2:37
Encyclopedia
2:37 is a 2006 Australian drama
film
, written, produced, and directed by filmmaker Murali K. Thalluri
and starring an ensemble cast
including Teresa Palmer
, Joel Mackenzie, Frank Sweet
, Charles Baird
, Sam Harris, Marni Spillane
and Clementine Mellor. 2:37 was filmed in Adelaide
, Australia
on location at St. Ignatius' College
.
2:37 had its world premiere at Cannes
and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival
. It was released in Australia on 17 August 2006.
The story takes place during a normal school day. At precisely 2:37 a tragic suicide
will occur, affecting the lives of a group of students and their teachers. As the story unfolds, the individual stories of the six teenagers are revealed, each with their own personal significance. This eventually leads up to one of the characters taking their own life. An unwanted pregnancy
unravels a terrible, dark secret; all is not as it appears for the seemingly confident school football hero; an outcast
must deal with everyday taunts from his peers; a beautiful young girl battles an eating disorder
; a stellar student constantly struggles to win his parents' approval; while another uses drug
s to escape from his own demons.
.
Critics and audiences have been divided in their reaction, particularly regarding the graphic teenage suicide scene at the end of the film. Some mental health
groups have described the film as "dangerous", with concerns that it will lead to copycat suicide
s. Variety
's Justin Chang has described it as "A queasy exploitation picture masquerading as a serious dramatic treatment of teen suicide". Preview screenings have reportedly led to some audience members walking out or fainting in response to the graphic rape
and suicide scenes. Other critics have claimed that the film is too similar to Gus Van Sant
's 2003 film Elephant.
However, some critics have praised the movie. Urban Cinefile calls it "a stunning debut" for Thalluri, who made the film at the age of 20. The Age
s Tracee Hutchison has described the film as "beautiful", saying that it "should be screened to year 11 and 12 students in every high school", although the film's R18+ rating
in Australia means that this cannot legally occur. The film's rating has been very disappointing for Thalluri, who has been quoted as being "gutted" that the intended audience of young teenagers will not have the opportunity to view the film. Thalluri has stated that the purpose of the suicide scene was to depict the suffering and regret of the suicide victim, and to dispel any implication that the act of suicide is easy or simple.
Further controversy has arisen around Thalluri's claims that the movie was written about a teenage friend who sent him a video suicide note
before taking her life. Investigations by The Australian
questioned the existence of Thalluri's friend, as well as other statements he has made about events in his own life which led to the film's creation. However, his cousin Ann has publicly defended his story. and Thalluri himself called the claims "offensive", "rude" and "ridiculous".
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, written, produced, and directed by filmmaker Murali K. Thalluri
Murali K. Thalluri
Murali Krishna Thalluri is an Australian film director, writer, and producer. Born in Canberra to Indian-born parents, he moved to Adelaide where he attended Rostrevor College before completing his education at University Senior College. Thalluri's first feature film 2:37 was completed when he was...
and starring an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
including Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
, Joel Mackenzie, Frank Sweet
Frank Sweet
Frank Sweet is an Australian actor and musician.Sweet made his film debut as Marcus in 2:37, which was released on 17 August 2006. The son of veteran actor Gary Sweet, he was born in Adelaide and is currently based in Melbourne...
, Charles Baird
Charles Baird (actor)
Charles Baird is a British-born Australian actor. Baird had never contemplated acting until Murali K. Thalluri, the director of 2:37, approached him in Adelaide's Rundle Mall....
, Sam Harris, Marni Spillane
Marni Spillane
Marni Spillane is an Australian actress. She was born in Adelaide, where she attended St Peter's Collegiate Girls School.Spillane made her film debut in 2006 as Sarah in the film 2:37.- External links :...
and Clementine Mellor. 2:37 was filmed in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on location at St. Ignatius' College
Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide
The College has two campuses, the Junior school and Early Childhood Centre in Norwood and the Senior campus in Athelstone.Saint Ignatius' College is part of the international network of Jesuit schools which began in Messina, Sicily in 1548...
.
2:37 had its world premiere at Cannes
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival
2006 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2006 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 7 to September 16, 2006. Opening the festival was Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, a film that "explores the history of the Inuit people through the eyes of a father and daughter."In a press release...
. It was released in Australia on 17 August 2006.
Plot
A contemporary, ensemble drama telling the complex tale of six high school students whose lives are interwoven. Each of the six students have their own personal problems and goals.The story takes place during a normal school day. At precisely 2:37 a tragic suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
will occur, affecting the lives of a group of students and their teachers. As the story unfolds, the individual stories of the six teenagers are revealed, each with their own personal significance. This eventually leads up to one of the characters taking their own life. An unwanted pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
unravels a terrible, dark secret; all is not as it appears for the seemingly confident school football hero; an outcast
Outcast
Outcast may refer to:*outcast , a person with social stigma-Literature:*Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 8: The Outcast*Outcast , a 1991 book by Iraqi-Israeli author Shimon Ballas...
must deal with everyday taunts from his peers; a beautiful young girl battles an eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
; a stellar student constantly struggles to win his parents' approval; while another uses drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s to escape from his own demons.
Cast
- Teresa PalmerTeresa PalmerTeresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
as Melody - Frank SweetFrank SweetFrank Sweet is an Australian actor and musician.Sweet made his film debut as Marcus in 2:37, which was released on 17 August 2006. The son of veteran actor Gary Sweet, he was born in Adelaide and is currently based in Melbourne...
as Marcus - Sam Harris as Luke
- Charles BairdCharles Baird (actor)Charles Baird is a British-born Australian actor. Baird had never contemplated acting until Murali K. Thalluri, the director of 2:37, approached him in Adelaide's Rundle Mall....
as Steven - Joel Mackenzie as Sean
- Marni SpillaneMarni SpillaneMarni Spillane is an Australian actress. She was born in Adelaide, where she attended St Peter's Collegiate Girls School.Spillane made her film debut in 2006 as Sarah in the film 2:37.- External links :...
as Sarah - Clementine Mellor as Kelly
- Sarah HudsonSarah Hudson (actor)Sarah Hudson is an Australian actress.Hudson made her film debut as Julie in 2:37, which was released on 17 August 2006. She was born in Adelaide, South Australia and is currently based in Sydney.- External links :*...
as Julz - Gary SweetGary SweetGary Sweet is an Australian film and television actor known for his roles in Alexandra's Project , Police Rescue, Cody, Big Sky, The Battlers, Bodyline and Stingers....
as Mr. Darcy - Amy Schapel as Lacey
- Xavier SamuelXavier SamuelXavier Samuel is an Australian actor. He has appeared in leading roles in the feature films September, Further We Search, and Newcastle, and played Riley Biers in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third movie in Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga film series.-Early life and education:Samuel was...
as Theo - Chris Olver as Tom
Reaction
The film has encountered early commercial success, generating more than three times its production costs in distribution sales. Another early victory for the film was a 17 minute standing ovation at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
.
Critics and audiences have been divided in their reaction, particularly regarding the graphic teenage suicide scene at the end of the film. Some mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
groups have described the film as "dangerous", with concerns that it will lead to copycat suicide
Copycat suicide
A copycat suicide is defined as an emulation of another suicide that the person attempting suicide knows about either from local knowledge or due to accounts or depictions of the original suicide on television and in other media....
s. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
's Justin Chang has described it as "A queasy exploitation picture masquerading as a serious dramatic treatment of teen suicide". Preview screenings have reportedly led to some audience members walking out or fainting in response to the graphic rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and suicide scenes. Other critics have claimed that the film is too similar to Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
's 2003 film Elephant.
However, some critics have praised the movie. Urban Cinefile calls it "a stunning debut" for Thalluri, who made the film at the age of 20. The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
s Tracee Hutchison has described the film as "beautiful", saying that it "should be screened to year 11 and 12 students in every high school", although the film's R18+ rating
Motion picture rating system
A motion picture rating system is designated to classify films with regard to suitability for audiences in terms of issues such as sex, violence, substance abuse, profanity, impudence or other types of mature content...
in Australia means that this cannot legally occur. The film's rating has been very disappointing for Thalluri, who has been quoted as being "gutted" that the intended audience of young teenagers will not have the opportunity to view the film. Thalluri has stated that the purpose of the suicide scene was to depict the suffering and regret of the suicide victim, and to dispel any implication that the act of suicide is easy or simple.
Further controversy has arisen around Thalluri's claims that the movie was written about a teenage friend who sent him a video suicide note
Suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message that states the author has died by suicide, and left to be discovered and read in anticipation of suicide....
before taking her life. Investigations by The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
questioned the existence of Thalluri's friend, as well as other statements he has made about events in his own life which led to the film's creation. However, his cousin Ann has publicly defended his story. and Thalluri himself called the claims "offensive", "rude" and "ridiculous".
Festivals
- 2006 - France - Cannes Film Festival2006 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
- 2006 - Canada - Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film FestivalThe Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
- 2006 - Australia - Melbourne International Film FestivalMelbourne International Film FestivalThe Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
(Opening Night Selection) - 2006 - Japan - Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
- 2006 - United States - AFI Film Festival (American Film Institute Festival)
- 2006 - India - Osians International Film Festival
- 2006 - Greece - Thessaloniki International Film FestivalThessaloniki International Film FestivalThe Thessaloniki International Film Festival has become one of the Balkans' primary showcases for the work of new and emerging filmmakers...
- 2007 - Turkey - International Istanbul Film Festival
- 2007 - United States - Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalPhiladelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalThe Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by TLA Entertainment Group in 1995. The event is the third largest of its kind in the US, and the largest on the East Coast....
Awards
Nominated:- 2006 Cannes Film Festival2006 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
: Un Certain RegardUn Certain RegardUn Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
(Murali K. ThalluriMurali K. ThalluriMurali Krishna Thalluri is an Australian film director, writer, and producer. Born in Canberra to Indian-born parents, he moved to Adelaide where he attended Rostrevor College before completing his education at University Senior College. Thalluri's first feature film 2:37 was completed when he was...
). - 2006 Australian Film Institute AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
: Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Teresa PalmerTeresa PalmerTeresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
), AFI Young Actor Award (Frank SweetFrank SweetFrank Sweet is an Australian actor and musician.Sweet made his film debut as Marcus in 2:37, which was released on 17 August 2006. The son of veteran actor Gary Sweet, he was born in Adelaide and is currently based in Melbourne...
).