EMOH RUO

Australia, 1985, 93 minutes, Colour.

Joy Smithers, Martin Sacks, Philip Quast, Genevieve Mooey, Max Phipps, Jack Ellis, Bill Young.

Directed by Denny Lawrence.

Australians would know that the title of the film, Emoh Ruo, is Our Home spelt backwards. And, over the years, owning one’s own home is the Australian dream. (12 years later, one of the major film affirmations of Australians owning their own home despite difficulties were seen in the classic comedy, The Castle.)

The film opens with a family, parents and son, living on the coast, in a caravan park. The father is happy working on his motorboat. His wife is itching to move. And, there are the persuaders, especially with shonky deals.

When the move actually happens, the family finds themselves on the outer fringes of the city, difficult neighbours, the house not what they imagined. The husband begins to build a barbecue – which is the salvation of the family because when they decide to move out, the house literally collapses, but they move to the coast again and the barbecue takes off.  A successful business venture.

1. Australian comedy? The 1980s? Perennial?
2. The Australian family, realistic, satirical, foibles, gentle? Audiences identifying?
3. The Sydney settings, the beaches, the western suburbs, the city and authenticity, the coast? The interiors, caravan, new house? The musical score, variety, the songs? The title, Our Home in reverse, the Australian dream of the home, the heritage, the facts, tongue in cheek treatment, advertising, dealers, loans, aspirations, the effect?
4. The opening, Australia, Margaret, York, Tregado and the effect? Les and the ads? The effect on people?
5. Des and Terri, the Harper site, the caravan park, the family, oversee, the showers, the barbecue and the rain? The transition to the suburbs, the Jerry built house, the difficulties, furniture, the final collapse?
6. Des and Terri, the relationship, Des and the motorboat, his work, Terri and her aspirations? Jack, part of the family?
7. The pressure to buy a home, Sam Tregado and his pressures? Des, not wanting to move, the boat? Terri, wanting to move, the tension between them?
8. Des’s decision, selling the boat, the house, the move, the outer suburbs, difficulties with the neighbours?
9. The difficulty of settling in, not the Australian dream, difficulties between husband and wife, Des and his building the barbecue?
10. Moving to the happy ending, moving out of the house, the collapse, the saving of the family, and the prosperity with the new barbecue?