SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU A small film about an Australian family. Supposedly a real family. But you never know. To get out of the dregs of the working class in Australia, dockworker is the father, out of a family dominated by an alcoholic father who had too many children, but in those days after the second world war it was the norm, and to do it with glory and fame, that's the objective of Tony. He did it, that young son of that family who liked the piano, who loved swimming but only had his escape in mind, becoming the best in order to get to Harvard on a full scholarship. And he did it for sure. The film insists a lot on the rivalry between the two brothers pushed by the father into swimming, and swimming the same style. The father prefers the other son and gets berserk when it is Tony who wins, and that will precipitate the end. Tony's success provides him with the scholarship he wanted and he can go and swimming becomes an exacting hobby since swimming brought him what he wanted and he does not need it any more. The rivalry between the two brothers is pathetic. The father is a disaster of a father. But the escape of Tony is just an escape and does not bring much sympathy. He just goes away. And he drops the tool he worked on for twelve years or even maybe more once he has reached the object of his desire. Something is missing at the end: I guess real life is not always as much fun as a good film and does not make more than average films.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

ravmeltt I just saw this movie, and really enjoyed it. The parts played by Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush were really superbly played, and it was so factual. I was empathizing with Tony a lot, because he so wanted his father to approve of him, but the father wouldn't, or couldn't. I too, like the above comment, was disappointed that he just went to the USA, and I felt that he should have continued on with the swimming and going for the gold to represent his country, Australia. He could have gone to the US at another time, because he was still young yet. But an enjoyable movie about perseverance in spite of disappointments and a sad home life.

Patrick I wasn't expecting this movie to be this good, although I hoped that it would be. Rarely do I walk away from a movie and say, "A+" but this is one movie where I did.I'm sure that some viewers will complain that this movie has a down tone to much of it. Of course, much of the movie centers on the harsh reality of domestic violence & how this affects a family & in particular, a son who didn't have the true support of his father. But, the lasting message is one of victory over circumstances. The main character's mother once said to her son, "Are you as strong as I think you are? In the head." She got it right. He didn't need to be strong physically. But, he had to have the inner strength to overcome all that he faced by having a selfish and sometimes cruel father.Some of my favorite lines in this movie..."It's funny how the stumbling blocks of life can help make us better people. I never had the support of my father. But, in the end that's what gave me the strength to seek something more than I could have ever imagined." "You were always a fighter." "Only you can make something of yourself. Not your father, not me." "Are you as strong as I think you are? In the head." "You are my hero." (Said to his mother)

aaronnz One of the best Aussie films I have seen in years. At first I thought, oh god here we go another badly acted film but give it five minutes and it starts to reveal an overlapping tapestry of characters with diverse personality's, which reflects the often too true reality of the traditional Aussie or New Zealand 1950's/1960's family. The traditionally emotional un-involved alcoholic father,this movie took me back to my own childhood and I am sure many Aussies and New Zealanders can relate. Not only does this film reflect the life of an otherwise ordinary family, who fought against extraordinary overwhelming odds. This film shows that dreams can become reality even for those of us needing to overcome extremely difficult situations. And that all of us are given opportunity's to grab and go with.Great film well acted after the first five minute lol. And with a good cast. A film, which should gain much more recognition that what it maybe has excellent 10/10