steal, Rikki and Pete.

1. A film designed for the television audience? The headline title? The television style, the popular audience? Audience curiosity?

2. An Australian film, the director, the cast, the American sequences and cast? The musical score?

3. The atmosphere of Alabama, the Thomas household, College, homes, diving? Australian sequences, the Sydney and koala insertions? Barrier reef, diving, the water? The courts and the law? The media?

4. The narrative, moving backwards and forwards? Tommy and his grief, remembering the past, Tina and Gabe meeting, love, Tommy’s disapproval, his wife’s attitude? Gabe waiting, the ring, the right time, eventually the occasion, kneeling, the proposal? The marriage? The issue of the insurance – and its being delayed? The scene with the Watsons, their support of Gabe, his brother

5. The scenes in Australia, the honeymoon, diving, the visuals, the computer and the indication of Gabe’s behaviour, the witnesses? Killing her or not, cutting off her oxygen?

6. Whether Gabe loved Tina or not, his motivations, a flirt, his mental condition? The performance and the actor able to convey both charm and suspicion, being sinister?

7. Tina’s death, Gabe not grieving, on the other boat? People’s reaction?

8. The Australian police, pursuing Gabe, the arrest, the interrogations, their being filmed, the inconsistencies in his story?

9. Tommy, upset, with his wife? His dominance of Tina and her reaction? Being aggressive, the TV interviews, the years passing, wanting evidence?

10. Four years, Gabe, his character, meeting Kim, proposal, being happy? The search warrant and his reaction?

11. His legal contacts, advice, marrying Kim, the decision to surrender and to avoid being charged with murder?

12. The interlude with the Australian disc jockey, his comments on the situation, the characters, Americans, tourism…?

13. The court scene, Tommy present, Gabe admitting to negligence, the sentence, his going to jail, serving the sentence, getting out?

14. His return to the United States, the warrant for his arrest, the further interrogations, the court case – and his being freed?

15. The impact of the case in its time, in the United States, in Australia?