''Ruby and Rata'' is a 1990 New Zealand
comedy-drama
Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
film, directed and produced by
Gaylene Preston
Dame Gaylene Mary Preston (born 1 June 1947) is a New Zealand filmmaker with a particular interest in documentary films.
Early life and family
Born in Greymouth on 1 June 1947, Preston was educated at Colenso High School (now William Colenso ...
.
Plot summary
Ruby (
Yvonne Lawley) is an 83-year-old woman who has just failed her driving test and is worried about her ability to cope with day-to-day life at her age. She asks her nephew Buckle (
Simon Barnett
Simon Barnett (born 23 March 1967) is a radio and television host and presenter in New Zealand.
Career
Barnett hosted ''Clash of the Codes'', a television programme in the 1990s where sportspeople participated in various physical challenges. He ...
), posing as a real estate agent, to arrange to lease part of the house she owns to a potential housemate to assist her with various chores. The new tenant is Rata (
Vanessa Rare
Vanessa Rare is a New Zealand film and television actress, screenwriter and director. She is of Ngāti Pu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pukenga and Ngāpuhi iwi descent.
Career
Rare's screen debut was as Rata in the 1990 comedy film '' Ruby and ...
)—a well-dressed, smooth-talking young woman of
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
descent who works for a large finance company. Once she has moved in, it becomes apparent that Rata is actually a cleaner at the firm, has a young son named Willie (
Lee Metekingi), and is in trouble with social services over welfare payments. Rata is also hoping to make it big as a singer in a punk band, The Apocalypse, which is reliant on her accessing the supposed "fortune" of her new housemate/landlady to pay for sound equipment. An unusual relationship develops between Ruby, Rata and Willie, with each of them manipulating the others in some way, but forming a bond and dependence on each other.
[
]
Cast
* Yvonne Lawley – Ruby
* Vanessa Rare
Vanessa Rare is a New Zealand film and television actress, screenwriter and director. She is of Ngāti Pu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pukenga and Ngāpuhi iwi descent.
Career
Rare's screen debut was as Rata in the 1990 comedy film '' Ruby and ...
– Rata
* Lee Metekingi – Willie
* Simon Barnett
Simon Barnett (born 23 March 1967) is a radio and television host and presenter in New Zealand.
Career
Barnett hosted ''Clash of the Codes'', a television programme in the 1990s where sportspeople participated in various physical challenges. He ...
– Buckle
Production
''Ruby and Rata'' was filmed in and around the Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
suburb of Mount Albert.
Awards
''Ruby and Rata'' won four awards at the 1990 NZ Film Awards: Best Editing, Best Soundtrack, Best Film Score and Best Performance (Male).
References
External links
*
''Ruby and Rata''
at NZ On Screen
1990 films
1990s New Zealand films
1990s English-language films
Films set in New Zealand
Films shot in New Zealand
New Zealand comedy-drama films
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