Peaches (film)
Encyclopedia
Peaches is a 2004 Australia
n film, written by Sue Smith and directed by Craig Monahan. The music was by David Hirschfelder
, cinematography by Ernie Clark
A.C.S.
, editing by Suresh Ayyar and art direction by Paula Smith.
) lost her parents in a car accident while still a baby. She was raised by her parents' over-protective best friend, Jude (Jacqueline McKenzie
). She receives her dead mother's locked diary on her 18th birthday, the same day she starts work at the local peach cannery, and begins dual journeys, one pushing into the mysterious past and the other pursuing romantic complications in the present. The diary "reveals the colourful and sexy past of those close to her."
Steph learns about her mother Jass (Samantha Healy), her father Johnny (Tyson Contor), and about the difficulties of love with her boss Alan Taylor (Hugo Weaving
).
"Peaches is a love story that deals with accepting loss and change, and learning to move on."
The director said of the characters: "They’re all just people. In fact Sue (Smith, writer) wanted more bonking in it, so that was never an issue,” he adds gamely. “There’re different journeys for different people; I spent a lot of time making that a reality. Men over 40 will go with Hugo’s journey; I find women around 30 plus will go with Jacqui; younger people go with Emma, but young men don’t go with the film at all... I’ve seen it in three countries [at festivals and previews] with many different audiences, and I do find there are different journeys for different people."
Limited Edition Standee's of the Cast were also made available
in the USA on 17 October 2004, at the Adelaide Film Festival
in Australia on 26 February 2005, and at the Cannes Film Market on 11 May 2005.
rated Peaches MA 15+ for its strong themes, strong sex scenes, and strong coarse language.
wrote that: "This is not a bad little movie ... perhaps a little well-mannered in the way it has its actors front the screen, but at least these are not ocker caricatures we’re seeing here."
Margaret Pomeranz
objected to the central sexual relationship of the film. "I know I sound like a Victorian aunt, but I really hated that betrayal of that relationship between Alan and Steph. I mean, it's not the older man, younger woman thing, it isn't, it's almost like he's her father and it's almost like an incestuous relationship. A film takes a step like that and it takes me where I really don't want to go. I reacted against everybody, I felt alienated from those characters at that moment."
Sandra Hall of the Sydney Morning Herald took a (slightly) different line. "Then the unlikely but predictable happens. As Steph's romance with the past intensifies, she and 42-year-old Alan have an affair. You can see it looming, yet wish you couldn't for, once it hits, the resulting subterfuges and secret meetings rip all credibility out of the storyline. From then on, it's up to the actors to keep it from falling apart - something they do by generating such goodwill that it seems mean-spirited not to stay with them."
Sarah Barnett of the Sydney Anglican Network said, "Moody and absorbing, Peaches avoids creating clichéd or overly eccentric characters opting for more believable, richly drawn men and women. Audiences should note that the film does contain explicit sex scenes. While the relationship these scenes depicts is key to the plot, the level of nudity does seem somewhat exploitative of Emma Lung. Elegantly written and filmed Peaches is compelling but not entirely satisfying as a drama. Despite strong performances, a haunting score and good production values its ending is somewhat bittersweet."
Fr Richard Leonard SJ of the Catholic Church in Australia, said that "What many Catholic viewers will not care for is the number and style of the sexual encounters between an 18 years old innocent and her 42 year old married boss, especially when we know that Alan was for the first year or so of Steph's life Jude's partner and her surrogate father. Whatever of the theme of Steph recreating history, this worrying suggestion of incest and work place harassment highlights how dysfunctional the relationships are between the three main players."
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...
n film, written by Sue Smith and directed by Craig Monahan. The music was by David Hirschfelder
David Hirschfelder
David Hirschfelder is an Australian film score composer and performer.Hirschfelder was born and raised in Ballarat, Victoria....
, cinematography by Ernie Clark
Ernie Clark (cinematographer)
Ernie Clark, A.C.S. is an Australian cinematographer best known for the feature films Peaches, Run Chrissie Run! and Robbery Under Arms. He is currently President of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Cinematographers Society and Assistant Treasurer on the Federal Executive. He was...
A.C.S.
Australian Cinematographers Society
The Australian Cinematographers Society is an Australian organisation established in 1958 for cinematographers to meet and discuss the issues that affected them...
, editing by Suresh Ayyar and art direction by Paula Smith.
Plot
Steph (Emma LungEmma Lung
- Career :Lung played Carmelita in the short-lived Australian drama series The Cooks. She received her first breakthrough role in the film Peaches starring alongside Jacqueline McKenzie and Hugo Weaving. She starred in the movie 48 Shades alongside Victoria Thaine and Richard Wilson...
) lost her parents in a car accident while still a baby. She was raised by her parents' over-protective best friend, Jude (Jacqueline McKenzie
Jacqueline McKenzie
Jacqueline Susan McKenzie is an Australian actress.McKenzie made her film debut in the 1987 film Wordplay and on stage in Child Dancing for Griffin Theatre Company. She made a strong impression in Romper Stomper , and over the next couple of years came to be regarded as one of Australia's most...
). She receives her dead mother's locked diary on her 18th birthday, the same day she starts work at the local peach cannery, and begins dual journeys, one pushing into the mysterious past and the other pursuing romantic complications in the present. The diary "reveals the colourful and sexy past of those close to her."
Steph learns about her mother Jass (Samantha Healy), her father Johnny (Tyson Contor), and about the difficulties of love with her boss Alan Taylor (Hugo Weaving
Hugo Weaving
Hugo Wallace Weaving is a Nigerian born, English-Australian film actor and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, and performances in numerous Australian character dramas.-Early...
).
"Peaches is a love story that deals with accepting loss and change, and learning to move on."
The director said of the characters: "They’re all just people. In fact Sue (Smith, writer) wanted more bonking in it, so that was never an issue,” he adds gamely. “There’re different journeys for different people; I spent a lot of time making that a reality. Men over 40 will go with Hugo’s journey; I find women around 30 plus will go with Jacqui; younger people go with Emma, but young men don’t go with the film at all... I’ve seen it in three countries [at festivals and previews] with many different audiences, and I do find there are different journeys for different people."
Cast
- Hugo WeavingHugo WeavingHugo Wallace Weaving is a Nigerian born, English-Australian film actor and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, and performances in numerous Australian character dramas.-Early...
as Alan - Jacqueline McKenzieJacqueline McKenzieJacqueline Susan McKenzie is an Australian actress.McKenzie made her film debut in the 1987 film Wordplay and on stage in Child Dancing for Griffin Theatre Company. She made a strong impression in Romper Stomper , and over the next couple of years came to be regarded as one of Australia's most...
as Jude - Emma LungEmma Lung- Career :Lung played Carmelita in the short-lived Australian drama series The Cooks. She received her first breakthrough role in the film Peaches starring alongside Jacqueline McKenzie and Hugo Weaving. She starred in the movie 48 Shades alongside Victoria Thaine and Richard Wilson...
as Steph - Matthew Le NevezMatthew Le NevezMatthew Le Nevez is an award-winning Australian actor.-Early life :Le Nevez was born in Canberra in 1978 and attended The French-Australian School, Telopea Park School and St Edmund's College, Canberra before accepted into NIDA aged 17...
as Brian - Samantha Healy as Jass
- Tyson Contor as Johnny
- Catherine Lambert as Kath
- Giang Le Huy as Thuy
- Felicity Electricity as Sandy
- Ling Yeow as Chen Poh
- Caroline Mignon as Maria
- Duncan Hemstock as Kenny Carter
- Ed Rosser as Grandpa
- Peter Michell as Dave
Limited Edition Standee's of the Cast were also made available
Release
The film premiered at the Montreal Film Festival on 30 August 2004, at the Boomerang Australian Film Festival (Hungary) on 24 September 2004, at the Hollywood Film FestivalHollywood Film Festival
The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....
in the USA on 17 October 2004, at the Adelaide Film Festival
Adelaide Film Festival
The Adelaide Film Festival is a biennial and non-competitive film festival held over two weeks in late February, in Adelaide, South Australia....
in Australia on 26 February 2005, and at the Cannes Film Market on 11 May 2005.
Classification
The Australian Government Classification BoardAustralian Classification Board
The Australian Classification Board is a statutory classification body formed by the Australian Government which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia since its establishment in 1970. The Australian Classification Board was originally incorporated...
rated Peaches MA 15+ for its strong themes, strong sex scenes, and strong coarse language.
Critical reception
Julie Rigg at Radio NationalRadio National
ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
wrote that: "This is not a bad little movie ... perhaps a little well-mannered in the way it has its actors front the screen, but at least these are not ocker caricatures we’re seeing here."
Margaret Pomeranz
Margaret Pomeranz
Margaret Pomeranz AM is an Australian film critic and television personality.-Early life:Pomeranz was born in 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney, and was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney in Croydon, the then newly opened Macquarie University, and the Playwright's Studio at...
objected to the central sexual relationship of the film. "I know I sound like a Victorian aunt, but I really hated that betrayal of that relationship between Alan and Steph. I mean, it's not the older man, younger woman thing, it isn't, it's almost like he's her father and it's almost like an incestuous relationship. A film takes a step like that and it takes me where I really don't want to go. I reacted against everybody, I felt alienated from those characters at that moment."
Sandra Hall of the Sydney Morning Herald took a (slightly) different line. "Then the unlikely but predictable happens. As Steph's romance with the past intensifies, she and 42-year-old Alan have an affair. You can see it looming, yet wish you couldn't for, once it hits, the resulting subterfuges and secret meetings rip all credibility out of the storyline. From then on, it's up to the actors to keep it from falling apart - something they do by generating such goodwill that it seems mean-spirited not to stay with them."
Sarah Barnett of the Sydney Anglican Network said, "Moody and absorbing, Peaches avoids creating clichéd or overly eccentric characters opting for more believable, richly drawn men and women. Audiences should note that the film does contain explicit sex scenes. While the relationship these scenes depicts is key to the plot, the level of nudity does seem somewhat exploitative of Emma Lung. Elegantly written and filmed Peaches is compelling but not entirely satisfying as a drama. Despite strong performances, a haunting score and good production values its ending is somewhat bittersweet."
Fr Richard Leonard SJ of the Catholic Church in Australia, said that "What many Catholic viewers will not care for is the number and style of the sexual encounters between an 18 years old innocent and her 42 year old married boss, especially when we know that Alan was for the first year or so of Steph's life Jude's partner and her surrogate father. Whatever of the theme of Steph recreating history, this worrying suggestion of incest and work place harassment highlights how dysfunctional the relationships are between the three main players."
See also
- Australian films of 2004Australian films of 2004-2004:...
- Cinema of AustraliaCinema of AustraliaCinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
- List of films shot in Adelaide
- List of Australian films