''Hoodwink'' is a 1981 Australian thriller film directed by
Claude Whatham and written by
Ken Quinnell. It stars
John Hargreaves and
Judy Davis with
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emm ...
in his feature film debut. The film is based on the true story of a well-publicised Australian con artist. It was nominated for eight
Australian Film Institute Awards, with Davis winning the
Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Plot
Martin Stang, a bank robber (Hargreaves) finds himself behind bars and decides to pursue another con job; his escape. He does this by attempting to convince prison authorities that he is blind and no longer poses a threat to society. Along his journey he befriends a sexually-repressed clergyman's wife, Sarah (Davis). The pair become intimate during Martin's day release but his con is complicated when he reveals to Sarah that he is not in fact blind.
Cast
*
John Hargreaves as Martin Stang
*
Judy Davis as Sarah
*
Dennis Miller
Dennis Michael Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American talk show host, political commentator, sports commentator, actor, and comedian.
He was a cast member of '' Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1991, and he subsequently hosted a str ...
as Ralph
*
Wendy Hughes
Wendy Hughes (29 July 19528 March 2014) was an Australian actress known for her work in theatre, film and television. Her career spanned more than forty years and established her reputation as one of Australia's finest and most prolific actors. ...
as Lucy
*
Max Cullen as Buster
*
Paul Chubb as Reid
*
Wendy Strehlow
Wendy Strehlow ( 1958) is an Australian actress, particularly in soap opera and theatre, she has appeared in numerous TV series and tele-dramas but is probably best known for her role as the much loved nurse sister Judy Loveday in the televisio ...
as Martin's sister
*
Michael Caton as Shapley
*
Colin Friels as Robert
*
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emm ...
as Detective 1
*
Lex Marinos as Detective 2
*John Pear as Eye Specialist
*
Dasha Blahova Dasha may be:
* Dashā, a planetary period in Indian astrology
*''dáśan-'', the Sanskrit for "ten", in the nominative and in compounds
**Dashavatara, the ten avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu
*An alternate transliteration of Dacha, a Russian summ ...
as Eye Specialist's Wife
Production
The film is based on the true story of Carl Synnerdahl, a convict who posed as a blind man to get a lighter sentence and had been forced to keep up the deception.
He told his story to literary agent Rosemary Cresswell, who was doing some work for the Department of Corrective Services, who in turn told the story to producer Errol Sullivan. Several directors were approached to make the movie but turned it down, including
Bruce Beresford, Michael Thornhill,
Phillip Noyce and
Esben Storm. Eventually British director Claude Whatham was imported, which was highly controversial because the movie was made with funds from the Australian tax payer.
Release
The film was not a large success at the box office. However Carl Synnerdahl was released from prison on Errol Sullivan's bond after serving 21 years in prison and he remarried and had three children.
Awards and nominations
Australian Film Institute Awards
*
–
Judy Davis (won)
*
–
John Hargreaves
*
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role –
Max Cullen
*
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Direction
The AACTA Award for Best Direction is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film a ...
–
Claude Whatham
*
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted –
Ken Quinnell
*
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Achievement in Editing – Nicholas Beauman
*
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Costume Design – Ross Major
*
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Achievement in Sound – Gary Wilkins/Andrew Steuart/Peter Fenton
References
External links
*
''Hoodwink''at Oz Movies
* {{Internet Archive film, id=hoodwink-1981
1981 films
Films shot in Australia
Thriller films based on actual events
Crime films based on actual events
Australian thriller films
1980s English-language films
Films directed by Claude Whatham