Paperback Hero (1999)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Antony J. Bowman

Writer:

Antony J. Bowman (novel)

Release Date:

25 March 1999 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

He's hard, tough ... and doesn't give a XXXX for anything ... except romantic novels

Plot:

Jack Willis is a handsome roadtrain driver with a secret - he has just become a top-selling romance novelist...

Plot Keywords:

Australian | Novelist | Sheep Sale | Truck | Airplane

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Claudia Karvan	...	Ruby Vale
Hugh Jackman	...	Jack Willis
Angie Milliken	...	Ziggy Keane
Andrew S. Gilbert	...	Hamish
Jeanie Drynan	...	Suzie
Bruce Venables	...	Artie
Barry Rugless	...	Mad Pete
Barry Lea	...	Policeman
Steven Colling	...	Cafe Drinker
Randel Ross	...	Auctioneer
Bill Watson	...	Mr. Reece
Scott Nugent	...	Bag Pipe Player
Brooke Fairley	...	Dancing Girl
Ross Marsden	...	Country Pub drinker
Charles Little	...	Errol (as Charlie Little)
Ritchie Singer	...	Ralph
Tony Barry	...	Mack
Larisa Chen	...	Receptionist
Vashti Pontakas	...	Ella
Michael Forde	...	Journalist
Catherine Miller	...	Contestant
Andrew Buchanan	...	City Drunk
Simon Burvill-Holmes	...	M.C.
Leon Delaney	...	Radio Announcer
Daniel Murphy	...	Make up artist
Adam Ray	...	Clive Rooney
Douglas Hedge	...	George West
Russell Dykstra	...	Stage hand
Robyn Moore	...	Character Voice (voice)
Steve Ridley	...	Character Voice (voice)
Diana McLean	...	Harmony

Directed by
Antony J. Bowman		(as Anthony Bowman)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Antony J. Bowman		novel

Produced by
Lance W. Reynolds	....	producer
Dani Rogers	....	co-producer
John Winter	....	producer

Original Music by
Burkhard von Dallwitz

Cinematography by
David Burr

Film Editing by
Veronika Jenet

Casting by
Faith Martin

Production Design by
Jon Dowding

Art Direction by
Adam Head

Set Decoration by
Paul Hurrell

Costume Design by
Louise Wakefield

Makeup Department
Maree McDonald	....	makeup artist
Margaret Stevenson	....	hair styles supervisor
Margaret Stevenson	....	makeup supervisor
Peter Woodward	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Rosslyn Abernethy	....	production manager
Troy Clarke	....	assistant unit manager
David Suttor	....	unit manager
Sylvia Walker-Wilson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marc Ashton	....	third assistant director
Matthew Bartley	....	second assistant director
Charles Rotherham	....	first assistant director
Ian 'Thistle' Thorburn	....	second unit director
Rob Visser	....	assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Bob Daley	....	scenic artist
Graham Dunn	....	stand-by carpenter
Tony Falloon	....	photographic artist
Chrissy Feld	....	design assistant
Bruce Fletcher	....	carpenter
Doug Franks	....	painter
Andrew Gardiner	....	construction manager
Quentin Hall	....	sign artist
Pete Hill	....	carpenter
Ben Hurrell	....	graffiti artist
Dean Maguire	....	art department assistant
Noel McCarthy	....	lead man
Katie Nott	....	art department coordinator
Adam Smigielski	....	scenic artist
Michelle Sotheren	....	set dresser
Chris Weir	....	carpenter
Harry Zettel	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Ross Brewer	....	dialogue editor
Greg Burgmann	....	sound recordist
Craig Butters	....	sound effects editor
John Cowper Patterson	....	sound effects
John Dennison	....	adr recordist
John Dennison	....	foley editor
John Dennison	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Dennison	....	sound supervisor
Gary Dixon	....	boom operator
Luke Dunn Gielmuda	....	sound effects assistant
Paul Huntingford	....	foley artist
Duncan McAllister	....	foley editor
Duncan McAllister	....	foley recordist
John Patterson	....	sound effects editor
John Patterson	....	supervising sound editor
Megan Shaw	....	dialogue assistant
Tony Vaccher	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Vaccher	....	sound supervisor

Special Effects by
Peter Keane	....	special effects technician
William McLaggan	....	special effects assistant
Rodney Russell	....	special effects assistant
Mark Harry Ward	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Morgane Furio	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Danny Baldwin	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sean Barnes	....	still photographer
Lester Bishop	....	key grip
George Caramalis	....	electrician
Terry Cook	....	grip
Glen Dawe	....	best boy
Steve Gordon	....	best boy
Chris Holland	....	generator operator
Mike Kelly	....	assistant camera: second unit
David 'Rusty' Leckonby	....	grip assistant
Richard Merryman	....	camera operator
Luke Nixon	....	video split operator
Graham Rutherford	....	gaffer
Ricky Schamburg	....	clapper loader
Ricky Schamburg	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Gary Shearsmith	....	grip: second unit
Ian 'Thistle' Thorburn	....	director of photography: second unit
John Wareham	....	assistant camera
John Wareham	....	focus puller

Casting Department
Kristen Dale	....	casting associate (as Kristin Dale)
Damien Rossi	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Saffron Firkins	....	costume cutter
Helen Maggs	....	costume stand-by
Graham Purcell	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Arthur Cambridge	....	color timer
Jane Cole	....	assistant editor
Maria Kaltenthaler	....	first assistant editor
Laurent Seibert	....	assistant editor
Matt Thomas	....	color timer

Music Department
Matthew Arnold	....	musician: violin
Robin Gray	....	music recordist
Geoffrey Hales	....	musician: percussion
David Herzog	....	musician: electric guitar solo
Michael Letho	....	music mixer
Michael Letho	....	music recordist
Daryl McKenzie	....	conductor
Daryl McKenzie	....	orchestrator
Gary O'Grady	....	music editor
Rudolf Osadnik	....	orchestra leader
Keith Thomas	....	musician: fairlight operator
Burkhard von Dallwitz	....	music producer (as Burkhard Dallwitz)

Other crew
Sandi Allan	....	location assistant
Greg Brummell	....	location runner
Katherine Butler	....	script consultant
Robin Clifton	....	location manager: Sydney
Damian Eggins	....	unit assistant
Simon Feeney	....	assistant to producer
Sean Gilligan	....	production runner
Ed Jenner	....	unit assistant
Nadeen Kingshoff	....	production accountant
Louisa Kors	....	production secretary
Jamie McLennan	....	location scout
Jenny Quigley	....	continuity
Gerard Shaw	....	base runner
Sandy Stevens	....	coordinator: Sydney
Stottie	....	production coordinator
Chris Strewe	....	location manager
Pam Suchman	....	production executive: Archer Films
Katharine Thornton	....	script consultant

Production Companies

• Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• REP Distribution (Australia)

Special Effects

• Conja (digital effects)

Other Companies

• Audioloc Sound Design  sound post-production
• Lydiard and Rossi Casting  extras casting
• Optical & Graphics  title design
• Spectrum Films International  picture editing rooms
• Spectrum Films International  post-production facilities
• Springett Optical Services  film opticals

Runtime:

96 min | Canada:93 min (Ontario)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Company:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

Nindigully pub, prominently featured in the film as the Boomerang café, is a real life pub, essentially a town in itself (population 6), located 45 km from the nearest town. It is the oldest hotel (pub) in Queensland, operating continuously since 1864.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the opening credits, the road train is filmed from the air. A helicopter's shadow (presumably the helicopter doing the filming) can be seen briefly on the ground below.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "60 Minutes: On Thin Ice/The Memory Pill/Love Her Way (#29.1)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Oh Pretty Woman

An Australian gem!

The film "Paperback Hero" is the latest Australian film to make it's way overseas. Starring Claudia Karvan and Hugh Jackman, "Paperback Hero" will delight anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy.

Karvan and Jackman are well known in Australia, Karvan as a film actress and Jackman as a musical theatre actor. Both are well cast in their roles as a brash, independent pilot (Karvan) and a novel writing truck driver (Jackman).

The storyline is simple but entertaining. Ruby Vale (Karvan) and Jack Willis (Jackman) live in a small outback Australian town. Jack writes romance novels while working as a truck driver. Embarrassed about his hobby, he uses Ruby's name when he sends his novel to a publisher. It becomes very complicated when the novel is accepted for publication and Jack must convince Ruby to help him.

The film is very Australian, but will not in any way alienate overseas viewers. The movie was mainly filmed in rural Queensland and makes the most of the outback landscape. The Australian accent is not exaggerated (a pet hate of mine).

Give this film a go if you are a fan of romantic comedies. The Australian film industry is producing quality work and "Paperback Hero" is an example of this.