Accidents Happen
Encyclopedia
Accidents Happen is a 2010 Australian coming of age
comedy drama film directed by Andrew Lancaster
and starring Geena Davis
, Harrison Gilbertson, Sebastian Gregory, Harry Cook, Joel Tobeck and Sarah Woods. Written by Brian Carbee
, based on his own childhood and adolescence, the story revolves around an accident-prone teenage boy and his family. The film was shot in Sydney
, New South Wales
over June–July 2008, and opened in Australia on 22 April 2010.
wrote Accidents Happen based on his childhood in 1980s Connecticut
, changing his own name to "Billy Conway". He had previously performed in a one person show titled In Search of Mike, which director Andrew Lancaster saw and asked Carbee if he would adapt the show to a short film. Carbee subsequently wrote a novel which served as the basis for his Accidents Happen screenplay. He developed the screenplay through the prestigious Aurora Script Workshop in Sydney, where producer Anthony Anderson had worked and collaborated on his 2004 film
Somersault
. In 2004, the completed script was nominated for an Australian Inside Film Award
for Best Unproduced Screenplay, but it took a further three years to gather finances for the project. Anderson, Carbee and Lancaster successfully applied for funding from Screen Australia
on two occasions; they were granted A$
18,000 in May 2003 to fund drafts of the script, and $50,000 in November 2007. In September 2005, Anderson travelled to New York City with three other Australian producers to meet with investors at No Borders Co-Production Market, a division of the Independent Feature Project Market in which filmmakers attempt to secure financing for their projects. The film was the first production from the Abacus Film Fund, co-founded by producer Heather Ogilvie and corporate advisers BG Capital Corporation. British production company Bankside Films of London also assisted in raising finances and is handling all international sales of the film. The filmmakers received a 40% rebate on all production costs from Screen Australia. Davis was the only American actor to be cast, in spite of the story's American setting; the rest of the cast is Australian, with feigned American accents.
Accidents Happen was originally intended to be filmed in Connecticut, where it is set, but production remained in Australia, where the script had been written, because finances were easier to raise than in the United States. Filming was slated to begin in April 2008 but was delayed until June. Lancaster said that he did "a huge amount of technical preparation" before filming began so that, on the set, he could focus his directing on the actors' performances since the cast was largely inexperienced. Principal photography commenced in early June with scenes shot on a built set at Sydney's Fox Studios
. Most filming took place in and around Kuringgai
, first on Gillian Parade in West Pymble
for a week in late June and then Lincoln St, St Ives
for 1–2 July. Lincoln St residents complained about possible disruptions to Ku-ring-gai Council
, starting a petition to have production moved elsewhere, and threatening to play bagpipes
and wave lights around during filming if it went on as planned. The council then offered a revised filming schedule, cutting filming down by two days and bringing each day's finishing time forward by an hour to 12.30 am, and the producers offered some residents a $500 payment to cover any inconveniences. Filming of the story's integral car crash scene was relocated to another street after the discord.
and was shown at the American Film Market
in November 2008. The final cut of the film had its world premiere on 23 April 2009 at the Tribeca Film Festival
and was screened in June 2009 at the Sydney Film Festival
. It was shown in October 2009 at the Branchage Jersey Film Festival, the Cinéma des Antipodes festival and the Sitges Film Festival.
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
comedy drama film directed by Andrew Lancaster
Andrew Lancaster
Andrew Lancaster is an Australian director.He has been awarded in the Asia-Pacific Film Festival twice. More specific, in 1993 he won the "Best Short Film" award for the film Palace Cafe and in 2002 the "Best Film Award" for the film In Search of Mike....
and starring Geena Davis
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
, Harrison Gilbertson, Sebastian Gregory, Harry Cook, Joel Tobeck and Sarah Woods. Written by Brian Carbee
Brian Carbee
Brian Carbee is a US born, Australian resident scriptwriter of Accidents Happen, the first feature film of Andrew Lancaster, for whom he also wrote and choreographed the multi-award-winning short film In Search of Mike. Carbee has been a dancer and choreographer for various companies including...
, based on his own childhood and adolescence, the story revolves around an accident-prone teenage boy and his family. The film was shot in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
over June–July 2008, and opened in Australia on 22 April 2010.
Premise
Accident-prone 15-year-old Billy Conway (Harrison Gilbertson) is playing with a friend when he causes an almighty crash with a bowling ball and a moving car, and he is forced to face his family's history of misfortune.Cast
- Geena DavisGeena DavisVirginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
as Gloria Conway - Harrison GilbertsonHarrison Gilbertson-Career:Gilbertson began acting at the age of six when he played the character of Sorrow in a local production of Madama Butterfly. He made his screen debut in 2002 playing the role of Greggy in Australian Rules....
as Billy Conway - Harry Cook as Larry Conway
- Joel Tobeck as Ray Conway
- Sebastian Gregory as Doug Post
- Sarah Woods as Dottie Post
- Erik ThomsonErik ThomsonErik Thomson is an actor known for playing Hades in the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Dr. Mitch Stevens in All Saints and Dave Rafter in Packed to the Rafters...
as Bob - Rebecca Massey as Louise
- Morgan GriffinMorgan GriffinMorgan Griffin is an Australian actress. From 2006 until 2007 she starred in the second series of the Nickelodeon show The Sleepover Club....
as Katrina
Production
American-born screenwriter Brian CarbeeBrian Carbee
Brian Carbee is a US born, Australian resident scriptwriter of Accidents Happen, the first feature film of Andrew Lancaster, for whom he also wrote and choreographed the multi-award-winning short film In Search of Mike. Carbee has been a dancer and choreographer for various companies including...
wrote Accidents Happen based on his childhood in 1980s Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, changing his own name to "Billy Conway". He had previously performed in a one person show titled In Search of Mike, which director Andrew Lancaster saw and asked Carbee if he would adapt the show to a short film. Carbee subsequently wrote a novel which served as the basis for his Accidents Happen screenplay. He developed the screenplay through the prestigious Aurora Script Workshop in Sydney, where producer Anthony Anderson had worked and collaborated on his 2004 film
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
Somersault
Somersault (film)
Somersault is an Australian independent film, written and directed by Cate Shortland and released in September 2004. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival...
. In 2004, the completed script was nominated for an Australian Inside Film Award
Inside Film Awards
The Inside Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony and broadcast platform for the Australian film industry, a format created by Australian Producer Andrew Dillon...
for Best Unproduced Screenplay, but it took a further three years to gather finances for the project. Anderson, Carbee and Lancaster successfully applied for funding from Screen Australia
Screen Australia
Screen Australia is the Federal Government’s key funding body for the Australian screen production industry. Its functions are to support and promote the development of a highly creative, innovative and commercially sustainable industry....
on two occasions; they were granted A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
18,000 in May 2003 to fund drafts of the script, and $50,000 in November 2007. In September 2005, Anderson travelled to New York City with three other Australian producers to meet with investors at No Borders Co-Production Market, a division of the Independent Feature Project Market in which filmmakers attempt to secure financing for their projects. The film was the first production from the Abacus Film Fund, co-founded by producer Heather Ogilvie and corporate advisers BG Capital Corporation. British production company Bankside Films of London also assisted in raising finances and is handling all international sales of the film. The filmmakers received a 40% rebate on all production costs from Screen Australia. Davis was the only American actor to be cast, in spite of the story's American setting; the rest of the cast is Australian, with feigned American accents.
Accidents Happen was originally intended to be filmed in Connecticut, where it is set, but production remained in Australia, where the script had been written, because finances were easier to raise than in the United States. Filming was slated to begin in April 2008 but was delayed until June. Lancaster said that he did "a huge amount of technical preparation" before filming began so that, on the set, he could focus his directing on the actors' performances since the cast was largely inexperienced. Principal photography commenced in early June with scenes shot on a built set at Sydney's Fox Studios
Fox Studios Australia
Fox Studios Australia is a major movie studio located in Sydney, Australia, occupying the site of the former Sydney Showground at Moore Park...
. Most filming took place in and around Kuringgai
Kuringgai
Kuringgai is a name referring to an Indigenous Australian people of New South Wales....
, first on Gillian Parade in West Pymble
West Pymble, New South Wales
West Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. West Pymble is located north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
for a week in late June and then Lincoln St, St Ives
St Ives, New South Wales
St Ives is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Ives is located 18 kilometres north of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
for 1–2 July. Lincoln St residents complained about possible disruptions to Ku-ring-gai Council
Ku-ring-gai Council
Ku-ring-gai Council is a Local Government Area in the North Shore region of Sydney. It includes the suburbs of Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble, St Ives, Turramurra, Warrawee, and parts of Roseville, and Wahroonga. The region is named after the Kuringgai tribe who once inhabited the area...
, starting a petition to have production moved elsewhere, and threatening to play bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
and wave lights around during filming if it went on as planned. The council then offered a revised filming schedule, cutting filming down by two days and bringing each day's finishing time forward by an hour to 12.30 am, and the producers offered some residents a $500 payment to cover any inconveniences. Filming of the story's integral car crash scene was relocated to another street after the discord.
Release
Select footage of Accidents Happen was screened to potential distributors at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival2008 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This 33rd annual festival was from September 4 to September 13, 2008...
and was shown at the American Film Market
American Film Market
The American Film Market is a film industry event held each year at the beginning of November in Santa Monica, California. About 8,000 people attend the eight day event to network and to sell and acquire films...
in November 2008. The final cut of the film had its world premiere on 23 April 2009 at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
and was screened in June 2009 at the Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
. It was shown in October 2009 at the Branchage Jersey Film Festival, the Cinéma des Antipodes festival and the Sitges Film Festival.
External links
- Accidents Happen at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...