HOTEL SORRENTO
Australia, 1995, 112 minutes, Colour.
Caroline Goodall, Caroline Gilmer, Tara Morice, Joan Plowright, Ray Barrett, Nicholas Bell, Ben Thomas, John Hargreaves.
Directed by Richard Franklin.
Playwright Hannie Rayson wrote Hotel Sorrento. It has been adapted for the screen by director, Richard Franklin, who was part of the Australian Renaissance of the 1970s, initially focusing on horror films, including Patrick and Road Games. He was a devotee of Alfred Hitchcock and moved to the United States and made a sequel to Psych, as well is The Link and FX/2. He directed a number of television series. After returning to Australia he also directed Brilliant Lies.
While Ray Barrett won a Best Supporting Actor award from the Australian Film Institute, this is very much an ensemble drama for four women, three sisters who grew up in the Bayside town of Sorrento in Victoria. Caroline Gilmer is the stalwart of the family who stayed at home. Tara Morice went to the United States and worked for fashion. Caroline Goodall spent ten years in England and has written a novel which seems to be a memoir of the sisters growing up. She is accompanied back home by her partner, Nicholas Bell. Also in the cast is John Hargreaves as a rather cynical local and Ben Thomas as Caroline Gilmer’s son. There is a mystery about his father. Rounding out the cast is Joan Plowright as a visitor from England.
The film dramatises the complexity of the relationships between the sisters, some secrets are uncovered, especially about the relationship of the son to his father.
The film is one of dialogue, well-articulated and well-dramatised, in the Australian idiom.
1. Acclaim, nominations for awards? The transition from theatre to screen? The use of strong dialogue, establishing characters and interactions? The use of locations?
2. The title, the title of the family home, the town of Sorrento itself, the film filmed there, the views, the town of the buildings, homes, streets, the shopping centre, the pier, the beach, the cliffs? The realism? The musical score?
3. Themes of Australian culture, issues of culture, changes during the 20th century, the broadening of perspectives? Opening up Australia, multicultural? Politics, culture, the arts? Issues of the street in character and identity?
4. The setting, Marge reading the book, identifying the locations in Sorrento? The discussions with Dick? Marking the book, the response to Sorrento? Her views of the book, characters, situations? The British past and later explanation about marriage and children, from Australia, teaching at Footscray, Dick as a student? Friendship with him, arguments, sharing ideas? Dick as a character, as a writer, editing the paper? His views on Australia?
5. Meg, writing the book Melancholy, a fiction based on reality, her life as an expatriate, memories of home, attitudes towards Australia, the ten years in the UK, her relationship with her partner, discussions with him, disdain for Australia, nominated for the Booker Prize, the critiques against the book, accusations of plagiarism?
6. The Sorrento setting, the home, the focus on Hillary and her life, her character? Her relationship with her father, her dead mother, with her sisters? The behaviour of her husband – and the revelation of the true nature of his affair, his death in the car accident? Her love for Troy, bringing up her son? The father in the house, his chauvinism and old Australian attitudes, not fishing, and dominance? Hillary and the domestic life, her goodness, preserving the home?
7. The portrait of Pippa, growing up with her sisters, her father and mother, going to the US, the issue of the franchise, her coming home, business interests? Her relationship with Hillary, the father? With Troy? And the later revelation about the affair with Troy’s father? The reading the book, the discussions with Hillary, the discussions about Meg, Meg returning home?
8. The father and his history in the family? Dominating them, his relationship with his wife? Brusque manner, with each of his daughters, with his grandson? Love of fishing, his sudden death? Troy and his blaming himself? Troy reading the novel to his grandfather?
9. Meg and her partner, the decision to return to Australia, the effect on her, with her sisters again, with Troy? The meeting with Marge and Dick, the pros and cons of positions about identity and Australian culture, the talk at the dinner? Later meetings?
10. Marge, her past experience, British and being in Australia, her perspective on men, the sisters, the story?
11. Hillary, the challenge, the father’s death, reading the book, the truth about her husband, the encounter with Dick and Marge, on the wall, inviting them to dinner, the presence? Dick and the attraction? A new life possible for Hillary?
12. Meg, the discussion with Troy, telling the truth, especially about her attraction to Gary, it is there? His death in the car crash?
13. Talk, reconciliation, for each of the central characters?
14. An Australian story, 20th century Australian themes?
