My Brilliant Career 1979

     This movie is based on a novel by Miles Franklin as a teenage girl and first published in 1901.  The setting of this film is the Australian outback just before the turn of the 20^th century.  Sybylla Melvyn is the daughter of a poor farmer but she wants something more.  Her mother tells her they can’t afford to provide for her and she’s found a position for Sybylla as a home servant.  This is nothing of what Sybylla wants for her life!!  The plans change and she is sent to live with her grandmother instead.  This household gets a surprise since Sybylla has a difficult time being conventional.  She is worried about being shackled in marriage but cautioned to be a free spirit is to be lonely.  She falls in love with wealthy landowner Harry Beecham but she asks him to wait on marriage for two years.  She wants to discover what is out there for her life.

     I thought this film was interesting both because of Sybylla but also because of the type of life during this period and the countryside of New South Wales.  I also liked the clothing, hairstyles and rules of society during this time.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

100 min, Drama directed by Gillian Armstrong with Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes, Robert Grubb, Max Cullen, Aileen Britton, Peter Whitford, Patricia Kennedy, Alan Hopgood, Julia Blake, David Franklin, Marion Shad.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, 81% critic 68% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 50 reviews.

Special Note:  This movie was filmed in New South Wales, Australia.  The director, producers, scriptwriter, first billed actor, production designer, costume designer, production supervisor, bookkeeper and accountant were all women.