The Quest (also
known as Frog Dreaming) might not
please the director’s die hard fans who tend to prefer the over-the-top quality
of things like Stunt Rock (1978) or Turkey Shoot (1982), but in terms of
Brian Trenchard-Smith’s development as a quality filmmaker with a well-defined
sensibility and style, I feel that he reached his pinnacle in 1986 with the
release not only of The Quest but Dead-End Drive In as well. I find the film to be one of the most honest
children’s adventures around, deliberately avoiding all of the labored
nostolgia and patronizing sentimentality of Stand
By Me, released just a year ealier.
Henry Thomas plays 14-year-old Cody, a parent-free American boy living
in Australia with a caring but rather laissez-faire guardian. Sharp and curious, Cody explores the vast
wilderness around him and discovers a dank pond where strange rumblings from
below have got people suspecting supernatural happenings. While getting to the bottom of the mystery,
Cody’s scientific mind does not preclude him from accepting wisdom from the
local aboriginal tribesmen. Like the
best of such films ostensibly aimed at kids, The Quest manages to make a lot of profound observations about
provincialism, superstition, community and individual character. Written by Everett DeRoche, author of fine
Australian thrillers like Long Weekend (1978)
and Road Games (1981).
No comments:
Post a Comment