Jucy
Encyclopedia
Jucy is an Australian comedy feature film produced in 2010 about the womance
between two best female friends. The film was written by Stephen Vagg
, directed by Louise Alston
and produced by Kelly Chapman
. It is the second in a planned "quarter life crisis" trilogy from Vagg and Alston following the 2007 romantic comedy All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
.
When the duo's relationship is attacked, they make a pact to show the world just how normal they are... Jackie decides to get a boyfriend and Lucy aims for a career move.
They get a chance to complete their goal when both are cast in a stage adaptation of the Charlotte Bronte
novel Jane Eyre
. Jackie has her eye on the show's star, Alex (Ryan Johnson
), and Lucy is determined to become a professional actor to win acceptance from her sister Fleur (Nelle Lee
). However it results in stress being put on their friendship, which is pushed to breaking point.
's experiences working with Francesca Gasteen
and Cindy Nelson in various plays and on the feature All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
. She wrote the first draft of the script which was developed by writer Stephen Vagg
, with further input from producer Kelly Chapman
.
The film was shot in Brisbane
and the Gold Coast
, in the suburbs of West End
, The Gap
, Paddington
, New Farm
and Ephraim Island. Iconic Brisbane video store Trash Video is also featured.
Charlotte Gregg
, who played the lead in All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
, plays a support role as Dimity, a bitchy actor who torments the lead characters.
where the critic from Variety acclaimed the film as "colorfully stylized, sweet and silly" and the leads as "terrific". It has subsequently screened at the Seattle International Film Festival
, Brisbane International Film Festival
, Gold Coast Film Festival, London Australia Film Festival, Scottsdale International Film Festival and International Women's Film Festival in Seoul
.
Jucy was released to cinemas in Australia on 3 November 2011, starting with Canberra
, Adelaide
, Brisbane
, Wagga Wagga and Orange
. Louise Keller at Urban Cinefile called the film "bright and bubbly... there's vibrancy about the two lead performances - both girls are exceptionally good, and we genuinely care about their characters. The film is short and sweet with a good heart." Matthew Toomey of ABC Radio Brisbane said the movie "has a great sense of humour (some jokes left me laughing out loud) and explores a number of issues which Gen Y folk will be able to relate."
Womance
A womance is a close but non-sexual relationship between two women, a form of homosocial intimacy. The word is the female equivalent of a bromance, being a portmanteau of the words woman and romance...
between two best female friends. The film was written by Stephen Vagg
Stephen Vagg
Stephen Vagg is an Australian writer. He wrote the films All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane, based on his play, and Jucy, as well as a number of plays and episodes of the TV show Home and Away. He is the author of Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood, the first full length biography of actor Rod...
, directed by Louise Alston
Louise Alston
Louise Alston is a Sydney-based film director and producer. Born in Wagga Wagga she studied at the Australian Film Television and Radio School after which she created and produced two television series, The Variety Show at the End of the World and Brilliant Lives...
and produced by Kelly Chapman
Kelly Chapman
Kelly Chapman is an Australian movie and online entertainment producer, whose credits include the feature film Jucy . She also produced online narrative extensions for the TV series Lost and Spooks and Emmerdale, prior to starting her own production company .Chapman began her career in film...
. It is the second in a planned "quarter life crisis" trilogy from Vagg and Alston following the 2007 romantic comedy All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane is a 2007 Australian Romance-Comedy film by upcoming Director Louise Alston and written by Stephen Vagg...
.
Synopsis
Jucy is a "womantic" comedy about best friends Jackie (Cindy Nelson) and Lucy (Francesca Gasteen). They're in their mid twenties but not much has changed since high school. Jackie's social anxiety is still not under control and she remains incapable of a mature relationship with a man; Lucy hasn't finished either of the university degrees she started and still lives with her mother.When the duo's relationship is attacked, they make a pact to show the world just how normal they are... Jackie decides to get a boyfriend and Lucy aims for a career move.
They get a chance to complete their goal when both are cast in a stage adaptation of the Charlotte Bronte
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
novel Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. with the title Jane Eyre. An Autobiography under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York...
. Jackie has her eye on the show's star, Alex (Ryan Johnson
Ryan Johnson (actor)
Ryan Johnson , an Australian actor who has appeared in numerous television series and films.-Biography:Johnson is a native of Brisbane. He attended Somerset College in Gold Coast, Queensland, and graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 1999. His most recent film role was in the...
), and Lucy is determined to become a professional actor to win acceptance from her sister Fleur (Nelle Lee
Nelle Lee
Nelle Lee is a Brisbane-based actor best known for theatre work and appearing in the film Jucy . She studied at the University of Southern Queensland and graduated in 2004 with a BTA Acting. She then went on tour in Queensland and Victoria with 'Newton's Law'...
). However it results in stress being put on their friendship, which is pushed to breaking point.
Production
The movie came out of Louise AlstonLouise Alston
Louise Alston is a Sydney-based film director and producer. Born in Wagga Wagga she studied at the Australian Film Television and Radio School after which she created and produced two television series, The Variety Show at the End of the World and Brilliant Lives...
's experiences working with Francesca Gasteen
Francesca Gasteen
Francesca Gasteen is a Brisbane-based actress best known for playing the lead role in the 2010 film Jucy, which was partly based on the real-life friendship between herself and co-star Cindy Nelson. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival....
and Cindy Nelson in various plays and on the feature All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane is a 2007 Australian Romance-Comedy film by upcoming Director Louise Alston and written by Stephen Vagg...
. She wrote the first draft of the script which was developed by writer Stephen Vagg
Stephen Vagg
Stephen Vagg is an Australian writer. He wrote the films All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane, based on his play, and Jucy, as well as a number of plays and episodes of the TV show Home and Away. He is the author of Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood, the first full length biography of actor Rod...
, with further input from producer Kelly Chapman
Kelly Chapman
Kelly Chapman is an Australian movie and online entertainment producer, whose credits include the feature film Jucy . She also produced online narrative extensions for the TV series Lost and Spooks and Emmerdale, prior to starting her own production company .Chapman began her career in film...
.
The film was shot in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, in the suburbs of West End
West End, Queensland
West End is an inner-city suburb of southern Brisbane.-History:West End was named by early English settlers who found the area reminiscent of the West End of London....
, The Gap
The Gap, Queensland
The Gap is a leafy and hilly suburb of Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia, located approximately 11 km west of the Brisbane CBD.-Geography:...
, Paddington
Paddington, Queensland
Paddington is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 2 km west of the Brisbane CBD. As is common with other suburbs in the area, Paddington is located on a number of steep ridges and hills. It was originally settled in the 1860s. Many original and distinctive Queenslander homes can...
, New Farm
New Farm, Queensland
New Farm is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located 2 km east of the Brisbane CBD on a large bend of the Brisbane River. New Farm is partly surrounded by the Brisbane River, with land access from the north west through Fortitude Valley and from the north through...
and Ephraim Island. Iconic Brisbane video store Trash Video is also featured.
Charlotte Gregg
Charlotte Gregg
Charlotte Gregg is an Australian actress, who played the part of Charity Fernbrook in Home and Away, who was a member of the Cult 'The Believers' and prior to that was a midwife...
, who played the lead in All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane is a 2007 Australian Romance-Comedy film by upcoming Director Louise Alston and written by Stephen Vagg...
, plays a support role as Dimity, a bitchy actor who torments the lead characters.
Reception
The film had its world premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival
The 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...
where the critic from Variety acclaimed the film as "colorfully stylized, sweet and silly" and the leads as "terrific". It has subsequently screened at the Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
, Brisbane International Film Festival
Brisbane International Film Festival
Brisbane International Film Festival held in Brisbane provides a focus for film culture in Queensland, Australia. The festival has taken place since 1992 and focuses on films from the Asia-Pacific region. The event offers films including features, documentaries, shorts, experimental, silent films...
, Gold Coast Film Festival, London Australia Film Festival, Scottsdale International Film Festival and International Women's Film Festival in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Jucy was released to cinemas in Australia on 3 November 2011, starting with Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, 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...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Wagga Wagga and Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
. Louise Keller at Urban Cinefile called the film "bright and bubbly... there's vibrancy about the two lead performances - both girls are exceptionally good, and we genuinely care about their characters. The film is short and sweet with a good heart." Matthew Toomey of ABC Radio Brisbane said the movie "has a great sense of humour (some jokes left me laughing out loud) and explores a number of issues which Gen Y folk will be able to relate."
Cast
- Francesca GasteenFrancesca GasteenFrancesca Gasteen is a Brisbane-based actress best known for playing the lead role in the 2010 film Jucy, which was partly based on the real-life friendship between herself and co-star Cindy Nelson. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival....
as Lucy - Cindy Nelson as Jackie
- Ryan JohnsonRyan Johnson (actor)Ryan Johnson , an Australian actor who has appeared in numerous television series and films.-Biography:Johnson is a native of Brisbane. He attended Somerset College in Gold Coast, Queensland, and graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 1999. His most recent film role was in the...
as Alex - Nelle LeeNelle LeeNelle Lee is a Brisbane-based actor best known for theatre work and appearing in the film Jucy . She studied at the University of Southern Queensland and graduated in 2004 with a BTA Acting. She then went on tour in Queensland and Victoria with 'Newton's Law'...
as Fleur - Damien FreeleagusDamien FreeleagusDamien Freeleagus is a Brisbane-born actor whose credits include the films Jucy and Primal . He also directed the short film Bird Therapy which was a Tropfest finalist in 2011.-Select Credits:...
as Trevor - Andrew RyanAndrew Ryan (actor)Andrew Ryan is an Australian actor best known for his performance as Chris Lang in the film of Tomorrow, When the War Began and as one of the stars of The Jesters...
as Brett - Charlotte GreggCharlotte GreggCharlotte Gregg is an Australian actress, who played the part of Charity Fernbrook in Home and Away, who was a member of the Cult 'The Believers' and prior to that was a midwife...
as Dimity - Sally McKenzieSally McKenzieSally McKenzie is an award winning Australian actress, director, playwright and producer. She graduated from Australia's prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1977....
as Ros - Christopher Sommers as Nate