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Deborra-Lee Furness Movies

2010  
PG  
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Director Zack Snyder teams with screenwriters John Collee and John Orloff to adapt author Kathryn Lasky's popular series of children's books about a group of kidnapped owlets who take flight to save their kingdom from an ancient evil by locating the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole. As a young hatchling, Soren would sit transfixed whenever his father would tell the tale of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole and their tireless efforts to defeat the malevolent Pure Ones, whose aim was to exterminate the entire owl population. After hearing the high-flying tales of adventure, Soren would fantasize about gliding through the clouds with the brave owl soldiers while his jealous older brother, Kludd, attempted to gain their father's favor by becoming a skilled hunter. One day, Kludd's anger gets the best of him, and the next thing he knows he's tumbling over the edge of the nest with Soren. But instead of falling to the ground, the siblings are quickly snatched up by the dreaded Pure Ones, and are taken to a place where their parents will never find them. Incredibly, Soren and group of fearless young owls manage to stage a daring escape. With the future of the owl kingdoms hanging in the balance, brave Soren and his newfound friends travel to the ends of the earth in hopes of finding the mythical Great Tree and convincing the Guardians of Ga'Hoole to help defeat the Pure Ones once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sam NeillGeoffrey Rush, (more)
 
2009  
R  
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A 14 year old shutterbug is persuaded by his beautiful 17 year old neighbor to investigate a series of bizarre abductions when the gorgeous girl voices suspicions that a reclusive widow from their wealthy suburb is to blame for the unsolved crimes. Sunshine Hills was the kind of place where nothing bad ever happened - until the local teenage girls began to vanish without a trace. Now paranoia has taken hold, and everyone's a suspect. Meanwhile, adolescent photographer Daniel begins focusing his lens on Suzy, a stunning beauty whose amateur sleuthing has led her to suspect that the withdrawn widow in number 46 has a hand in the disappearances. Suzy knows that she can use her beauty to manipulate Daniel into doing her bidding, but as the mystery grows so too does the danger of crossing the path of someone who will stop at nothing to continue their malevolent crime spree unabated. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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2009  
 
The actions of a handful of troubled young people are seen from two different perspectives in this drama from Australian filmmaker Ana Kokkinos. Daniel (Harrison Gilbertson) has a combative relationship with his parents and acts out by stealing; when challenged by his mother, he breaks into a neighbor's house and accidentally causes the death of an elderly woman. Orton (Reef Ireland) has run away from home and is stranded in the big city; his younger sister Stacey (Eva Lazzaro) finds him living in a clothing donation box, where she shares with him stories of abuse at the hand's of their mom's lovers. Katrina (Sophie Lowe) and Trisha (Anastasia Baboussouras) are bored and aimless kids who turn to alcohol and petty theft to pass the time. And Trisha's brother Roo (Eamon Farren), who has recently embraced his homosexuality, is approached by a photographer who says the young man could have a future in modeling, not knowing he primarily deals in pornography. As we follow these teenagers over the course of twenty-four hours, we next also witness the same span of time as it was experienced by their mothers, in particular Bianca (Miranda Otto), a gambling addict who seems more like a sibling than a parent to her daughter Katrina, and Rhonda (Frances O'Connor), a single mother struggling with poverty and bad choices who will soon have to deal with a new baby as well as Orton and Stacey. Blessed was adapted from the play Who's Afraid Of The Working Class, with playwrights Andrew Bovell, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius and Christos Tsiolkas penning the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Frances O'ConnorMiranda Otto, (more)
 
2008  
R  
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Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Hopper, Nick Stahl, AnnaSophia Robb, and Deborra-Lee Furness star in a family drama detailing the efforts made by an 12-year-old girl to come to terms with her mother's abandonment. Tara's (Robb) mother, Joleen (Theron), just can't seem to get her life together. Her boyfriend has recently been arrested for growing marijuana, and rather than attempting to create a stable living environment for her daughter, Joleen instead places Tara in foster care before vanishing without a trace. Joleen's brother, James (Stahl), isn't exactly the picture of equilibrium, yet he does feel sympathetic toward his niece and obligated to help her though such difficult times. After breaking Tara out of foster care, James and his newly freed niece set out on the open road together. Destination: nowhere. But every road has an end, and before long James and Tara find themselves at James and Joleen's father's farm. James has always avoided thinking about his violent childhood, though he realizes that in order to break the vicious cycle of dysfunction that the family has fallen into he must finally confront the demons of his past. Now, as Tara begins to understand why her missing mother has lived such a tumultuous life, James prepares for the confrontation that could bring his family closer together than ever before, if it doesn't destroy them first. William Maher, who served as visual effects supervisor for the 2005 Sundance film The Chumscrubber, makes his feature directorial debut with a film based on an original screenplay by that film's scribe, Zac Stanford. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Nick StahlAnnaSophia Robb, (more)
 
2006  
R  
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A family is touched by the shadows of hatred and violence in this Australian drama adapted from a short story by Raymond Carver. Stewart (Gabriel Byrne) and Claire (Laura Linney) are a married couple in their early fourties; Stewart runs a gas station while Claire looks after their son, Tom (Sean Rees-Wemyss). Tom has been grounded for the weekend after killing a small animal with his friend Caylin (Eva Lazzaro), and Claire keeps an eye on him while Stewart goes off on a fishing trip with his pals Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis), and Billy (Simon Stone). After arriving at their favorite fishing spot, Stewart finds the naked body of a woman floating down the river; unbeknownst to him, Gregory (Chris Haywood), an elderly man riddled with racial hatred, killed Susan (Tatea Reilly), a young woman of Aboriginal heritage, and dumped her body in the water. Believing they wouldn't be able to drive to town to report finding the body and get back to make camp before nightfall, Stewart decides to wait until morning to contact the police, and ties a line to the corpse so it won't float away. The next morning, Stewart and his friends decide not to spoil their trip and spend the day fishing; they don't contact the police until after they return home on Monday. Stewart's callous actions cast an ugly light on himself, his friends, and his family, and Claire finds herself implicated in the crime through Stewart's poor judgment. Named for an Aboriginal word for a valley, Jindabyne received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Laura LinneyGabriel Byrne, (more)
 
1998  
 
In the tradition of Babe and Paulie, this Australian family fantasy-adventure features mouthy macaw Mac (portrayed by Tango and three bird stand-ins). Mac, who once witnessed treasure buried on a South Sea Island, is owned by elderly eccentric bird collector Ben Girdis (Jason Robards). His son Rick Girdis (Joe Petruzzi) plans to pay off Ben's debts by putting him in a nursing home and selling Ben's house. Ben's 15-year-old grandson Sam (Jamie Croft), who wants to save Ben's home, discovers that Mac can speak (with a Spanish accent). After Mac proposes a search for the buried treasure, Sam, the bird, and anthropologist Lance Hagen (John Waters) set off on an expedition. Unfortunately, a luxury hotel has been erected directly over the treasure, causing feathers to fly as the determined Sam and Mac continue to seek the treasure while eluding hotel staffers. The film was directed by Mario Andreacchio, who previously made the talking-dog movie Napoleon. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Starring:
Jamie CroftJason Robards, Jr., (more)
 
1995  
R  
In this unusual romantic drama from Australia, Harry (John Lynch) and Kate (Jacqueline McKenzie) are both patients at a psychiatric care facility. While in therapy, the two meet and fall in love, in spite of their troubled pasts. Despite the potential complications they might foresee with the relationship, Harry's main sources of support, his brother Morris (Colin Friels) and Morris's wife Louise (Deborra-Lee Furness), are more concerned with Harry's stability and happiness than anything else, and they soon give him their blessing to marry Kate. However, it soon becomes obvious that love does not conquer all. Kate becomes pregnant, and her doctors try to persuade her to have an abortion. They believe that her mental illness could be passed along to her child, that she would not make a fit mother, and that her medication for schizophrenia could have a harmful effect on the fetus. Kate is convinced that the angel Astral speaks to her, and that the child she carries is his earthly incarnation; she refuses to have an abortion, but compromises by not taking her medication while pregnant. Harry stops taking his as well, but the couple's happiness is short-lived when their increasing instability leads to tragic consequences. Angel Baby won seven Australian Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
John LynchJacqueline McKenzie, (more)
 
1995  
 
Created by Michael Caulfield, Tony Cavanaugh, and Simone North, the Australian drama series Fire was divided into two basic story lines, each telecast over a period of 13 weeks. In the first continuity, the combined forces of the Brisbane police and fire departments endeavored to track down a deadly arsonist. The second story line was a complicated affair, interweaving elements of arson, revenge, and sexual harassment. Co-produced by Beyond Productions and Extra Dimensions, Fire was broadcast in Australia from 1995 to 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1993  
 
Based on a novel by satirical comedian (and dedicated environmentalist) Ben Elton, the British miniseries Stark was set in the bleak near-future, with mankind facing utter extinction due to rampant pollution. The action took place in Australia, home base for the Stark Conspiracy, a secret organization of politicians and corporate fat cats who intended to save themselves from Armageddon at the expense of everyone else on earth. When zillionaire Sly Morgan (Colin Friels) was invited to join the Stark group, gonzo journalist CD Dobson (played by author Ben Elton himself) intended to uncover the facts behind the organization. To this end, he began romancing Rachel (Jacqueline McKenzie), an activist in league with a group of overaged hippies who hoped to destroy Stark and save the world on their own. A co-production of BBC2 and Australia's ABC network, Stark originally aired in Britain in three 55-minute installments, from December 8 to 22, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1992  
PG  
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A failed effort to revive the big-budget movie musical, Newsies attempted to create toe-tapping, song-and-dance excitement out of the true story of an 1899 strike by newspaper boys against publishing magnate Joseph Pulitzer. The "newsies" band together to protest a pay cut by Pulitzer (Robert Duvall), organizing a union to protect their rights and ensure fair wages. They are helped along the way by Medda (Ann-Margret), a local dance-hall performer who befriends the boys and provides an opportunity for an additional song or two. Director Kenny Ortega had previously choreographed Dirty Dancing, and composer Alan Menken had provided the acclaimed scores for Beauty and the Beast and Little Shop of Horrors, but their work here failed to capture the spark of their popular successes. Unable to connect with older or younger viewers, Newsies gained a reputation as a major bomb that cut short an attempt to bring back the live-action musical, though in the intervening years it has gained a small but appreciative cult. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

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Starring:
Christian BaleDavid Moscow, (more)
 
1991  
PG13  
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Set in the 1950s, Voyager concerns the travels of an American construction engineer (Sam Shepard) who is wandering throughout Europe, recounting his life story through a series of flashbacks while meeting a variety of new characters. At first, he meets a man whom he knew during his time as a student in Europe in the days before World War II. Shortly afterward, he meets a beautiful young German woman (Julie Delpy), whom he accompanies on a journey to her home in Athens, Greece. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Starring:
Sam ShepardJulie Delpy, (more)
 
1990  
 
In this Australian drama, a group of female friends return from locations around the world to help another friend have her child. While there, they reminisce and catch up on their current lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Deborra-Lee FurnessFrank Whitten, (more)
 
1990  
R  
Four cops make the painful discovery that not everyone on the force is upholding the law in this crime drama. Frank Daly (Brian Dennehy), Wayne Gross (Joe Pantoliano), Ricky Rodriguez (Jeff Fahey), and Howard Jones (Bill Patxon) are four undercover cops with the Los Angeles Police Department who work as a team to solve the cases that their colleagues consider too tough to handle. Under Daly's supervision, the four are trying to get the goods on a drug dealing operation working out of a meat packing plant. However, a raid on the plant uncovers little practical evidence, and Daly, a moody and hard-drinking loose cannon, is sharply criticized by his superiors for planning the bust without the input from the department heads or the FBI. Convinced that there's more to the case than they've been able to find so far, the four men begin looking into the matter on their own time. The deeper they dig, the more shocking the evidence becomes, as they learn that the police, the FBI, and even the Federal Government are involved in the smuggling operation, and the parties involved are perfectly willing to use violence and murder to keep troublemakers out of their way. After Jones is murdered while collecting evidence on a businessman in on the operation, the other three quit the police force, determined to see justice done even if they have to overstep the boundaries of the law to do it. Last of the Finest was also released under the titles Blue Heat and Street Legal. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Brian DennehyJoe Pantoliano, (more)
 
1989  
R  
Ann Turner wrote and directed this genuinely creepy amalgam of Father Knows Best and Death Wish. Celia Carmichael (Rebecca Smart) is a lonely nine-year-old girl growing up in the Melbourne suburbs in the late 1950s, who is the victim of several traumas with horrific results. She first finds her grandmother's dead body. Then she has nightmares from a book read to her at school. For a spell, her troubles are abated when a new family moves in next door with three children for Celia to play with. But her parents forbid her to play with the children because the parents are members of the Communist Party. It all comes to a head when, because of a national plague of rabbits, the Victoria State government orders a turning over of all domestic rabbits. When her uncle confiscates her beloved pet rabbit and discovers that it has died in the Melbourne Zoo, Celia explodes in violent revenge. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Starring:
Rebecca SmartNicholas Eadie, (more)
 
1989  
 
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People start dying pretty early on in this slasher flick, while they are attempting to shoot a music video on a remote lake in the Australian outback. Despite the plethora of gory deaths, the pretty artistes still attempt to have a good time by swimming, etc. Needless to say, this only puts them in still greater danger. Why, why won't they take these deaths sufficiently seriously? Don't they know there's a deranged man out there who will kill again and again and again....? ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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Starring:
Alan DaleCraig Alexander, (more)
 
1988  
 
The troubles in Northern Ireland are the backdrop for this made-for-television drama about an IRA hitman assigned to seek revenge against a defector. Patrick Bergin stars as Michael McGurk, an IRA terrorist who suffers from a guilty conscience after a bombing takes the lives of innocent citizens. After handing himself over to the police and turning on his former allies, McGurk and his family are shipped off to Australia as part of a witness protection program. Vowing to avenge the disloyalty to the Army, the IRA puts a hit out on McGurk and his family. Elliott Gould stars as Callaghan, the retired IRA hitman who is called upon to track down and murder the McGurks. Shot partially in Belfast, London, and Sydney, this political thriller has a running time of over three hours. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

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1987  
R  
When her bike breaks down on a cross-country motorcycling holiday, lawyer Asta Cadell (Deborra-Lee Furness) stops off in a small Australian town to find a mechanic. Once there, she discovers that the women in the town are being raped and terrorized by a group of local thugs. While the townsfolk turn a blind eye on the boys' misbehavior, Asta vows to help young rape victim Lizzie Curtis (Simone Buchanan) seek justice. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

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Starring:
Deborra-Lee FurnessTony Barry, (more)
 
1987  
 
Career counsellor Michael Thornton (Chris Haywood) decides to change his career and become an actor in this low-budget comedy. He dreams of performing Shakespeare but ends up in a television ad where only his hands appear on camera. He finds a friend in actress Mary McAllister (Nicole Kidman) until she is called to Hollywood to star in a horror feature. Katrina Foster plays Michael's understanding wife Helen, who supports him while he pursues his elusive dream. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

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Starring:
Chris HaywoodNicole Kidman, (more)
 
1986  
PG  
In a slow-moving drama that is not likely to gain many adherents in this age of increasing environmental concerns, Steve (Jon Blake) is a forest ranger who is caught at the heart of a battle between devious conservationists (and their hand-maidens in the socialist government) on the one hand, and honest, hard-driving cattlemen on the other. Steve's love interest, Joanna (Lisa Armytage) complicates matters since her family comes down hard on one side of this debate. Predictable and cliched, this is not at all in the same class as director George Miller's first great hit, The Man from Snowy River. (This Aussie George Miller is not to be confused with his compatriot, the former physician turned director who struck gold with his Mad Max series.) ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Jon BlakeLisa Armytage, (more)
 
1985  
 
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Ruben Blades stars in this low-budget independent salsa musical (filmed in Spanish Harlem at a cost of $600,000), chronicling the rise and fall of a salsa artist who wants to hit the big time. Blades plays Rudy Veloz, a salsa musician who grabs one-night gigs in Latino nightclubs. He idolizes Julio Iglesias and dreams of putting together a band that will incorporate a blend of musical styles so that Rudy can crossover to mainstream commercial success. However, he is warned by his mentor, Cheo Babalu (Virgilio Marti), that his music is garbage and that he should write from the soul. Rudy ignores him, pursuing his passion for middle-of-the-road success. Rudy is noticed at a concert by a record producer, who puts out a successful single of one of Rudy's tunes. The success of the single goes to Rudy's head, and he walks out on his loyal girlfriend Liz (Elizabeth Pena) and drops his long-time manager, Ray (Frank Robles). But Rudy can't match his hit single with another crossover tune and his producer drops him. Without support of the producer or his friends, Rudy falls back into obscurity. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Starring:
RubĂ©n BladesShawn Elliott, (more)
 
1985  
 
Woven around premises that are hard to swallow, this is a saccharine story of how the love of a child can transform the worst situations into a day of sunshine. But since the child's mother, Carol (Deborra-Lee Furness), becomes a prostitute at one point, this is not exactly Disney fare either. Carol lives with Lindsay (Ivar Kants), who dotes on Carol's daughter, Jenny (Tamsin West), even though she does not seem particularly dotable. Cynical viewers will think "incest," but not so. Carol gets irked at Lindsay and moves out with Jenny to stay with Gaynor (Paula Duncan), a friend who happens to be a prostitute. Carol decides to try Gaynor's profession and after one night's work, she brings home 500 dollars -- the wages of sin can be profitable. Lindsay, now dying of an incurable illness, steals Jenny away from this life of vicarious inequity -- and Carol, overwhelmed by a suddenly awakened conscience, rushes to Lindsay's bedside. As harps play, the story continues on into even more rarified strata. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Tamsin WestDeborra-Lee Furness, (more)