''Because He's My Friend'', also known as ''Love Under Pressure'', is a 1978 Australian TV movie about a married couple and their mentally disabled son. It was one of six telemovies made in Australia as co-productions between
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
and
Transatlantic Enterprises.
[Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p12] It was the final film of veteran American director
Ralph Nelson
Ralph Nelson (August 12, 1916 – December 21, 1987) was an American film and television director, producer, writer, and actor. He was best known for directing '' Lilies of the Field'' (1963), '' Father Goose'' (1964), and '' Charly'' (1968 ...
.
Plot
Eric, a Canadian naval officer serving with the Royal Navy is transferred to Australia for a submarine training exercise. He moves to Sydney with his wife Anne and their 12-year-old mentally disabled son Petey.
Anne takes her son to a special school, who encourage her to take a firmer line with her son. This results in a clash with Eric.
Cast
*
Karen Black
Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portr ...
as Anne
*
Keir Dullea
Keir Atwood Dullea ( ; born May 30, 1936) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' and its 1984 sequel, '' 2010: The Year We Make Contact''. His other film rol ...
as Eric
*
Jack Thompson as Geoff
*
Tom Oliver
Tom Oliver (born 12 June 1938) is a British naturalised Australian retired actor.
Oliver is best known locally and internationally for his long-running role in TV soap opera ''Neighbours'' as Lou Carpenter, a role he played for 25 years bec ...
as Ian
*
Barbara Stephens as Meg
*
June Salter
June Marie Salter AM (22 June 193215 September 2001) was an Australian actress and author prominent in theatre and television. She is best known for her character roles, in particular as schoolteacher Elizabeth McKenzie in the soap opera ''Th ...
as Val
*Warwick Poulsen as Petey
*
Michael Long as Matt
Production
Ralph Nelson signed to direct in July.
Shooting took place in Sydney starting August 15 through to October 1977 over six weeks. Scenes were shot at Karonga House Special School in Epping in August. Permission had been obtained from the Subnormal Children's Welfare Association. The association was happy to co-operate because the activity of the film unit would be good therapy for children.
Jack Thompson filmed his scenes while on a break shooting his role in ''The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith''. It was one of many films he made around this time where he supported American stars.
Reception
The critic from the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' said the character of the son was "winning and repulsive at the same time."
Another reviewer for the same paper called it " warm, touching and utterly honest... a darned good movie, and its climax will not disappoint you."
Warwick Poulsen's performance earned him a Logie for Best Performance by a Juvenile.
References
External links
*
Because He's My Friendat Letterbox DVD
Because He's My Friendat BFI
Because He's My Friendat Screen Australia
Australian drama television films
1978 television films
1978 films
1970s English-language films
{{Australia-tv-film-stub