The Honourable Wally Norman
Encyclopedia
The Honourable Wally Norman is a 2003 Australia
n comedy
film
directed by Ted Emery. It stars Kevin Harrington, Shaun Micallef
, and Greig Pickhaver
.
It was filmed primarily in South Australia
and was nominated for two AFI awards
.
(Micallef
) shutting down a country town's main source of employment in the local meatworks
. This leaves Wally Norman (Harrington) out of a job, until drunk politician Willy Norman accidentally writes the wrong name on the parliamentary nomination form.
Wally is at first apprehensive about running, until he realises it is the only way to save the meatworks. Throughout the film Wally is coached by Willy Norman and assistant Myles Greenstreet (Nathaniel Davison) in how to best appeal to the voters, as well as overcome his fear of public speaking
.
Meanwhile, Myles is attracted to Wally's daughter, and a wombat
's career skyrockets.
Much of the film's humour comes from wordplay, such as naming the town Givens Head, and the foreman of the meatworks being named George
. Shaun Micallef said he had to insist that his own moniker was modified from F. Ken Oath to F. Ken Oats to soften one of the film's less subtle attempts at punning.
. It used the towns of Lobethal, Mount Barker
and Nairne
for the town in the movie. The town of Lobethal provided the hotel, Mount Barker provided the meatworks and the St Francis de Sales College
, and Nairne hosted the main street for the billy-cart
race shown near the beginning of the movie.
Mike Rann
, Premier of South Australia, had a cameo appearance at 1:12:10 in the film. He played the man who was thrown out of his seat by The Chairman.
said "The Honourable Wally Norman seriously lacks bite; it's a determinably retro affair, amiable and mildly amusing, but pretty bland." Urban Cinefile dismissed the film as "a shallow and contrived affair with the occasional shadow of humour passing over it."
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 comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
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...
directed by Ted Emery. It stars Kevin Harrington, Shaun Micallef
Shaun Micallef
Shaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian actor, comedian and writer. After ten years of working in insurance law as a solicitor in Adelaide, Micallef moved to Melbourne to pursue a full-time comedy career in 1993...
, and Greig Pickhaver
Greig Pickhaver
alt=Greig Pickhaver|thumb|In May 2010Greig Pickhaver AM is an actor, comedian and writer, who forms one half of the Australian sports comedy duo Roy and HG...
.
It was filmed primarily in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and was nominated for two AFI awards
Australian Film Institute Awards
The 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,...
.
Plot
The story begins with a corrupt Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(Micallef
Shaun Micallef
Shaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian actor, comedian and writer. After ten years of working in insurance law as a solicitor in Adelaide, Micallef moved to Melbourne to pursue a full-time comedy career in 1993...
) shutting down a country town's main source of employment in the local meatworks
Meat packing industry
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...
. This leaves Wally Norman (Harrington) out of a job, until drunk politician Willy Norman accidentally writes the wrong name on the parliamentary nomination form.
Wally is at first apprehensive about running, until he realises it is the only way to save the meatworks. Throughout the film Wally is coached by Willy Norman and assistant Myles Greenstreet (Nathaniel Davison) in how to best appeal to the voters, as well as overcome his fear of public speaking
Glossophobia
Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking. The word glossophobia comes from the Greek glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread...
.
Meanwhile, Myles is attracted to Wally's daughter, and a wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
's career skyrockets.
Much of the film's humour comes from wordplay, such as naming the town Givens Head, and the foreman of the meatworks being named George
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
. Shaun Micallef said he had to insist that his own moniker was modified from F. Ken Oath to F. Ken Oats to soften one of the film's less subtle attempts at punning.
Cast
- Kevin Harrington as Wally Norman
- Alan CassellAlan CassellAlan Cassell is an Australian actor, born in the UK and best known for his roles in film and television.Cassell was one of the actors who worked in Bruce Beresford's early Australian films....
as Willy Norman - Shaun MicallefShaun MicallefShaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian actor, comedian and writer. After ten years of working in insurance law as a solicitor in Adelaide, Micallef moved to Melbourne to pursue a full-time comedy career in 1993...
as Ken Oats - Rosalind Hammond as Dolly Norman
- Nathaniel Davison as Myles Greenstreet
- Greig PickhaverGreig Pickhaveralt=Greig Pickhaver|thumb|In May 2010Greig Pickhaver AM is an actor, comedian and writer, who forms one half of the Australian sports comedy duo Roy and HG...
as The Chairman - Octavia Barron-Martin as Laurie Norman
- Tom BudgeTom BudgeTom Budge is an Australian actor. Budge was born in Melbourne, Victoria. Early in his acting career, Budge appeared in a number of Australian television shows, includingNeighbours, Round the Twist and Shock Jock etc...
as Normie Norman - Bryan DaweBryan DaweBryan John Dawe is best known as an Australian writer, comedian and political satirist, but is also known for his work as a songwriter, photographer and social activist....
as Richard Nicholls - Melissa Madden-Gray as Rebecca-Jane Thompson
- Paul Kelman as Gary
- Reg EvansReg EvansReginald "Reg" Evans was a British-born actor active in Australian television, theatre, and cinema from the 1960s....
as Barry
Filming
The Honorable Wally Norman was filmed in various areas of South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It used the towns of Lobethal, Mount Barker
Mount Barker, South Australia
Mount Barker is an expanding city, home to 10 258 residents that is 33 kilometres up the South Eastern Freeway, east of Adelaide, in South Australia. It is the seat of the District Council of Mount Barker, is the largest town in the Adelaide Hills, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the...
and Nairne
Nairne, South Australia
Nairne is a small township in South Australia and was founded by Matthew Smillie in 1839. Nairne is about 7 km from Mount Barker, in the federal Division of Mayo and in the state electoral district of Kavel...
for the town in the movie. The town of Lobethal provided the hotel, Mount Barker provided the meatworks and the St Francis de Sales College
St Francis de Sales College
St Francis de Sales College is a Catholic co-educational school in Mount Barker, South Australia, not to be confused with a college by the same name which existed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, until its closure in June of 1982...
, and Nairne hosted the main street for the billy-cart
Soapbox (car)
A gravity racer is a motorless vehicle capable of holding a driver built for the purpose of racing or recreation. They are propelled by gravity and can achieve speeds upwards of 112 km/h .-Soapbox cars:...
race shown near the beginning of the movie.
Mike Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
, Premier of South Australia, had a cameo appearance at 1:12:10 in the film. He played the man who was thrown out of his seat by The Chairman.
Critical reception
The Sydney Morning Herald described the film as: "dreary, like being offered a dried-out chop, fake mash and over-cooked broccoli, when you were invited over for a juicy lamb roast." SBSSpecial Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
said "The Honourable Wally Norman seriously lacks bite; it's a determinably retro affair, amiable and mildly amusing, but pretty bland." Urban Cinefile dismissed the film as "a shallow and contrived affair with the occasional shadow of humour passing over it."