The Black Balloon (2008)

Director:

Elissa Down

Writers:

Elissa Down (writer)
Jimmy Jack (writer)

Release Date:

6 March 2008 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

All Thomas wants is a normal adolescence but his autistic brother, Charlie, thwarts his every opportunity. Will Thomas, with the help of his girlfriend, Jackie, accept his brother? |

Plot Keywords:

Girlfriend | Autistic | Color In Title | Speedo | Short Bus

Awards:

15 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

Rhys Wakefield	...	Thomas Mollison
Luke Ford	...	Charlie Mollison
Toni Collette	...	Maggie Mollison
Erik Thomson	...	Simon Mollison
Gemma Ward	...	Jackie Masters
Sarah Woods	...	Woman Next Door
Sam Fraser	...	Kid Next Door
Makirum Fahey-Leigh	...	Mate of Kid Next Door
Oliver Brookes	...	Other Mate of Kid Next Door
Jan Ringrose	...	Neighbour
Bradley Orford	...	Neighbour
Andy Meritakis	...	Daniel
Henry Nixon	...	Trevor
Anthony Phelan	...	Mr. Masters
Deborah Piper	...	Janet - Social Worker
Jim Maxwell	...	Cricket Commentator (voice) (as James Maxwell)
Rebecca Massey	...	Miss Babb
Ryan Clark	...	Dean
Aaron Glenane	...	Bucko
Lisa Kowalski	...	Sally
Lloyd Allison-Young	...	James
Nathin Butler	...	Chris
Elle-May Patterson	...	Kylie
Carla Gee	...	Caroline
Toby Molineaux	...	Student Who Gets Hit
Yure Covich	...	Maths Teacher
Firass Dirani	...	Russell
Sally Evans	...	Girl on Bus
Kate Box	...	Elizabeth
Zoe Carides	...	Russell's Mum
George Badawi	...	Russell's Dad
Jeffery Armstrong	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Robert Armstrong	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Rosemary Armstrong	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Holly Austin	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Alexander Berlage	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
George Bountros	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Matthew Cahill	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Cameron Fyfe	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Jared Ohlstein	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Mathew Parsons	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Amy Jo Farrow Potts	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Andrew Ryan	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Ellie Singer	...	Student on Bus
Edward Smith	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat'
Kieran Smith	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Gemma Thomas	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Jackson T. Trout	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat!'
Tom Trout	...	Student on Bus
Shai de Vletter-Sont	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat'
Sinisa Vrebac	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat'
Arahni Sont	...	Teacher
Claire McCarthy	...	Teacher
Judy Singer	...	Teacher
Terry Flanagan	...	Bus Driver
Inge Sildnik	...	Supermarket Customer
Birthe Nohrden	...	Supermarket Customer
Jennifer Cutler	...	Maternity Ward Patient
Michael Allison	...	Maternity Ward Husband
Martin Lynes	...	Emergency Doctor
Eliza Logan	...	Emergency Nurse
Sofia Fedirchuk	...	Baby Sophie
Indigo Cumming	...	Baby Sophie
James Duffy	...	Baby Sophie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Doyle	...	P.E. Teacher
Terry Flanagan	...	Teacher
James Maxwell	...	Cricket Commentator
Claire McCarthy	...	Teacher
Tyne Miller	...	Student on Bus
Lachlan Monaghan	...	Student on Bus
Ngoc Phan	...	Teacher's Aide
Andrew Ryan	...	Student on Bus and in Musical 'Afloat'
Millie Spencer-Brown	...	Checkout Girl
Louise Sykes	...	Maternity Nurse
Zelie Thompson	...	Mother in Van (as Zelie Bullen)

Directed by
Elissa Down

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Elissa Down		writer
Jimmy Jack		writer (as Jimmy The Exploder)

Produced by
Sally Chesher	....	executive producer
Toni Collette	....	executive producer
Jimmy Jack	....	co-producer
Tristram Miall	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Yezerski

Cinematography by
Denson Baker

Film Editing by
Veronika Jenet

Casting by
Nikki Barrett

Production Design by
Nicholas McCallum

Art Direction by
Matthew Putland

Set Decoration by
Jodie Whetter

Costume Design by
Claire Granville

Makeup Department
Kate Birch	....	hair stylist
Kate Birch	....	makeup artist
Lara Jade	....	hair stylist
Lara Jade	....	makeup artist
Wizzy Molineaux	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Colleen Clarke	....	post-production supervisor
Sue MacKay	....	production manager
Peter Vertzagias	....	assistant unit manager
Cameron Wintour	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jane Griffin	....	second assistant director
Nick Heygate	....	third assistant director
Hamish Roxburgh	....	assistant director
Eddie Thorne	....	assistant director
Mark Turnbull	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Chris Harris	....	art department assistant
Renee Hoare	....	set dresser
Ingrid Weir	....	art department graphics
Dillon Yeats	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Yulia Akerholt	....	dialogue editor
Steve Burgess	....	sound effects editor
Leah Katz	....	adr editor
Michael McMenomy	....	adr engineer
Ben Osmo	....	sound recordist
Andrew Parsons	....	second boom operator
Paul Pirola	....	sound designer
Paul Pirola	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Van Kool	....	boom operator
Andy Wright	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Dave Roberts	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Lindsay Adams	....	lead compositor
Morgane Furio	....	visual effects supervisor
Matt Greig	....	digital compositor: Animal Logic
Jason Hawkins	....	digital compositor: Animal Logic
Edwina Hayes	....	senior visual effects producer
Jayne Herrmann	....	visual effects producer: Animal Logic
Julien Leveugle	....	digital compositor: Animal Logic
Jamie Wood	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Cardwell	....	still photographer
Simon Chapman	....	director of photography: second unit
Drew English	....	clapper loader
Peter Giuliani	....	electrician
Pim Kulk	....	clapper loader
Jules O'Loughlin	....	additional cinematographer: second unit
Alby Orellana	....	focus puller
Scott Parsons	....	grip
Justin Plummer	....	best boy
Mark Rogers	....	still photographer
Jay Torta	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Jason Trew	....	key grip
Topul 'Willy' Villami	....	grip
Simon Williams	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Danny Long	....	casting assistant
Dex Tallo	....	extras casting

Editorial Department
Trish Cahill	....	digital intermediate colorist
Heather Galvin	....	on-line editor
Katherine Heads	....	post-production facilities coordinator
Maria Kaltenthaler	....	assistant editor
Justin Ngy Tran	....	digital intermediate supervisor

Music Department
Laura Bishop	....	music preparation
James K. Lee	....	music preparation
Claire McCarthy	....	musician
Norman Parkhill	....	music supervisor
Jessica Wells	....	music preparation

Transportation Department
Michael Horvath	....	driver: cast
Matt Worth	....	vehicle consultant

Other crew
Tobias Andersson	....	production runner
Jeremy Atcliffe	....	production accountant
Carl Blacklidge	....	boat wrangler
Brian Carpenter	....	unit assistant
Mathew Harrington	....	production runner
Melissa Hayward	....	script supervisor
Michael Horvath	....	production runner
Linda Jefferys	....	unit nurse
David Lawrance	....	laboratory liaison
Kelly Lefever	....	script editor
Claire McCarthy	....	choreographer
Jayne Montague	....	misc crew
Annelies Norland	....	location manager
Anika Valenti	....	production secretary
Kelly Vincent	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Veronica Gleeson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Australian Film Commission, The
• Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)
• Black Balloon Productions
• Icon Entertainment International
• New South Wales Film and Television Office, The

Distributors

• Hoyts Distribution (2007) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Icon Entertainment International (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Long Shong Entertainment Multimedia Company (2007) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• NeoClassics Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Pan Vision Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Animal Logic

Other Companies

• Soundfirm  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content, a scene of violence, and brief strong language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Australia | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG-13 | Finland:K-11 | Netherlands:6 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Bardia Parade, Holsworthy, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Commission, The

Trivia:

A Bronze Medallion is an Australian Lifesaving qualification. There are 14 components that must be completed to achieve this qualification, all based around high quality swimming skills and rescue techniques.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Although the film is set in Sydney (New South Wales), the Mollison's car has a Queensland number-plate. This is not unusual given that the family has just moved into the neighbourhood. However, it would be expected that the vehicle registration would be changed to NSW and the number-plates would also be changed within six months of the move. Given the apparent timeline of the film, this would be expected to have occurred.

Quotes:

Jackie Masters: Close your eyes, what do you see?
Thomas Mollison: Black.
Jackie Masters: Look harder.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "At the Movies: Summer Special 2008/09" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Better

Effective drama with autism backdrop

This film is an effective coming-of-age drama with the backdrop of autism. Erik Thomson plays a shy 16 year old who's constantly embarrassed by his severely autistic brother, an excellent Luke Ford. Toni Collette plays the pregnant mother and is solid as usual. The drama never becomes morose and there's a playful tone running through the film. Some events are predictable (like the taunting by class-mates and social awkwardness) but they are probably part and parcel of every coming of age drama. The film shows in harrowing detail what it's like to take care of someone with severe autism. Informative and worth watching.

Overall 7/10