THE BLACK BALLOON
Australia, 2008, 97 minutes, Colour.
Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward.
Directed by Elissa Down.
There have been many films about intellectually handicapped adolescent boys. This is one of the better ones. The first reason is that Luke Ford gives such a believable performance as Charlie, a young man who means well but is severely limited. His parents are wonderful with him, especially his mother, played with cheerful empathy by Toni Collette. His father (Erik Thomson) is a military man, away during the week, but devoted to his son when he is home. The other member of the family is Thomas, the fifteen year old (who becomes sixteen with a disastrous party). He is good to his brother but, as the film goes on, we discover his upset and then his anger, his inability to accept his brother deep down and the wish that he would change and be ‘all right’.
Rhys Wakefield is also very persuasive in this role and audiences, while hoping that he would not be like this in his attitudes, can truly understand how he has grown up and how difficult it is for him to cope.
This theme has been the subject of several Australian films: Malcolm, Struck by Lightning, Clubland.
Children are insensitive and there are some disturbing scenes of childish intolerance of someone different. However, one girl, Jackie (Gemma Ward) is attracted to Thomas at school – and has a most unfortunate experience of Charlie while he is out on a jog and, needing the toilet, rushes into her bathroom while she is showering. Thomas is mortified. But Jackie gets over it and befriends Charlie, going out of her way to be with him and treat him well.
Thomas has a crisis and loses his temper with Charlie. However, it is Jackie who supports Thomas too and he is able to join Charlie in the concert the special school is putting on for the parents.
There is plenty of sentiment but the film has some edge and is not sentimental. Difficulties at home and the problems of feeding and hygiene are not skimmed over. There is an Australian down-to-earthness that makes this film so watchable and achieve its points about understanding and tolerance of difference.
Writer-director, Elissa Downs, has written this story from her own family experience.
1.The impact of the film? Concerning family, handicap, coping? Family relationships? No matter what?
2.The city and suburbs, homes and streets, the school, the pool, the institution, the hospital? An authentic feel? The score?
3.The tone, the title, the image at the end of the credits, serious? Comic, the blend? The tone of the credits sequences, the dance?
4.The family, the army background, moving, settling into the suburbs, the age of the children? Education issues? Thomas going to a new school? Charlie and the institution? Coping at home, difficulties? The pregnant mother? The spirit of the family?
5.The focus on Thomas, his age, his perspective on home life, his relationship with his father and the army, his discipline? The mother and her jovial good-heartedness? Pregnancy, coming close to giving birth? Charlie? Thomas as introverted, having to deal with so much embarrassment? The quality of his love, his perspective on hating his brother? The revelation of the past, his bitterness towards his brother, wanting him to be normal, knowing that he wouldn’t, knowing that he could speak once, feeling that he could speak again? His anger? The various incidents and his having to deal with them? At home, feeding Charlie, giving him the medicine? The jokes? Going to school, the bus (and the fight at the bus lines)? With other peers, their criticisms, laughing at the disabled? At the pool? His lack of swimming ability? Charlie running away, down the street in his underwear? Charlie going into the house to the toilet? Jacquie coming to visit, locking Charlie in the room, his going to the toilet on the floor, having to clean it up? His mother’s reaction? The walks, the swimming? Jacquie and her being able to deal with everything? The birthday party, the anger, the fight, breaking the gift? His changing, the apology? Going to Jacquie’s house? Her coming to share with him, sitting in the gutter? Charlie’s monkey hat and Jacquie having it, giving it back? Having Jacquie over to the party, her watching the situation? Seeing the bullies at the pool? Her support, the concert, the future?
6.Charlie, his age, inability to talk, the past? Signing? The family resigned to this reality? Coping, the mother being busy, good-natured, the father and his discipline? Education issues? Friends? Charlie and his mischief? Happy? The star system and his being upset if he lost a star? His monkey hat? His running down the street, going to the toilet in the house? Accompanying Jacquie and Thomas at the swim, the walk? Making a mess on the floor? The fight, smashing the gifts? The concert, his performance?
7.Simon and Maggie, good parents, dealing with their situation, work, love, Maggie’s pregnancy, her speech about Charlie, the photos, her acceptance of her son, her not accepting having to go to bed, cleaning up rooms, the collapse, going to the hospital, the birth of the baby, her happiness at the concert? Simon and his dealing with situations at home, managing, getting Thomas to help? His pride at the concert?
8.Jacquie, with her father, her interest in Thomas, at the pool, helping him with the swimming, in the shower, Charlie’s intrusion? Her visit, communicating with Charlie, accepting him, interested in the signing, talking to him, going out, the swimming, the rain? The meal at the house? Her shock at Thomas’s behaviour at the birthday party? Coming to support him? The concert?
9.The neighbour, her criticism, calling Social Services, their attitude, the father’s reaction to them?
10.The bullies at school, the bus line, the swimming pool?
11.The swimming teacher, strong, supporting Thomas, his not swimming well, his improving, her expecting him to succeed? Her fixing things up with the squabbling children at the bus?
12.The institution, the bus, the children going, their friendships? Charlie’s partner, support, his nervousness at the concert, his parents? Pulling out?
13.Thomas, his accepting Charlie, going on stage with him, the song-and-dance routine? The reconciliation?
14.A film with realism but with hope and optimism?
