Chris Noonan Movies
Australia-born director Chris Noonan made an auspicious debut when he helmed the delightful barnyard fantasy Babe (1995), the story of a piglet who learns to herd sheep. The film was nominated for several Oscars and won for best visual effects. Noonan's interest in filmmaking began in childhood, but it was his father's encouragement that helped him realize his dream. At age 16, he made his first short film Could It Happen Here? (1969) and won a prize at the Sydney Film Festival. In 1973, Noonan and classmates Gillian Armstrong and Phillip Noyce were among the first students at the Australian Film and Television School. For the first five years following graduation, Noonan worked for Film Australia, making short films and documentaries. In 1980, he documented the lives of a troupe of actors suffering from Down's Syndrome and other mental handicaps, His Stepping Out, which earned Noonan considerable acclaim. In 1985, he directed the Australian television miniseries The Chowra Breakout. Noonan directed his first television movie, The Riddle of the Stinson, in 1988. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Picking up where "Who Are the Debolts?" left off, this program shows the family as the children move into adulthood. ~ All Movie Guide
A young pig fights convention to become a sheep dog -- or, rather, sheep pig -- in this charming Australian family film, which became an unexpected international success due to superior special effects and an intelligent script. The title refers to the name bestowed on a piglet soon after his separation from his family, when he finds himself on a strange farm. Confused and sad, Babe is adopted by a friendly dog and slowly adjusts to his new home. Discovering that the fate of most pigs is the dinner table, Babe devotes himself to becoming a useful member of the farm by trying to learn how to herd sheep, despite the skepticism of the other animals and the kindly but conventional Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell). Because technically impeccable animatronics and computer graphics allow the farm animals to converse easily among themselves, first-time director Chris Noonan can treat the film's menagerie as actual characters, playing scene not for cuteness but for real emotions. The result is often surprisingly touching, with Noonan and George Miller's script, based on Dick King-Smith's children's book and, indirectly, a true story, seamlessly combining gentle whimsy and sincere feeling. These same qualities are embodied by in Cromwell's beautifully understated performance as Farmer Hoggett, which anchors the film. Despite its unlikely premise and low profile, Babe's inspirational story was embraced by audiences and critics, and the movie became an international sleeper that won an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It was followed in 1999 by the less successful Babe: Pig in the City. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
This rental contains both Babe and Babe: Pig in the City
This rental contains both Babe and Babe: Pig in the City
- Starring:
- James Cromwell, Christine Cavanaugh, (more)
- 1999
Australian newcomer Davida Allen's film is a sharp, funny look at a woman's attempts to balance her passions with her responsibilities. All Vicki (Susie Porter) wants is passionate, romantic sex. Unfortunately, she finds herself married to a self-absorbed doctor who is rarely home and saddled with two screaming babies. She is not feeling sexy. At first she resorts to Walter Mitty-like fantasies about big muscular men. But when she takes a part-time job as a painting instructor and catches the eye of a sultry bohemian type, she risks losing her husband and her family. Later she manages to fuse her fantasies with her artistic urges in a manner both funny and touching for the man she loves. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susie Porter, Tamblyn Lord, (more)
The true story of the woman who created some of the most beloved characters in children's literature comes to the screen in this drama leavened with elements of comedy and romance. Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger) is a imaginative but gently eccentric woman living in the socially and intellectually confining circumstances of Victorian England. Potter's wealthy parents are eager for her to marry a successful man and settle down, but she has ideas of her own, and has been writing and illustrating a series of stories for children centered around a character she calls Peter Rabbit. Potter's efforts to find a publisher for her stories prove difficult, but in time she finds a firm who agrees to give her book a chance, and Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor) is put in charge of the project. While Warne is new to the publishing game, he believes Potter has great talent and potential, and throws himself into the work with enthusiasm. A strong personal bond grows between Potter and Warne, and in time he asks her to marry him; however, Beatrix's parents do not approve of Norman, and she is forced to choose between her mother and father and the man she loves. Norman's sister Mille (Emily Watson) urges Beatrix to follow her heart, and she accepts Norman's proposal, but fate has other plans. Miss Potter was directed by Chris Noonan, who created an international sensation with his first feature film, Babe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, (more)
