In My Father's Den (film)
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''In My Father's Den'' is a 2004 New Zealand film written and directed by
Brad McGann Brad McGann MNZM (22 February 1964 – 2 May 2007), was a New Zealand film director and screenwriter. McGann was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1964. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Otago and in 1988 com ...
and starring Matthew Macfadyen and
Emily Barclay Emily Barclay (born 24 October 1984) is an English-born, New Zealander and Australian AFI award winning actress. Career Emily Barclay was born in Plymouth to a General practitioner and a landscape designer, and raised in Auckland, New Zealan ...
. It is based on the novel of the same title by
Maurice Gee Maurice Gough Gee (born 22 August 1931) is a New Zealand novelist. He is one of New Zealand's most distinguished and prolific authors, having written over thirty novels for adults and children, and has won numerous awards both in New Zealand an ...
. The film was released in October 2004 to glowing reviews.


Plot

Following the death of his father Jeff (Matthew Chamberlain), renowned war photographer Paul Prior ( Matthew Macfadyen) returns to his hometown in the
South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
of
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. Paul also reunites with his younger brother Andrew (Colin Moy), a pious local ostrich farmer, who is married to the very religious Penny (
Miranda Otto Miranda Otto (born 16 December 1967) is an Australian actress. She is the daughter of actors Barry and Lindsay Otto and the paternal half-sister of actress Gracie Otto. Otto began her acting career in 1986 at age 18 and appeared in a variety of ...
). Under Andrew's pressure, Paul reluctantly prolongs his stay to help sort out the sale of their father's cottage and the adjoining orchard. Returning to the dilapidated family property, Paul revisits his father's makeshift den in the equipment shed. Jeff, who secretly harboured a love of wine, literature, and free-thinking philosophy, found solace in the den away from his puritanical wife Iris (Vanessa Riddell). When Paul as a child had accidentally stumbled upon this wondrous booklined universe, his father had shared the den with him on the condition that he did not tell anyone else. While back in his hometown, Paul accepts a temporary English teaching position at his old high school. Paul also forges an unlikely friendship with the 16-year-old Celia (
Emily Barclay Emily Barclay (born 24 October 1984) is an English-born, New Zealander and Australian AFI award winning actress. Career Emily Barclay was born in Plymouth to a General practitioner and a landscape designer, and raised in Auckland, New Zealan ...
), a teenaged misfit who loves writing and dreams of traveling to
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
. Celia is the daughter of Paul's former girlfriend Jackie (
Jodie Rimmer Jodie Rimmer (born 1974) is a New Zealand voice and performer actress best known for starring on '' Young Hercules'', as Lilith. Her work includes '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', ''Channelling Baby'', ''The Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretc ...
), the town's butcher. Believing Celia to be his daughter, Paul becomes a father figure for the teenager. Resenting the unwanted attentions of her mother's boyfriend Gareth (
Antony Starr Antony Starr (born 25 October 1975) is a New Zealand actor, known for his television roles. He played the dual roles of Jethro and Van West on '' Outrageous Fortune'' (2005–10), Lucas Hood on ''Banshee'' (2013–16), and Homelander on '' The Bo ...
), Celia seeks solace in Paul's den. Paul and Celia's budding friendship eventually comes under scrutiny from the judgemental Andrew and the envious Jackie. After Paul attacks Gareth for beating Celia, Jackie forbids Paul from having contact with her daughter. Despite the warnings, Celia continues to visit and Paul encourages her in her ambitions as a writer. In the middle of winter, Celia goes missing. Due to their close friendship, Paul becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance and endures the hostility of the town including Gareth and his teenage nephew Jonathan (Jimmy Keen), who fancied Celia. The rest of the film is shown in flashbacks of Paul's teenage years interspersed with his interactions with Celia and final confrontation with Andrew. After Jonathan reveals that his father had confiscated his camera for illicitly photographing Celia, Paul confronts Andrew. Jeff is revealed to be Celia's biological father through an affair with Jackie. Grief-stricken and betrayed, Paul's mother Iris (Vanessa Riddell) had committed suicide. Despite the pleas of Andrew, Paul had left the family home at the age of 17. Hating his father, Andrew came to blame Paul for their mother's death. Paul also learns that Andrew had invited Celia to view their late father's will. Jeff had left a third of his estate to Celia. Mistaking Celia for Andrew's mistress after accidentally viewing Jonathan's photos, an enraged Penny had pushed Celia over the balcony, killing her. To protect his wife, Andrew takes the blame for Celia's death. Believing his father killed Celia, Jonathan calls the police who arrest Andrew. Celia's body is later found in a river. Following the funeral, Paul burns the den and reconciles with Jackie. The film closes with a flashback to the last time Paul saw Celia; they openly talk about being siblings, and they say goodbye as she walks down the road to her untimely death.


Cast

* Matthew Macfadyen as Paul Prior *
Emily Barclay Emily Barclay (born 24 October 1984) is an English-born, New Zealander and Australian AFI award winning actress. Career Emily Barclay was born in Plymouth to a General practitioner and a landscape designer, and raised in Auckland, New Zealan ...
as Celia * Colin Moy as Andrew *
Miranda Otto Miranda Otto (born 16 December 1967) is an Australian actress. She is the daughter of actors Barry and Lindsay Otto and the paternal half-sister of actress Gracie Otto. Otto began her acting career in 1986 at age 18 and appeared in a variety of ...
as Penny *
Jodie Rimmer Jodie Rimmer (born 1974) is a New Zealand voice and performer actress best known for starring on '' Young Hercules'', as Lilith. Her work includes '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', ''Channelling Baby'', ''The Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretc ...
as Jackie * Vanessa Riddell as Iris * Matthew Chamberlain as Jeff *
Antony Starr Antony Starr (born 25 October 1975) is a New Zealand actor, known for his television roles. He played the dual roles of Jethro and Van West on '' Outrageous Fortune'' (2005–10), Lucas Hood on ''Banshee'' (2013–16), and Homelander on '' The Bo ...
as Gareth * Jimmy Keen as Jonathan * Asher Emanuel as Young Paul


Production

Filming locations were mainly in
Central Otago Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference". The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...
, New Zealand, with the town of
Roxburgh Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at leas ...
standing in for the fictional Rapata Junction. Interior scenes of Andrew and Penny's house were filmed in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
. ''In My Father's Den'' was the only feature film and the final work written or directed by McGann, who died of
bowel cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
in 2007.


Awards

The film won the Fipresci Prize at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival, the Mercedes Benz Youth Jury Prize at the 52nd
San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in th ...
in Spain in the same year, the Special Jury Prize at the
Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...
in 2005 and the Grand Prix at the 2005 Festival du Film Britannique de Dinard. It became one of the top 10 grossing New Zealand films.


Critical reaction

The website rottentomatoes.com, which compiles mostly North American reviews, gives the film a 100 per cent "fresh" rating, meaning consistently positive reviews, and with an average rating of 7.2 out of 10. The latter figure is the average from seven reviews. The film also garnered acclaim in many publications. A reviewer for ''The Australian'' described the film as "one of the best films I have ever seen". Meanwhile, ''Empire'' described that "director Brad McGann reveals great skill and bravery in the way he brings the story's insular world to life".


References


External links

*
''Sydney Morning Herald'' movie review

''In My Father's Den''
at
NZ On Screen NZ On Screen is a state-funded online promotional showcase of New Zealand television and film. Funded by NZ On Air, it provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:In My Father's Den (Film) 2004 films 2004 drama films Films based on New Zealand novels New Zealand drama films 2000s English-language films