Spotswood (1992)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Mark Joffe

Writers:

Max Dann (written by) and
Andrew Knight (written by)

Release Date:

July 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

An everyday story about loyalty, betrayal, lust and footwear.

Plot:

An expert on productivity shows wacky workers in 1966 Australia how to run their moccasin factory like clockwork, despite laying off more than half the workforce.

Plot Keywords:

Factory | Moccasin | Efficiency Expert | Efficiency | Australia

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Anthony Hopkins	...	Errol Wallace
Ben Mendelsohn	...	Carey
Alwyn Kurts	...	Mr. Ball
Bruno Lawrence	...	Robert, Carey's Father
John Walton	...	Jerry Finn
Rebecca Rigg	...	Cheryl Ball
Toni Collette	...	Wendy Robinson
Russell Crowe	...	Kim Barry
Angela Punch McGregor	...	Caroline Wallace
Daniel Wyllie	...	Frank Fletcher
John Flaus	...	Gordon
Gary Adams	...	Kevin
Jeff Truman	...	Ron
Toni Lamond	...	Mrs. Lorna Ball
Jillian Murray	...	Ophelia, Carey's Mom (as Jillian Murray)

Also Known As:

The Efficiency Expert (USA)

Runtime:

Argentina:97 min | UK:95 min | USA:85 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Sweden:7 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Commission, The

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The last scene shows Carey and Wendy on the house roof with the West Gate Bridge in the background. The film is set in the 1960s but construction of the bridge only started in 1968 with the bridge being completed in 1978.

Quotes:

[Carey's little brother sees him writing a poem.]
Carey's Brother: Hee-hee-hee. Who's Cheryl?
Carey: No one you'd know. A model.
Carey's Brother: "I wake up with the sun, bright and new. I listen to the sun, and the early morning dew." Dew doesn't make any noise.
Carey: What? Look, it's my poem, I can write what I like.
Carey's Brother: Just trying to help. If I was you I'd stick to drawing.

Movie Connections:

Features "My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?" (1967)

Soundtrack:

Sick and Tired

Dr. Feelgood. (spoilers)

The Australians have always been great with these kind of movies, feel good comedies. Probably more so than the Americans ever have been, and in part, I think it is because any sort of conflict never really appears as such. Somehow, even when things go wrong, the effect is so neutral, or at least not so bad, that you know things are going to work out. Cosi and The Castle are two recent examples that I can think of. And, funny enough, these are movies that Toni Collette usually shows up in.

This is the story of a British efficiency expert (Anthony Hopkins) hired by an Australian shoe maker (Alwyn Kurts) to assess the progress of his Mocassin factory. What initially appears to be a standard job, turns out to be a lesson in compassion and common sense as the efficiency expert befriends the people who have worked nearly thirty years in the factory.

Our subtext is that of a love story when a young man named Carey (Ben Mendelsohn) is eager to date the boss's rather arrogant daughter, Cheryl (Rebecca Riggs), who is not interested, and is in fact, involved with a sleazy coworker (a very young Russel Crowe). Although, it is one of those stories where it is obvious that the fellow is overlooking the perfect girl for him (Toni Collette, who Mendelsohn also co-stars with in 'Cosi').

It is a sweet comedy, and one you'll likely enjoy if you have been satisfied with other recent Australian feel-good comedies. It's quite a nice, funny little film with great performances all around.