Bob Baines Movies
Three young skaters desperate to drop out of suburbia and land a sponsor defy the rules to take part in skateboard legend Tony Hawk's beach-bowl competition in an ollie-popping, rail-sliding tale that shows just how far a little determination and a healthy dose of persistence can go in life. As word spreads through the suburbs that 12-time world champion skater Hawk is making the rounds to scout for upcoming talent, three skilled young street sharks who know they have what it takes to make the cut vow to enter the competition at any cost. Their bid for skateboard stardom hits a notable roadblock, however, when the trio learns that not only is the competition miles away, but that their desperate determination to succeed is only exceeded by the determination of their disapproving parents and teachers to ensure that they don't venture outside of the neighborhood. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Kennedy, Richard Wilson, (more)
Three people discover jealousy and larceny are a dangerous combination in this tense drama. John (Bryan Brown) is a veteran insurance investigator who succumbs to temptation and veers towards the wrong side of the law. With the help of novice con man Ben (Tom Long), John hatches a scheme to substantiate false claims by taking a percentage of several questionable claims his firm has settled for a fraction of their usual worth. John and Ben are assisted in their illegal business by Louise (Claudia Karvan), a lawyer with a cocaine problem who is also John's lover. But when Louise becomes involved with Ben and demands a bigger share of the money, their already-shaky confidence game begins to collapse. Risk was adapted from the short story "The Adjustor" by Tracy Kidder. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Tom Long, (more)
- 1994
This Australian road movie avoids melodrama and mush as it depicts the relationship between a feisty old woman and the young misanthropic ambulance driver who must take her home. The film opens with the sight of an old woman wandering a country road. She is in deep shock. The camera then moves to the scene of a fatal crash caused by her husband who dozed at the wheel. As a result of the tragic accident Rose was hospitalized for a year. The film moves to the present as she is finally ready to leave and go home to her farm. It is a six hour drive. She will be taken by Spider, an obnoxious young man disgruntled at the prospect of spending his last day driving an old bat home. The two opposites begin irritating each other from the moment the journey begins. Eventually they do become more receptive to one another. Thanks to an errant kangaroo, their journey is suddenly paused. This leads them to a series of adventures, including one involving Jack, an aged beekeeper. He and Rose find themselves attracted to each other. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ruth Cracknell, Simon Bossell, (more)
Three years before he became a household name in Hollywood with 1997's L.A. Confidential, Russell Crowe starred in this Australian drama, the directorial debuts of Geoff Burton and Kevin Dowling. Crowe plays Jeff Mitchell, a young gay man and the son of widower Harry Mitchell (Jack Thompson). The two live together while they both search for a special someone with whom to spend their lives. And while Harry is more than comfortable with Jeff's sexuality, his new lady friend isn't, leading to tension and a personal struggle for Harry. Based on the play by screenwriter David Stevens, The Sum of Us was the 1994 recipient of the Austalian Film Institute's Best Adapted Screenplay award. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, (more)
- 1990
The three-part British-Australian TV production The Paper Man could be described as the miniseries equivalent of Citizen Kane. John Bach headed the huge cast as Philip Cromwell, a canny Australian entrepreneur who through "ways of his own" became his country's most powerful media mogul. Any resemblance between Cromwell and the real-life Rupert Murdoch was, of course, purely coincidental. Telecast in 1990, The Paper Man was seen in the United Kingdom via Granada Television, and in Australia over that continent's ABC network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Bach, Oliver Tobias, (more)
- 1989
When Caz Lederman's child is born with brain damage, she sues doctor Ian Gilmour for malpractice. As the film shows, Gilmour's procedures are indeed questionable (and graphically photographed -- fair warning to those with queasy stomachs). But it is also clear that the doctor, a last-minute replacement for Gilmour's regular gynecologist, did not intentionally endanger the mother and child, and that the cesarean operation was performed under extraordinarily difficult conditions. When Gilmour is found guilty of malpractice, he is ordered to spend a year in extra training -- an extreme measure that, the film argues, should be imposed upon all obstetricians before a delivery-room disaster occurs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Caz Lederman, Bob Baines, (more)
- 1988
The two-part TV movie Emma: Queen of the South Seas stars the incredibly lovely Barbara Carrera. The film is based on the true story of Samoan princess Emma Coe. Part One takes place in the 1860s, as teenaged Emma (Rebekah Elmaloglou) dreams of an exotic life beyond the confines of her hated convent school. In part two, the grown-up Emma (Carrera), now ensconced in Samoa, valiantly defends her country against British colonization. Hal Holbrook and Thaao Penghlis play the most significant men in Emma's life. Syndicated to independent TV outlets, Emma: Queen of the South Seas was first telecast the week of April 23-29, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
This production of the Bard of Avalon's famous stage comedy is based on a successful Australian stage production from the mid-1980s. It is a story of love, shipwreck, disguises and mistaken identities, and relies for much of its wit (and believability) on the willing suspension of disbelief. This is, by all accounts, much more easily achieved in the live theater than on film, which is such an intensely visual and "realistic" medium. Thus, the mistaken identify of the twins Viola and Sebastian, the crux of the plot, becomes somewhat difficult to credit when the role is played by the impeccably feminine Gillian Jones -- despite which, Ms. Jones won great praise from the critics for her acting. Aside from that small complaint, this is a spirited and lively production which is set in a present-day never-never land, performed by some of the keenest thespians on any side of the globe. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gillian Jones, Jacqy Phillips, (more)
- 1979
Australia was a powerhouse in world swimming competitions long before the U.S.'s Mark Spitz was a gleam in his father's eye. Foremost among these sports heroes was high-spirited Dawn Fraser, who won four gold medals at three Olympics (1956, '60 and '64). This clear-sighted biographical drama explores Fraser's life before, during and just after her competitive years. Fraser was forever getting herself into trouble, and she consistently rebelled against authority. Among the many dramatic events which marked her career, she was banned from Australian swimming for 10 years after stealing a flag during the Tokyo ('64) Olympics. The movie underscores her strong family ties and her attachment to Balmain, the working-class suburb of Sydney she grew up in, which makes her later career as a Member of Parliament for the area easier to understand. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bronwyn MacKay-Payne, John Diedrich, (more)
