Somersault (film)
| Somersault | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Cate Shortland |
| Produced by |
Anthony Anderson Jan Chapman |
| Written by | Cate Shortland |
| Starring |
Abbie Cornish Sam Worthington Erik Thomson Anne Louise Lambert Leah Purcell |
| Music by | Decoder Ring |
| Cinematography | Robert Humphreys |
| Edited by | Scott Gray |
| Distributed by |
Hopscotch Productions (Australia) Magnolia Pictures (USA) |
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Release date
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17 May 2004 |
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Running time
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106 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$4 million |
| Box office | A$2,158,574 |
Somersault is a 2004 Australian independent film written and directed by Cate Shortland, featuring Abbie Cornish and Sam Worthington. Shot in the winter of 2003, the film was released in September 2004 and screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It also swept the field at the 2004 Australian Film Institute Awards, winning every single feature film award (13 in total).
Exploring the themes of human sexuality and emotion, Somersault is about a 16-year-old girl named Heidi (Cornish) who flees her Canberra home to the mountain town of Jindabyne in New South Wales. There she meets Joe (Worthington), the son of a local farmer, and gradually forms a relationship with him, despite his difficulty in expressing his emotions. He also seems to be unsure of his sexual orientation, despite having better than average luck meeting girls.
The soundtrack is written and performed by Australian band Decoder Ring—their song "Somersault" plays during the end credits. Some scenes were shot at the Ryrie homestead at Michelago, New South Wales.
Heidi (Cornish), a somewhat isolated, sexually promiscuous teenager living in the suburbs of Canberra, flees her home after her mother, Nicole, finds Heidi kissing Nicole's boyfriend. Isolated and alone, she initially travels to Snowy River with the promise of a job offer, however after phoning the person who informed her of the job prospect, she is rebuffed as the person explains they do not remember her. Heidi's attractive appearance and vulnerability lead her into various situations and escapades in the small town. She meets a stranger at a bar and has sex with him. In the morning, he informs her of his plans to travel to Sydney and Heidi asks if she can accompany him. His friend informs her that he already has a girlfriend and the idea of Heidi travelling with him is dismissed as a result of this. She strikes up a friendship with Irene (Curran), an older woman who runs a motel in the town. Irene, realising Heidi has very little life experience and no permanent roots in the town, offers her a flatrent at the back of the motel. In order to pay the rent, Heidi must find a job, and after an unsuccessful attempt to work at a ski hire shop, she is hired at a Petrol station. One of Heidi's co-workers is Bianca (Andrew) and the two become friends after Bianca offers her a lift home one evening.
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