''Mallboy'' is an Australian film released in 2001, written and directed by Vincent Giarrusso, which depicts the difficulties faced by an adolescent trying to grow up in a community plagued by
social problems
A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's cont ...
.
Plot
Shaun is a fourteen-year-old boy who prefers to spend time with his friends at shopping centres in suburban
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, rather than attending school. Demoralised in life with unsupportive friends, an out of touch and patronising social worker, arguments with his mother and his father having been convicted for
burglary
Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...
, he finds that there is little reason to be optimistic in life.
Shaun's life slowly begins to change for the better when his father is released from gaol. Hoping that they can now pursue a meaningful relationship, he is disappointed when he finds his father is not reciprocal. Ironically having once seen his father as a positive
role model
A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. The term ''role model'' is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, who hypothesized that individuals compare themselves ...
, Shaun eventually resolves to avoid the life his father has lived on overcoming his initial distress and feelings of rejection. Not long after his teenage sister gives birth, he decides, with the support from his mother, to leave his family and friends behind to start a new life in a home for disadvantaged adolescents.
Response
Unlike Australian comedies, ''Mallboy'' is a film which depicts (some)
bogan
Bogan ( ) is Australian slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated. Depending on the context, the term can be pejorative or self-deprecating. The prevalence of the term bogan ...
s in a serious manner. A scene includes Shaun's mother holding his father's welcome back party and getting high on
amphetamines
Substituted amphetamines are a class of compounds based upon the amphetamine structure; it includes all derivative compounds which are formed by replacing, or substituting, one or more hydrogen atoms in the amphetamine core structure with sub ...
, after which she starts a fight with his father's new girlfriend. Various other scenes also include
drug use, fighting and confrontational
swearing.
Box office
''Mallboy'' grossed $140,742 at the box office in Australia,.
See also
*
Cinema of Australia
The cinema of Australia had its beginnings with the 1906 production of ''The Story of the Kelly Gang'', arguably the world's first feature film. Since then, Australian crews have produced many films, a number of which have received internati ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Triple J ReviewIMDB PageMallboy at the National Film and Sound ArchiveMallboy
at Oz Movies
2001 films
2001 drama films
Australian drama films
Films about dysfunctional families
Films shot in Melbourne
Films set in Melbourne
2000s English-language films