Sweetie (1989 film)

Sweetie is a 1989 Australian drama film directed by Jane Campion, and starring Genevieve Lemon, Karen Colston, Tom Lycos, and Jon Darling. Co-written by Campion and Gerard Lee, the film documents the contentious and chaotic relationships among a woman in her twenties, her parents, and her emotionally unstable sister. It was Jane Campion's first feature film. It was entered into the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.[1]

For the American musical, see Sweetie (1929 film).

Sweetie
Film poster
Directed byJane Campion
Written byJane Campion
Gerard Lee
Produced byJohn Maynard
Starring
  • Genevieve Lemon
  • Karen Colston
  • Tom Lycos
  • Dorothy Barry
  • Jon Darling
  • Michael Lake
CinematographySally Bongers
Edited byVeronika Jenet
Music byMartin Armiger
Distributed byFilmpac Distribution (Australia)
Avenue Pictures Productions (United States)
Release date
  • 28 September 1989 (1989-09-28) (AU)
  • 6 October 1989 (1989-10-06) (US(NY Film Festival))
Running time
97 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The story focuses on a dysfunctional Australian family that includes two daughters: Dawn, aka Sweetie, a plump, lively, often delusional woman who fancies herself an actor, and her thin, sullen, superstitious sister Kay, a factory worker who has a boyfriend named Louis. Their parents, Flo and Gordon, are having serious marital problems.

Kay loves Louis because of the words of a fortune teller, and she feels a deep foreboding about a tree he attempts to plant in their yard. After an absence, Sweetie returns home with her drug-addicted lover and "manager"; she then proceeds to intimidate, control, and abuse the other members of her family. Gordon chooses to ignore Sweetie's mental illness and erratic, childish behavior because he loves her and thinks of her as a child. Throughout the film, there are flashbacks to Sweetie dancing, singing and performing small, circus-like tricks with his assistance. Flo admits he indulges her.

Sweetie's emotional volatility and physical destructiveness (ruining Kay's clothes, breaking furniture) reflects the disruption she has caused her family. After a series of circular fights (Sweetie rages, her family forgives her, her sweetness and fun persona return), she completely loses her mind, stripping off her clothes, painting her body black and bouncing in her childhood tree house. Though her family begs her to come down, she refuses and keeps shaking the fort until it falls from the tree, killing her and injuring Flo. Trees continue to play a role even after Sweetie's death, as her private interment is briefly disrupted by a tree root that obstructs her grave.

The family achieves a sort of resolution. They no longer feel manipulated and agitated by Sweetie's presence. However, the best of her personality persists, as Kay and her parents maintain an image of her in her truest form, that of a little girl.

Cast
  • Geneviève Lemon - Dawn aka Sweetie
  • Karen Colston - Kay
  • Tom Lycos - Louis
  • Jon Darling - Gordon
  • Dorothy Barry - Flo
  • Michael Lake - Bob
  • Andre Pataczek - Clayton
  • Jean Hadgraft - Mrs. Schneller
  • Paul Livingston - Teddy Schneller
  • Louise Fox - Cheryl
  • Ann Merchant - Paula
  • Robyn Frank - Ruth (as Robin Frank)
  • Bronwyn Morgan - Sue
  • Sean Fennell - Boy clerk
  • Sean Callinan - Simboo

Production

Campion wanted to make a low budget contemporary feature. She came up with the character and she and Gerard Lee started writing in February 1987 and finished in May.[2] The film was shot in Sydney.

Release and reception

In Australian Film, 1978-1994, Sweetie is described as "a ghastly parody of the tyranny of family life".[3]

The DVD and Blu-ray editions of the film, released by the Criterion Collection include three of Campion's earlier short films: "An Exercise in Discipline: Peel", "Passionless Moments", and "A Girl’s Own Story".

Film-maker Carol Morley cites Sweetie as her favourite film on Radio 4's The Film Programme (25 October 2018). She views Campion as her greatest influence. Campion is a surprise guest on the programme and says that Phillip French of The Observer found the film "disgusting" and adds that "an Italian guy" interviewed her and asked why she had had to make a film that was "so dirty".

Box office

Sweetie grossed $337,680 at the box office in Australia.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Festival de Cannes: Sweetie". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  2. Philippa Hawker, "Jane Campion", Cinema Papers, May 1989 p29-30
  3. Murray, Scott (editor), Australian Film, 1978-1994, Oxford, 1995. ISBN 0-19-553777-7
  4. "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Film Victoria. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2011.
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