Matching Jack | |
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Australian Poster
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Directed by | Nadia Tass |
Produced by |
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Screenplay by |
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Story by | Lynne Renew |
Starring |
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Music by | Paul Grabowsky |
Cinematography | David Parker |
Edited by | Mark Warner |
Production
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Cascade Films
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Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date
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Running time
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103 minutes |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Box office | $258,011 |
Matching Jack is a 2010 Australian drama film directed by Nadia Tass from a screenplay by Lynne Renew and David Parker, based on an unfilmed script by Renew entitled Love and Mortar.
Life seems idyllic for Marisa (Jacinda Barrett) and her son, Jack (Tom Russell), until a poor performance at a school soccer match ends with Jack in hospital and Marisa trying to find her husband, David (Richard Roxburgh), who is interstate at a conference. In fact, David is planning to leave Marisa for his current mistress (Yvonne Strahovski), with his phone off and not a care in the world.
Jack is diagnosed with Leukaemia and the only possibility of a cure is if David has had a child from one of his many flings who could be a bone marrow donor. Marisa looks back through his diaries, figures when he could have been having affairs, and goes out door knocking. Unsuspecting women face a desperate mother as Marisa searches high and low for possibilities and the full scale of David’s infidelity is revealed.
Meanwhile, Jack befriends Finn (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a young Irish boy in the next bed. He has been travelling the world with his father, Connor (James Nesbitt). Initial disdain turns to mutual respect as both Marisa and Connor find their own ways to deal with their respective sons’ illnesses.
Matching Jack was produced by Tass and Parker's studio Cascade Films, in association with the film investment agencies Film Victoria and Screen Australia. It was filmed on location in Melbourne in 2009, and premiered at the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival. 20th Century Fox distributed it to 185 national screens in August 2010, the widest Fox release of an Australian film since 2008's Australia.
The film won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 2011 Milan International Film Festival. Matching Jack was also honoured with Cannes Cinephile Prix De Jury Bel Age at the 2011 Cinephiles festival at Cannes in May 2011.