This film seems to take Gone With The Wind as its model for an epic story of a family facing adversity in difficult times. But although much effort has been taken to recapture the feel of old Australia, with costumes, horses, buildings, furnishings, technology and all that, this film falls flat in the drama department, often lapsing into melodrama and stilted interactions between characters who have not been fully drawn.
Part of the trouble is that the main character, Paddy, is not the pig-headed but likeable family man he should have been - he is pig-headed, but unfortunately not very likeable. The sons are slightly more sympathetic, but their mother, played by fine theatre actress Robin Nevin, isn't given much to do but weep and be a pillar of strength.
The film is made up of a series of events to illustrate the life of the time: the race-meeting, the mine collapse and rescue operation, the local dance, the sons' new jobs, the cattle rustling etc.
Despite the presence of an array of talented actors, such as Tony Barry, Bryan Brown, Simon Burke, and Gerard Kennedy, none of these episodes raises much drama, and one potentially significant moment, when the older son impregnates a black servant, is virtually ignored.
This is a disappointing follow-up to Crombie's debut film Caddie.
Part of the trouble is that the main character, Paddy, is not the pig-headed but likeable family man he should have been - he is pig-headed, but unfortunately not very likeable. The sons are slightly more sympathetic, but their mother, played by fine theatre actress Robin Nevin, isn't given much to do but weep and be a pillar of strength.
The film is made up of a series of events to illustrate the life of the time: the race-meeting, the mine collapse and rescue operation, the local dance, the sons' new jobs, the cattle rustling etc.
Despite the presence of an array of talented actors, such as Tony Barry, Bryan Brown, Simon Burke, and Gerard Kennedy, none of these episodes raises much drama, and one potentially significant moment, when the older son impregnates a black servant, is virtually ignored.
This is a disappointing follow-up to Crombie's debut film Caddie.