Noni Hazelhurst Movies
Australian lead actress, onscreen from the late '70s. ~ All Movie Guide
A free-spirited art student and a roguish poet find their addiction to each other taking a back seat to their taste for heroin in director Neil Armfield's intensely personal tale of recreational drug use gone bad. When Candy (Abbie Cornish) and Dan (Heath Ledger) first fell in love, they both thought they had found all they ever needed in life. Despite financial hardships, the pair sustained themselves on the vibrant life force that burned blindingly bright as it promised an invincible future. Their intoxicating romance a blissful altered state of which heroin played only a minor role in the beginning, Candy and Dan soon decide to strengthen their bond by marrying and starting a family. Their manufactured Eden gradually becomes an uncontrollable inferno, however, as Candy's parents slowly pull away due to the pain of witnessing their daughter's slow slide into oblivion, and even chemistry professor Casper (Geoffrey Rush), who was at first complicit in their experimentation, admits that Candy and Dan's blind devotion to the drug is now forever ingrained into their commitment to one and other. As the marriage deteriorates right along with Candy's increasingly fragile mental state, Dan must make the difficult decision to either rescue her or pull away in hopes that the clarity of separation will finally empower her to break free of the addiction that binds her. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, (more)
The 1988 Australian miniseries Shiralee was, like the 1957 film of the same name, based on a bestselling novel by D'Arcy Niland. A shiralee is Australian slang for the bundle carried about by a swagman (a tramp or thief). In this instance, the "bundle" is the 10-year-old daughter of an Australian migrant laborer whose wife has left him. The laborer then takes his daughter on a long, "bonding" trek through the Outback. The effortless expertise of Bryan Brown as the swagman is matched by little Rebecca Smart as his daughter. For its American public TV debut in 1991, The Shiralee was shown in its two-hour version, which was released theatrically in some areas as Macauley's Daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Rebecca Smart, (more)
- 1987
- PG
Not to be confused with the Hong Kong-filmed gangster thriller of the same name, the Philippine-produced True Colors is set during World War II. Noni Hazelhurst stars as a Frenchwoman who is appalled by the Nazi takeover of her village. Running up against indifference and collaboration, Noni struggles to rally her neighbors against the invaders. In lieu of a huge budget, director Pina Amenta concentrates on the personal impact of the war, and succeeds admirably. At 160 minutes, however, True Colors could use just a little snip here or there. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Geoffrey Stubbs has been ignoring his sensual wife Dorothy's sexual needs for some time now. He has a full-time job running his butcher shop and has ambitions as a right-wing politician. Meanwhile, Dorothy has met a real hunk, a rock musician named Todd, who was at a demonstration of sexual appliances that she attended. Ever since then, he has loomed large in her erotic fantasies. The determined housewife eventually gets to bed the man of her dreams, but the experience leaves her unsatisfied. She's still friendly with him though, and he consents to entertain her guests at a big shindig held at her house. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Noni Hazelhurst, Graeme Blundell, (more)
- 1985
The Australian Fran stars Noni Hazelhurst as the title character. A single mother, Fran is selflessly devoted to her children. But something is lacking in her life, and that something is the love of a man her own age. Her efforts to juggle a love life with her home life are largely unsuccessful, resulting in a profound emotional crisis. Fran pulls no punches, and it isn't "easy" entertainment, but it remains a riveting experience for those willing to go the distance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annie Byron, Alan Fletcher, (more)
- 1983
When a pay cut sends Australian dock workers on strike, a group of Italian immigrants are hired to take their place, causing much resentment and hatred on both sides. However, when an Italian woman and an Australian man start up a passionate affair, they discover that they must work to preserve their relationship and stay true to their fellow countrymen. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Monkey Grip is a frank portrayal of a year in the life of a divorced mother (Noni Hazlehurst) living in Melbourne, trying to cope with her daughter and her own relationship with a drug addict while trying to get into the music business. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Friels, Alice Garner, (more)
- 1980
Although it is sometimes billed as an animated feature, this children's story is an entirely live-action film, filled with wacky and silly-looking adults for the amusement of the youngsters. It is, however, based on Fatty Finn, a cartoon-strip character popular in 1930s Australia. Set in the earlier part of the century, the story concerns Fatty, a freckled youngster living in a pleasant suburb who feels the need to cut up a bit just to prove himself, and though he ruffles a lot of feathers, the fact that he is basically a good kid eventually settles them down again. The funny-looking paterfamilias, John Finn, is played by the beloved Australian national treasure Bert Newton. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Oxenbould, Bert Newton, (more)
