''Bush Christmas'' (also known as ''Prince and the Great Race'') is a 1983

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

and a remake of the 1947 film of the same name. The film marked actress

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

's first feature film role. It was filmed on location on the Lamington Plateau,

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. It is also notable for music by the Bushwackers.

Plot

In rural Queensland, the Thompson family, struggling to keep its farm from foreclosure, hopes their horse, Prince, will win the New Year's Cup so that they can use the winnings to pay off the debt. However, two struggling lowlifes, Bill and Sly ( John Ewart and

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...

), find out about the horse and steal it, escaping into the nearby mountain range. With the father off droving cattle and the thieves having sabotaged all forms of transportation and communication before escaping, the Thompson children Helen (

) and John ( Mark Spain), and their English cousin Michael (James Wingrove), saddle up their own horses and go after the crooks on their own, with Manalpuy, a local Aboriginal who works on the farm, assisting them.

Production

At one stage Howard Rubie was announced as director and he was involved in casting. However, for a time it seemed the film might not go ahead so Rubie accepted a chance to direct '' The Settlement'' instead.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p341-342 The movie was shot in Beaudesert and Rathdowney, Queensland. Funding came in part from the Australian Film Commission, the Film and TV Institute (WA), and Queensland Film Corporation.

Release

Box office

''Bush Christmas'' grossed $122,035 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $322,172 in 2009 dollars.

Home media

''Bush Christmas'' was released on DVD by

Umbrella Entertainment Umbrella Entertainment is a privately-held Australian film production and distribution company that began operating in 2001. It is based in Kew, Victoria. Umbrella Entertainment manages the theatrical, physical, and digital releases of Australia ...

in December 2012. The DVD is compatible with all region codes and includes special features such as the theatrical trailer, press kit stills and the script.

References

External links

*
''Bush Christmas'' at the National Film and Sound Archive''Bush Christmas''
at Oz Movies {{Henri Safran 1983 films 1983 drama films 1980s Christmas drama films 1980s English-language films Australian Christmas drama films English-language Christmas drama films Films based on Australian novels Films directed by Henri Safran Films set in Queensland Films shot in Queensland Remakes of Australian films Remakes of British films