| Mullet | |
| Director: | David Caesar |
| Producer: | Vincent Sheehan |
| Starring: | Ben Mendelsohn Susie Porter |
| Music: | Paul Healy |
| Cinematography: | Bob Humphreys |
| Runtime: | 89 minutes |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $1 million[1] |
| Gross: | $1.5 million approx.[2] [3] |
Mullet is an Australian film released in 2001, written and directed by David Caesar, and starring Ben Mendelsohn, Susie Porter and Andrew Gilbert.
In the film, Eddie (Ben Mendelsohn) returns to his home town on the south coast of New South Wales. Having left for the city without explanation 3 years ago, he tries to pick up the pieces of his life and fit back into the lives of those he left, including his ex-girlfriend Tully (Susie Porter) and brother Pete (Andrew Gilbert). The title of the film comes from Eddie's nickname and from his attempts to make a living poaching mullet.
The film succeeds in a very human portrayal of the difficulties in living on the fringe of a close-knit community. The drama of the developing relationships is supported by very dry comedy (archetypical Australian humour) and detailed but understated design.
| Actor | Character | |
|---|---|---|
| Eddie 'Mullet' Maloney | ||
| Tully | ||
| Peter Maloney | ||
| Belinda McClory | Kay | |
| Col Maloney | ||
| Gwen | ||
| Robbie | ||
| James | ||
| Paul Kelman | Gary | |
| Jones | ||
| Terry | ||
| Jim Webb | Big Bloke | |
| Winger | ||
| Publican (voice) |
The film is based on a short story written by Caesar, who grew up on the South Coast of New South Wales. It was shot mostly in Kiama over four weeks in June 2000, with a budget of approximately . From conception to completion, the process of making Mullet took eight years.[4] [5]
Filming locations include Chapman Oval at Blowhole Point, the fish shop at Kiama Harbour, Kiama Police Station and Seven Mile Beach. Originally, Sheehan had intended to shoot interiors in Sydney, but found the cost of doing so was prohibitive within the film's budget.
Cameos include Bryan Brown as the voice of the never-seen publican, Steve Starling as a mullet wrangler and Australian rugby league player Mick Cronin on the steps of his Cronin’s Hotel in the town of Gerringong. The Kiama Knights rugby league club were also involved in production.[6]
AFI Awards, 2001
Australian Screen Sound Guild, 2001
Australian Writers' Guild, 2001
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, 2001
Shanghai International Film Festival, 2001
Mullet grossed approximately $1.5 million at the box office in Australia.[7] [8]