Three Dollars
Encyclopedia
Three Dollars is a 2005 Australia
n film, directed by Robert Connolly
and based on a novel of the same name
by Elliot Perlman
. It won the 2005 Australian Film Institute Award
for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The film and book tell the story of Eddie (David Wenham
), a principled man with a seemingly stable and happy life. He has a wife, the academic Tanya (Frances O'Connor
), a daughter, Abby (Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnik), is paying off a house and has a job as a government land assessor. Yet when the forces of economic and social change threaten this, he realises just how fragile his reality and security is. After losing his job, he checks his bank balance and realises he has only the 'three dollars' of the title to his name.
Eddie's life also becomes entwined with that of childhood friend Amanda (Sarah Wynter
), whom he unfailingly runs into every nine-and-a-half years, and every time he has just three dollars.
The novel and film are set largely in Melbourne
, at a time when the policies of economic liberalisation was gaining credence in Australian politics and were arguably affecting many lives similarly to Eddie and Tanya. They explore the choices we make between what we have and what might be.
In New Zealand, The Lumiere Reader gave the film 5/5 stars as an "engaging and accessible film which gives the audience plenty to mull over. The cast all bring their roles to life in a fresh, believable fashion and the direction, whilst smart, is not overtly in your face." On the Australian At The Movies Margaret Pomeranz gave the film 3.5/5 and David Stratton gave 4.5/5 stars. TripleJ's Megan Spencer gave the film 4/5 stars, describing the film as "an authentic, intelligent and entertaining snapshot of contemporary middle class life," and, "it does have flaws, however: the key plot device of meeting Amanda over time amounts to...not very much. The ethical dilemma Eddie faces at work is dropped like a hot potato and there were some superfluous scenes that could have easily been trimmed from the cut, which would have made dramatically stronger." Andrew Urban of Australia's Urban Cinefile wrote: "Three Dollars is such a strange film I am tempted to read the novel [...] to see if the tantalising episodes of Eddie's life captured here find some cohesion through the inner voice of literature. The cinematic arts of the film are beyond doubt: Robert Connolly is a natural master of film, and he makes this a fascinating work, filled with little treasures of observation, performance and technique." Louise Keller wrote, "Wenham is excellent as always," and "there's plenty to relate to in Three Dollars, and the moments, like domestic squabbles about whether dinner is a casserole or a stew, ring very true. But at nearly two hours, the film feels overlong."
The film received some mild recommendations, and some harshly negative reviews in the United States. Variety found the film dark, but "far from humorless. An intimate drama of a family man recalling happier times while contemplating a bleak future, this adaptation of Elliot Perlman's 1998 novel shifts uneasily at times around weighty themes, but its essential humanism still strikes chords." But the San Francisco Chronicle called it "a depressing muddle," and, "a person could get a headache trying to figure out" the film. Worse, Film Threat summed up: "I wanted to like this film," but "throw in some homeless people, a few dogs and some really pointless coincidences, and you remember why real life sometimes makes for a boring film."
Nominations
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n film, directed by Robert Connolly
Robert Connolly
Robert Connolly is a politically conscious film director, producer and screenwriter based in Melbourne, Australia.Connolly is best known as the director and writer of the feature films Balibo, Three Dollars and The Bank, and the producer of the high-profile Australian films Romulus My Father and...
and based on a novel of the same name
Three Dollars (novel)
Three Dollars is a novel by Australian writer Elliot Perlman, his first published novel. A movie of the same name based on the novel was released in 2005.-Plot summary:...
by Elliot Perlman
Elliot Perlman
Elliot Perlman is an Australian author and barrister. He has written two novels and one short story collection.-Life:Perlman is the son of second-generation Jewish Australians of East European descent...
. It won the 2005 Australian Film Institute Award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The film and book tell the story of Eddie (David Wenham
David Wenham
David Wenham is an Australian actor who has appeared in movies, television series and theatre productions. He is known in Hollywood for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Carl in Van Helsing and Dilios in 300 and Neil Fletcher in Australia...
), a principled man with a seemingly stable and happy life. He has a wife, the academic Tanya (Frances O'Connor
Frances O'Connor
-Background:O'Connor was born in Wantage, Oxfordshire, England to a pianist mother and nuclear physicist father. When O'Connor was two, her family moved back to Perth, Western Australia. O'Connor was raised a Roman Catholic and attended the Mercedes College in Perth...
), a daughter, Abby (Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnik), is paying off a house and has a job as a government land assessor. Yet when the forces of economic and social change threaten this, he realises just how fragile his reality and security is. After losing his job, he checks his bank balance and realises he has only the 'three dollars' of the title to his name.
Eddie's life also becomes entwined with that of childhood friend Amanda (Sarah Wynter
Sarah Wynter
Sarah Wynter is an Australian actress, most widely known for her roles on American television – such as Kate Warner on the television drama 24 and as Beth on Windfall.-Personal life:...
), whom he unfailingly runs into every nine-and-a-half years, and every time he has just three dollars.
The novel and film are set largely in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, at a time when the policies of economic liberalisation was gaining credence in Australian politics and were arguably affecting many lives similarly to Eddie and Tanya. They explore the choices we make between what we have and what might be.
Reception
The film's received better reviews in Australia and New Zealand than in the United States. Generally, performances, cinematography, and observational details received praise, while direction and story flow received criticism.In New Zealand, The Lumiere Reader gave the film 5/5 stars as an "engaging and accessible film which gives the audience plenty to mull over. The cast all bring their roles to life in a fresh, believable fashion and the direction, whilst smart, is not overtly in your face." On the Australian At The Movies Margaret Pomeranz gave the film 3.5/5 and David Stratton gave 4.5/5 stars. TripleJ's Megan Spencer gave the film 4/5 stars, describing the film as "an authentic, intelligent and entertaining snapshot of contemporary middle class life," and, "it does have flaws, however: the key plot device of meeting Amanda over time amounts to...not very much. The ethical dilemma Eddie faces at work is dropped like a hot potato and there were some superfluous scenes that could have easily been trimmed from the cut, which would have made dramatically stronger." Andrew Urban of Australia's Urban Cinefile wrote: "Three Dollars is such a strange film I am tempted to read the novel [...] to see if the tantalising episodes of Eddie's life captured here find some cohesion through the inner voice of literature. The cinematic arts of the film are beyond doubt: Robert Connolly is a natural master of film, and he makes this a fascinating work, filled with little treasures of observation, performance and technique." Louise Keller wrote, "Wenham is excellent as always," and "there's plenty to relate to in Three Dollars, and the moments, like domestic squabbles about whether dinner is a casserole or a stew, ring very true. But at nearly two hours, the film feels overlong."
The film received some mild recommendations, and some harshly negative reviews in the United States. Variety found the film dark, but "far from humorless. An intimate drama of a family man recalling happier times while contemplating a bleak future, this adaptation of Elliot Perlman's 1998 novel shifts uneasily at times around weighty themes, but its essential humanism still strikes chords." But the San Francisco Chronicle called it "a depressing muddle," and, "a person could get a headache trying to figure out" the film. Worse, Film Threat summed up: "I wanted to like this film," but "throw in some homeless people, a few dogs and some really pointless coincidences, and you remember why real life sometimes makes for a boring film."
Awards
The film won the following awards:- 2005 AFIAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
– Award for Best Screenplay, Adapted - 2005 Film Critics Circle of AustraliaFilm Critics Circle of AustraliaThe Film Critics Circle of Australia is a group of cinema critics that judge Australian films.-External links:**...
– Award for Best Screenplay, AdaptedFilm Critics Circle of Australia Awards 2005The 15th Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, given on 14 November 2005, honored the best in film for 2005.-Winners:*Best Actor:**William McInnes - Look Both Ways*Best Actress:**Cate Blanchett - Little Fish*Best Australian Feature Documentary:...
Nominations
- 2005 AFI Young Actors Award - Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnik (Nominated)
- 2005 AFI Best Actress in a Leading Role - Frances O'Connor (Nominated)
- 2005 AFI Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Robert Menzies (Nominated)
DVD
The DVD release was a two-disc set, produced in 2004, released 15 February 2006. Extras included deleted scenes, storyboards, interviews, three commentary tracks (director, author, and creative team), theatrical Trailer, interviews with the director and lead actors, deleted scenes, musical highlights from the score, storyboard comparisons with commentary, photo gallery, an extra short film (Winged Plague), an essay ("Human Cost Of Economic Rationalism"), audio-only interview by Elliot Perlman of Tony Wilson. The DVD set received an excellent review for its audio, video, and features, in aggregate, 4/5 stars.External links
Outsiderpictures.us.- Three Dollars at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
- Three Dollars at the National Film and Sound Archive Interview.
- Hughes, Emrys (27 April 2005). Three Dollars. Review at State of the Arts.