The Year My Voice Broke (1987)

Synopsis: Scrawny would-be-rebel, Danny Embling (Noah Taylor) is growing up in New South Wales, a small wasteland of a town in rural Australia. Set in 1952, this tale of emerging adolescence focuses on... Scrawny would-be-rebel, Danny Embling (Noah Taylor) is growing up in New South Wales, a small wasteland of a town in rural Australia. Set in 1952, this tale of emerging adolescence focuses on Danny's obsession with his slightly older confidante, the beautiful Freya (Loene Carmen). The two childhood friends consider each other soulmates, swapping stories and secrets in their desolate hometown. But Freya falls in love with Trevor (Ben Mendelsohn), a troubled and reckless local boy who plays rugby and periodically gets in trouble with the local authorities for mischevious pranks, such as stealing cars and racing at the local track. The relationship between Freya and Trevor alienates the lonely Danny and sends him into a jealous depression. Danny's exquisite torture deepens as he masochistically accompanies the new couple on dates, living vicariously through their own sexual awakening. As the trio struggle to comprehend their place in one another's lives, as well as their place in their seedy home town, the past haunts them and tragedy grips them as they must painfully say goodbye to childhood. Director John Duigan not only captures the essence of desperate teen longing and fantasy, but the wild boredom that can come from growing up alienated in a small town. The film's characters are wholly engaging, thanks to the beautiful acting by the cast of young Australian newcomers. [More]

Starring: Noah Taylor, Loene Carmen, Ben Mendelsohn, Graeme Blundell

Starring: Noah Taylor, Loene Carmen, Ben Mendelsohn, Graeme Blundell, Lynette Curran, Nick Tate

Director: John Duigan

Director: John Duigan
Composer: Christine Woodruff
Producer: George Miller

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