''My First Wife'' is a 1984 Australian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Paul Cox. The film won several AFI Awards in 1984.

Plot

The film follows the dissolution of John and Helen's marriage and the aftermath.

Cast

* John Hargreaves as John *

Wendy Hughes Wendy Hughes (29 July 19528 March 2014) was an Australian actress known for her work in theatre, film and television. Her career spanned more than forty years and established her reputation as one of Australia's finest and most prolific actors. ...

as Helen *Lucy Angwin as Lucy *David Cameron as Tom *

Anna Maria Monticelli Anna Maria Monticelli is an Australian actress, screenwriter and producer. Monticelli won the 1994 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in '' Silver City''. In 2001 she was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Original ...

as Hilary *Betty Lucas as Helen's Mother *Lucy Uralov as John's Mother *

Robin Lovejoy Robin Casper Lovejoy, OBE (17 December 1924 – 14 December 1985) was an Australian director, actor, and designer best known for his work on television and in theatre. He was one of Australia's leading theatre directors of the 1960s and 197 ...

as John's father *

Charles 'Bud' Tingwell Charles William Tingwell AM (3 January 1923 – 15 May 2009), known professionally as Bud Tingwell or Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, was an Australian film, television, theatre and radio actor. One of the veterans of Australian film, he acted in his ...

as Helen's Father *

Jon Finlayson Jon "Finno" Finlayson (23 March 193812 September 2012) was an Australian actor and writer. He was known for his roles in the films '' Lonely Hearts'' (1982) and ''The Magic Show'' (1983). He was also well-known from his numerous television ro ...

as Bernard *

Julia Blake Julia Blake (born 1936) is an English–born Australian actress. She is known for her small screen role as Nancy McCormack on the Australian drama series ''Prisoner'' (''Prisoner: Cell Block H''), for which she appeared during the final season ...

as Kirstin

Production

The film was based on the breakdown of Cox's marriage. He started writing the script, showed it to

Bob Ellis Robert James Ellis (10 May 1942 – 3 April 2016) was an Australian writer, journalist, filmmaker, and political commentator. He was a student at the University of Sydney at the same time as other notable Australians including Clive James, Germa ...

and the two men wrote the screenplay together. (Ellis says they spent a day and a half on it.) The film was shot mostly at a house in Williamstown in Melbourne.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p99-100

Music

Choir: Members of the Tudor Choristers directed by David Carolane Christoph Willibald Gluck: "Orpheus & Euridice". Berliner Symphoniker – Hermann Prey Conductor – Horst Stein Joseph Haydn - "Paukenmesse" Bayerischen Rundfunks Symphony Orchestra & Chorus Conductor – Rafael Kubelik, Polygram Ann Boyd - "As I crossed a Bridge of Dreams", "Cycle of love", Faber Music Ltd. Carl Orff - "Carmine Burana" Czech Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus, Conducted by Vaclev Smetacek, Supraphon Rene Geyer - "Hot Minuets", Mushroom Records, Australia Frans Sussmayr - "Grandfather's Birthday Celebration", Hungarian Radio Children's Chorus, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Conductor – Laszlo Csanyl

Box office

''My First Wife'' grossed $413,199 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $1,049,525 in 2009 dollars.

Awards

''My First Wife'' won in 1984 AFI Awards in the Best Actor in a Lead Role (John Hargreaves), Best Director (Paul Cox), Best Original Screenplay (Paul Cox, Bob Ellis) categories and was nominated in 4 more categories. Paul Cox also won the 1986 Grand Prix award at the Flanders International Film Festival in 1986.IMDb awards
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References

External links

* *''My First Wife'' at th
Australian screen
1984 films Australian drama films Films directed by Paul Cox 1984 drama films Films shot in Melbourne 1980s English-language films 1980s Australian films {{1980s-drama-film-stub