MARRIAGE ACTS

Australia, 2000, 90 minutes, Colour.
Colin Friels, Sonia Todd, David Whitney, Linden Wilkinson, Anna Lise Phillips, Laurence Breuls.
Directed by Robert Marchand.

Marriage Acts is a television movie which focuses on the difficulties experienced by judges in the Family Court throughout Australia. Many of the men, especially, who feel themselves discriminated against in court judgments, take to violence, even to planting bombs in the grounds of the residences of the judges. This film follows the story of a judge, his wife and family, the repercussions of the bomb threat.

Colin Friels, as always, gives a solid performance as the judge and is well supported by Sonia Todd as his wife. The film was written by Anne Brooksbank, a prolific writer, especially with her husband, Bob Ellis. Director Robert Marchand specialised in television series and television miniseries including the version of The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtney.

1.The impact of the television movie? The portrait of the home, family? The portrait of the courts, justice, violence?

2.The Australian city, streets, courts, homes? Authentic and realistic atmosphere? The musical score?

3.The women’s perspective, the writing of Anne Brooksbank? The perspective on the Family Court, on parents, children, on victims?

4.The title, the reality, the legislation? The focus on sexuality, love and sexuality? Children and family? Abortion?

5.The drama and the melodrama of the court proceedings, the threats? The plausibility – especially with so many incidents in the Australian courts at the end of the 20th century?

6.The Family Court, the issues, the cases and crises? The impact on the men, on the women, on the children? The role of the judges, impartiality and justice? The barristers and pleading their cases? The available evidence? The judge knowing and not knowing the underlying realities? The bases for decisions, decisions and consequences?

7.David Mc Kinnon as a judge, conscientious? His plain hearings of the cases, not intuitive? His reading, listening, working on precedents? His objective treatment? The threat and his reconsideration? Remembering – the visuals, the taxi, the mechanic, John, learning, the mistakes? The taxi, the death? The mechanic and fear? The wife and her anger, as directed towards the judge? The discussions with the family and with Miriam Hawkins?

8.David Mc Kinnon as a man, his relationship with his wife, with his family? Brian, the bomb? John and his visit? Religious, tense? Miriam and her being caught, separated, the police and non-cooperation? Brian and the window and the truth? The visit, Marj and the taunts? The phone, fear? The files? The dead body? Michael, Anne, the talking? The break with Miriam? The hostage situation? Talking with John? The boy at the end? The rounded portrait?

9.Jean, loyal, the tension, being humiliated? Marj and her fears? The intuition? The phone, the affair? The discussion and the tension? The end? Anne and the abortion? The study, the divorce? Dropping out? Nepal?

10.Character of Brian, the bomb, talk, the truth?

11.The character of Marj, her place in the drama?

12.The portrait of the police, their work, cooperation – and lack of cooperation?

13.John, credible, religious, born-again, his art? God and the break, the bombs? The flashbacks? In the house, the phone? Anne and the first-born? The boy and the phone? Shot, dead?

14.The experience and sense of the Family Court, of people, of cases, of judges?