By Beth Wilson
The latest Australian buzz film is The Boys Are Back directed by Scott Hicks (of Shine success). Adapted from the memoirs of Simon Warr, The Boys Are Back follows the trials and tribulations of sole fatherhood, as ex-pat journalist, Joe Warr (Clive Owen) finds himself raising his sons alone after the early death of his Australian wife.
This is not the first film to examine this topic recently, but The Boys Are Back is probably the only one which considers the impact of loss and restructuring on a family’s everyday life. With the death of Katy (Laura Fraser) – Joe’s second wife – dealt with rather quickly and unsentimentally at the beginning of the film, the focus is solely on Joe and his parenting skills.
Left to look after his 6 yrs old son, Artie (Nicholas McAnulty), Joe is determined to make a connection with the child, rejecting offers of help from his mother-in-law (Julia Blake). But he has no idea of the realities of being a single father, lacking the ability to reassure Artie, a child he has so infrequently parented after years of relegating fatherhood to weekends whilst he pursued his career.
Rebelling against rules and structured parenting, Joe creates a world for his son reminiscent of Neverland (the Peter Pan variety, not Jacko). But Joe has another son from his first marriage in the UK, 14 year old Harry (George Mackay) who has grown up with the absence of his father. It is when Harry joins Joe and Artie in Australia that the vulnerabilities of this cocooned ‘paradise’ are revealed.
Transplanting the location of the true story from New Zealand to Australia, Scott Hicks’ team were enticed by funding from the South Australian Government to shoot in their State. And you can see why their heads have been turned. The scenery is spectacular, with the stunning coastlines and glorious vineyard at the Fleurieu Peninsular. The family’s house that was purpose built by the film crew represents the Australian ideal. With its sweeping wide verandas and a large adventurous garden, it is an idyllic setting for the lost boys’ home.
The assertion that children should be raised by mothers is articulated early on by Joe’s half-joking question, “Shouldn’t the state intervene and make sure a woman looks after children?” This is backed up by his attempts to interweave single mother, Laura (Emma Booth), into his and Artie’s lives, and most significantly his relationship with Harry, who he left to be parented by a single mother in the UK.
Women don’t own parenting, but they are usually responsible for it, with 87% of single-parent household headed by mothers in Australia. Although motherhood has narrative dominance this is a reflection of reality as opposed to ignorance of the male experience. The Boys Are Back doesn’t really add as much as it could have to this discourse. Stating that men like doing fun stuff and aren’t good at cleaning and organising isn’t much of a revelation, though it is nice to see Clive Owen taking on a different sort of role.
By far the most interesting aspect of the film is the brothers’ connection, as Artie and Harry get to know each other and enjoy the benefits of a sibling relationship. The young actors do a fantastic job at creating likeable and realistic characters, with the role of Artie being especially challenging at times. You leave the cinema certain that Artie and Harry won’t repeat their father’s mistakes.
The Boys Are Back is released nationally on November 12th.
