Phar Lap (1983)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writer:

David Williamson (written by)

Release Date:

10 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Family | History | Sport

Tagline:

When he beat the odds, they changed the rules. When he broke the records, they weighed him down. But he had one thing on his side...the faith of a boy. Together they lived a legend that inspired a nation and won the heart of the world.

Plot:

The true story of a Australian racehorse that becomes a champion with the help of a local stableboy.

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Stableboy | Gambling | Winner | Animal

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tom Burlinson	...	Tommy Woodcock
Richard Morgan	...	'Cashy' Martin
Robert Grubb	...	William Nielsen
Simon Wells	...	Newsboy
Kelvyn Worth	...	Newsboy
Justin Ridley	...	Newsboy
Martin Vaughan	...	Harry Telford
Brian Granrott	...	Reporter
Celia De Burgh	...	Vi Telford
Steven Bannister	...	Cappy Telford (Younger)
Richard Terrill	...	Cappy Telford (Older)
Ron Leibman	...	Dave Davis
Ross O'Donovan	...	Strapper
Ashley Grenville	...	Strapper
Les Foxcroft	...	Brazier Man

Also Known As:

Phar Lap: Heart of a Nation

Runtime:

USA:107 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:PG (certificate #27386) | Finland:S | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Kurnell Sandhills, Kurnell, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Michael Edgley International

Trivia:

Tommy Woodcock went on to become a horse trainer. One of his greatest success was Reckless, a horse which won the Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane Cups and finished second in the Melbourne Cup in 1977. Tommy was respected for his training methods and his great love for horses. Tommy and his wife, Emma, had no children but their home was always open to the apprentices that Tommy trained. Tommy Woodcock trained horses until he was 78. He donated several of his personal mementoes of Phar Lap to the Museum of Victoria to go with the Museum's exhibit of Phar Lap's hide.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Pyjama Girl Mystery: A True Story of Murder, Obsession and Lies (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Baby Face

There's never been a bad movie about a horse!

This is a finely crafted Australian docu-drama, a true story, that establishes Simon Wincer as a world-class director. Tom Burlinson, better known as "The Man From Snowy River," is outstanding as Tommy Woodcock, the Aussie horse racing legend.