Strange Bedfellows

By Cassie Roforth

  • Film Credits
  • Criticism
  • Bibliography
  • Presence Online and in the Literature

Film Credits

Strange Bedfellows is a very recent and highly accredited Australian comedy that features an equally accredited cast and crew.

Production Details

Produced by Instinct Entertainment

Released by Becker Entertainment/Film Finance Corporation Australia

DVD Distributed by Magna Pacific

Soundtrack Distributed by Shock Records

Cinema Release Date: 22 April 2004

Genre: Comedy

Certification: USA:R

Duration: 100 minutes

Sound: Dolby Digital Sound Mix

Production Team

Dean Murphy – Director/Co-Screenwriter/Executive Producer

Niger Odell – Producer

David Redman – Producer

Stewart Faichney – Co-Screenwriter/Casting

Roger Lanser – Cinematographer

Dale Cornelius – Composer (Music Score)

Peter Carrodus – Editor

Ralph Moser – Production Designer

Kate Saunders – Art Director

Thomas Augsberger – Executive Producer

Shana Levine – Executive Producer

Jeanie Cameron – Costume Designer

Richard McGrath – First Assistant Director

Deana Murphy – First Assistant Director

Principal Cast

Paul Hogan – Vince Hopgood

Michael Caton – Ralph Williams

Pete Postlethwaite – Russell McKenzie

Glynn Nicholas – Eric

Roy Billing – Fred Coulston

Alan Cassell – Stan Rogers

Shane Withington – Father Xavier Delaney

Paula Duncan – Yvonne Philpot

Monica Maughan – Faith

Kestie Marassi – Carla

Stewart Faichney – Sgt. Jack Jenkins

Criticism

Plot Summary

Strange Bedfellows is an amusing and heartwarming comedy about two old country men who fraudulently pretend to be gay to avoid new tax legislation, but all hell breaks loose when they actually have to prove the legitimacy of their union to a tax inspector. The film begins with Ralph riding a bike from the countryside into a town called Yackandandah, a small and quiet rural town that serves as the main setting for the film. We begin to meet the other characters, the first being Yvonne, the shopkeeper. We next meet Vince, who begins to complain of money troubles that his ex-wife got him into. Evidently his ex-wife left him an old run-down cinema in Yackandandah from a sad divorce and now it is subject to new, harsh tax legislation that will leave an already money-lacking Vince even more broke. They depart for the night and Vince goes to the theater to play a movie (side-note trivia: The film he plays is ‘The Last of the Knucklemen’ (1979) which also features Michael Caton.), and it is then that we realize exactly how broke he is when we see that the projection room above the theater is actually where he lives.

The following day Vince sees the front page of the newspaper, which features an article about how homosexual couples can avoid certain taxes, and that’s when Vince devises the outrageous plan to defraud the government. He then goes to Ralph and proposes the idea of the two of them claiming to be a married couple and without too much thought, Ralph quickly shoots him down. Vince is very persistent and continues to hound Ralph about the idea, once being during a firefighting exercise that becomes very comical because they are very close front to back and moving in a kind of “humping” motion. Despite his efforts, however, Ralph is still unwilling to commit to the fictitious relationship.

Later that night Ralph’s daughter, Carla, calls to tell him that she will be coming in a few days and a kind of compassion comes over him which allows him to accept Vince’s contemptible offer. The next day they fill out the application and send it in, assuming that no one will ever find out about their secret. Very shortly a notice of receipt of the application comes back in the mail and Ralph hurries to go tell Vince about the news. Unknowingly to them, when the mail was received there was a package that had leaked and the shopkeeper, Yvonne, went through the mail, happened upon the letter and read that they are claiming to be a couple. This is something that Yvonne cannot keep to herself so she tells Faith, the town gossip, and she tells everyone else in town. While all of this is happening, Ralph and Vince read the rest of the letter which says that there will be a tax inspector coming to validate their claim, something that creates anxiety in them because if they fail the inspection they will go to jail.

To prepare for their interview with the inspector, they study the actions of the only gay man they know, Eric the hairdresser. They find out that he actually isn’t gay and they use it to blackmail him into teaching them how to “be gay.” Eric decides that to really gather the full concept Vince and Ralph must go to Sydney and be immersed in the culture. To fit in at the night club they buy new, revealing outfits and are immediately taken in by a group of people there, becoming good friends with them. From the Sydney adventure they learned some things about that lifestyle, but are still not ready to meet the tax inspector, Russell McKenzie. Unfortunately for them, Mr. McKenzie awaits them when they get off the bus. They quickly rush back to the house to redecorate and a timely Carla shows up with her lover, which ironically happens to be a girl. In a panic, Ralph makes his own daughter leave so their secret won’t get out. The interview that ensues doesn’t quite convince the skeptical Russell, but they are hopeful and relieved that it is over nonetheless.

Due to the meeting, they are late for the Fireman’s Ball that they have been helping plan and they try to act like their normal straight-selves when they get there, not knowing that everyone thinks they are gay. They play it off until Russell shows up and they have to act gay again. Then, to make it even worse, their new friends from Sydney show up, creating a sense of “uneasiness” in the conservative town folk. If it is possible to make the situation even worse yet, Carla is furious with her father’s reluctance to say more than two words to her since she came to town. This encounter becomes a blessing, however, because it sparks something within him. He gets up on stage and speaks out to the crowd about how what happens in peoples’ personal lives is their own business, how everyone should be accepted no matter what, and that he loves both Vince and Carla.

This timely speech wraps up the story by fixing things with his homosexual daughter, making the townspeople see that this is a personal matter, and convincing Russell of their unity. Russell explains that he thought they were falsely claiming to be gay when he interviewed them, but now believes them because of the display they just showed and also with a little help from Faith. Faith uses this leverage to get a free car tune up from Ralph and a gold pass to Vince’s movie theater.

Review

Strange Bedfellows can be described best as a funny and heartfelt, yet terribly stereotypic, very Australian comedy. Despite a couple bad reviews, I believe Strange Bedfellows is a standout film in Australian Cinema. Its charming ending and moments of laughter make up for the fact that it addresses a serious issue, which is the acceptance of homosexuality in society, by using somewhat offensive stereotypical behavior. It is easy to see that the intention of the movie was not to offend, but rather to humor and touch, and quite possibly enlighten, the audience.

The old town setting and old age characters were very appropriate for this problem that needs to become “old.” The goal of the plot and of the film is to bring about change, in the minds of the people of Yackandandah, in ourselves and in society as a whole. In the end it accomplishes this move from an old way of thinking to a new way, however appropriate or inappropriate the method may have been. The main characters represent a reality of elderly life: both are single, one due to the death of the spouse and one to divorce from the spouse. The actors did a nice job with the material they were given, even though their boundaries were very limited. Because of the humor in the film and the fact that the characters were easy to engage with, I was able to overlook its old fashioned and stereotypical nature. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It captured and held my attention from beginning to end, which is a major feat these days given that new films are starting to become just bad repeats of old ones. I do have the tendency to attach to films emotionally and this one was not any different, as I laughed at some parts and cried at the end.

Critiques

Like most films, Strange Bedfellows received both good and bad reviews, however most displayed a very mixed opinion. On the good end, the ‘Movie Hole’ review (Clint Morris, Moviehole, 2004) says Strange Bedfellows has, “…one of the finest assembled casts for an Australian film in quite some time…Funny, touching, heck, just adorable, Strange Bedfellows is one of the best Australian films in years.” The review by ‘Sunday Online’ (Peter Thompson, Sunday Online, 2004) is also a good one, saying, “It’s very cleverly resolved with a genuinely touching twist at the end…a big-hearted film that comes from a real place. And that’s a welcome change.”

The majority of the reviews for the film noted both good and bad qualities about the film. In the review by ‘ReelTalk’ (David Haviland, ReelTalk, 2005), the criticism is directed more towards the stereotyping of homosexuality, saying, “It’s a pity the script is so offensive, because in other respects the film is quite watchable. Michael Caton gives a winning performance, and even Paul Hogan is bearable.” The review by ‘VideoVista’ (Emily Webb, VideoVista, 2005) directs criticism towards the same aspect, calling Strange Bedfellows “quaintly Australian…the depiction of small town life is quite realistic…plays on every gay stereotype imaginable to draw laughs.”

And like most films ever made, there are those who basically think the film is putrid. A review found on the ‘Internet Movie Database’ (Andrew Staker, IMDb, 2004) says,“There are only three things I found attractive about this gaysploitative venture from co-writer/director Dean Murphy: a national legal acceptance of same-sex relationships, a Travolta-like stride down Oxford Street in a glitzified Sydney and a purpose made photo of two guys in a porno website. The rest – and it feels like there’s lots – hang over like love-handles over happy pants.”

Other Works

Strange Bedfellows was produced by Instinct Entertainment, based in Melbourne. Along with this film, the company has had a hand in making 10 other features and many shorts and documentaries. Apart from this, the list includes such films as You And Your Stupid Mate (2004), Take Away (2002), Till Human Voices Wake Us (2000), Muggers (1998), Sweet Angel Mine (1996), The Young Poisoner’s Handbook (1995), Before The Rain (1994), Funny Man (1994), Lex and Rory (1994), and Just Cruising (1998). (Strange Bedfellows Online)

Co-writer and Director Dean Murphy has enveloped his entire life in the film industry. When he was 17 he wrote, produced, directed and even starred in his first film called ‘Just Cruising’, which ended up being a small warm-up film for him. His next attempt was a film entitled ‘Lex and Rory’, which he also wrote, directed, produced and marketed. This romantic teen comedy received a great deal of publicity and was a step in the right direction for this ambitious 21 year old. He moved to Hollywood to gain experience and returned to Australia to direct the film ‘Muggers’, co-found Instinct Entertainment, produce ‘Till Human Voices Wake Us’ and co-write and direct ‘Strange Bedfellows’. (Strange Bedfellows Online)

Co-writer Stewart Faichney has been a free-lance actor, writer and producer for many years. In 2001 he produced the short film The Upstairs Neighbor, which was successful. He has been Executive Producer for Cinemedia, Line Producer for Abracadabra Films, Casting Director for Instinct Entertainment, and continues as a scriptwriter for television and film. He has appeared in many films as an actor as well. (Strange Bedfellows Online)

Cinematographer Roger Lanser has been hugely successful for his work. Some of his best works are “Swan Song”, “Peter’s Friends”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, “In The Bleak Midwinter”, and “Schneider’s Second Stage”. Strange Bedfellows is Roger’s second film with Dean Murphy and his third with Instinct Entertainment. He has expanded beyond Australia, doing films overseas in the US and UK as well. (Strange Bedfellows Online)

Promotion, Release, Box Office, Accomplishments

Much of the success that Strange Bedfellows had can be attributed to word of mouth, even though there was a great deal of advertising for the film. The television and newspaper advertisements for the film were enticing, but the portrayal of the plot didn’t exactly seem like it would be a must-see film. Though the advertising did tempt some people, the charity screenings that were held across the country four days before the official cinema release drew in the large crowds and from that the word of mouth began. The money raised by the screenings was donated to Variety, The Childrens Charity, which raises money for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children (Strange Bedfellows Online). The promotion for the film and the charity screenings can thank its many sponsors, which include Cooper’s, Tourism Victoria, Ebay, Budget, Yackandandah Tourist Office, Firefly and Yellow Tail (Strange Bedfellows Online).

The film was released 22 April 2004 in around 200 cinemas all across Australia. The release followed a gala event that was held at The Cinema Centre in Albany. It then went on to be released in New Zealand, the United States, the UK, Germany, Thailand, and others to follow on later dates. The movie was released to rent on DVD and VHS in Australia on 8 September 2004, and to purchase on 10 November 2004. (Strange Bedfellows Online)

Since its cinema release in April 2004, Strange Bedfellows has been the highest grossing Australian film at domestic box offices since 2002. The box office figures are around AUD $4,816,495 (Movie Marshall). Because of this accomplishment, the film won the Hoyts Box Office Award at the Australian Movie Convention in August 2004. Also at the convention, Michael Caton and The Cinema Centre won awards as well. Caton won the Australian Star of the Year Award for his outstanding performance as Ralph and The Cinema Centre won the Highly Commended Award for the marketing of the film. Two other cinemas received awards for their inventive marketing of the film as well. (Instinct Entertainment)

Current Place and Value in Australian Cinema

Despite mixed reviews, Strange Bedfellows is a prominent film in Australian Cinema and, moreover, one of the best in the genre of comedy. Its charming ending and moments of laughter along with a stellar cast make up for the fact that it addresses a serious issue using stereotypical behavior. As long as the viewer is able to realize that the intention is to evoke change in the minds of discriminatory individuals through humor, not choosing instead to think that the humor is to demoralize homosexuality, then the movie is enjoyable by all. The reason why the reviews for this film are still mixed is because there are people who already had an appreciation for homosexuality and see this as derogatory and stereotypical, exactly what homosexuals are trying to break away from.

Even with these unfortunate takes on the film, Strange Bedfellows is a movie worth seeing. It isn’t the best Australian film ever made, but it has a certain quality of warmth that brings out true Australian camaraderie. This was another successful Australian film, even breaking into other film markets around the world, and sets standard of excellence for other films to come.

Bibliography and Online and Literature Presence

Interviews

Strange Bedfellows DVD, 2004, Paul Hogan (A Current Affair)

Sunday Online, Australia, 18 April 2004, Dean Murphy,

Online Reviews and Online General Information

Strange Bedfellows, 2004,

Sunday Online, Australia, 18 April 2004, Peter Thompson,

In Film Australia, 2004, Luke Buckmaster,

ReelTalk Movie Reviews, 2004, David Haviland,

VideoVista, 2004, Emily Webb,

Internet Movie Database, 2004, General and Andrew Staker,

Moviehole, 2004, Clint Morris,

The Movie Show, 2004, David Stratton, show/