My Brilliant Career (film)

My Brilliant Career
Directed by	Gillian Armstrong
Produced by	Margaret Fink
Written by	Miles Franklin Eleanor Witcombe
Starring	Judy Davis Sam Neill Wendy Hughes
Music by	Nathan Waks
Cinematography	Donald McAlpine
Editing by	Nicholas Beauman
Release date(s)	17 August 1979 (1979-08-17)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English

My Brilliant Career is a 1979 Australian drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong and based on the book of the same name by Miles Franklin.

The film was released in Australia on 17 August 1979; in the United States on 6 October 1979 at the New York Film Festival and 1 February 1980 in limited U.S. theaters; in Japan on 2 January 1982; and in Poland on 23 July 2007 at Era New Horizons Film Festival. The film is also available in DVD in several regions, including Region 1 DVD. Some scenes were shot at the Ryrie homstead at Michelago, New South Wales.

Plot

Sybylla (Judy Davis), a headstrong, free spirited girl growing up in late 19th century Australia, has the opportunity of marriage to a young man, Harry (Sam Neill), a wealthy suitor and childhood friend, but rejects it in order to maintain her independence, instead being forced to take a job as governess/housekeeper to the family of an illiterate neighbour to whom her father owes money. After returning home, she again rejects another proposal by Harry so she can write her novel, My Brilliant Career.

Cast

• Judy Davis as Sybylla Melvyn
• Sam Neill as Harry Beecham
• Wendy Hughes as Aunt Helen
• Robert Grubb as Frank Hawdon
• Max Cullen as Mr. McSwatt
• Aileen Britton as Grandma Bossier
• Peter Whitford as Uncle Julius
• Patricia Kennedy as Aunt Gussie
• Alan Hopgood as Father
• Julia Blake as Mother
• David Franklin as Horace
• Marion Shad as Gertie
• Aaron Wood as Stanley
• Sue Davies as Aurora
• Gordon Piper as Barman
• Simone Buchanan as Mary-Anne

Awards and nominations

Won

• Australian Film Institute
  • AFI Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography (Donald McAlpine)
  • Best Achievement in Costume Design (Anna Senior)
  • Best Achievement in Production Design (Luciana Arrighi)
  • Best Director (Gillian Armstrong)
  • Best Film (Margaret Fink)
  • Best Adapted Screenplay (Eleanor Witcombe)

• Australian Cinematographers Society
  • Cinematographer of the Year (Donald McAlpine)

• BAFTA Awards
  • BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Judy Davis)
  • Most Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (Judy Davis)

• Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
  • KCFCC Award for Best Foreign Film (tied with Blechtrommel, Die)

• London Critics Circle Film Awards
  • Special Achievement Award (Gillian Armstrong for her directing debut)

Nominated

• Academy Awards
  • Best Costume Design (Anna Senior)

• Australian Film Institute
  • Best Actress in a Lead Role (Judy Davis)
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert Grubb)
  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role (3 each for Aileen Britton, Wendy Hughes, and Patricia Kennedy)

• 1979 Cannes Film Festival
  • Golden Palm (Gillian Armstrong)^[1]

• Golden Globes
  • Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film

Box Office

My Brilliant Career grossed $3,052,000 at the box office in Australia,^[2] which is equivalent to $11,933,320 in 2009 dollars.

See also

• Cinema of Australia

References

1. ^ "Festival de Cannes: My Brilliant Career". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/1891/year/1979.html. Retrieved 2009-05-24. 
2. ^ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office

External links

• My Brilliant Career at the Internet Movie Database
• My Brilliant Career at Rotten Tomatoes