Lilian's Story (1996)

Director:

Jerzy Domaradzki

Writers:

Kate Grenville (novel)
Steve Wright (writer)

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Everything matters

Plot:

For forty years Lilian Singer has been locked up in a 'loony bin' by her father. Her release is eventually...

Plot Keywords:

Australia | Mental Illness | Based On Novel | Independent Film

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Ruth Cracknell	...	Lilian Singer
Barry Otto	...	John Singer
Toni Collette	...	Young Lilian Singer
John Flaus	...	Frank
Jeff Truman	...	Head Orderly
Lyle O'Hara	...	Esther
Kate Agnew	...	May
Fiona Press	...	Ruby
Pat Hutchinson	...	Babs
Rachel Szalay	...	Inmate One
Kris Bidenko	...	Inmate Two
Janet Foye	...	Inmate Three
Deborah Foster	...	Inmate Four
Iris Shand	...	Aunt Kitty
Michael Greir	...	Driver of Kitty's Cab

Runtime:

94 min | Poland:91 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Movieco Australia

Trivia:

Based loosely on the life of legendary eccentric Bea Miles, who recited Shakespeare for a dollar on the streets of Sydney and rode taxis for a sonnet.

Wonderful, magic, heartfelt

Lilian Singer (Cracknell) has been living in a mental instution since her father committed her forty years ago. Now free, she undertakes a healing journey of discovery in a strange new world – but never is it strange enough to compete with her! Remarkable adaptation of Grenville's novel by Domaradzki, who was also in charge of the wonderful STRUCK BY LIGHTNING five years earlier. Cracknell's part could have been written especially for her – it allows her the more commercial film medium while still making enormous use of her talents as a stage actress. The entire film takes on a remarkable stage-like quality, as Lilian recalls her past, confronts it, and comes to terms with it, at the same time trying to rekindle a long-lost romance with taxi-driver Frank (Flaus). Cracknell is nothing short of brilliant – how she wasn't even nominated for an AFI Award is an absolute mystery; there's a little of `Muriel' in Collette, who plays the younger Lilian, and Otto has a terrific double role as her father and brother. More people need to see this film, which, inexplicably, missed out on a Best Film nomination at the AFI Awards. The AFI nominated score was written by Cezary Skubiszewski, who was later responsible for the TWO HANDS and BOOTMEN soundtracks.