''Rooted'' is a 1969 Australian play by Alex Buzo.

1985 film

''Rooted'' is a made-for-TV Australian film based on the play by

Alex Buzo Alexander John Buzo (23 July 194416 August 2006) was an Australian playwright and author who wrote 88 works. His literary works recorded Australian culture through wit, humour and extensive use of colloquial Australian English. Biography Ear ...

.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p133 It was produced for the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

(ABC) and released in 1985.

Cast

*Kathleen Allen as Diane *

Shane Connor Shane Connor (born 3 April 1959) also billed/credited as Shane Feeney-Connor, is an Australian actor, who has had extensive experience in stage, television and film productions, both locally and internationally in the United Kingdom and United St ...

*James Laurie as Bentley *

Peter Mochrie Peter Mochrie (born 23 March 1959), is an Australian actor whose career spans over forty years in the industry, primarily featuring in television soap opera's, he has also worked in New Zealand, where he spent six years as Dr. Callum McKay in ...

as Richard *

Genevieve Mooy Genevieve Mooy is an Australian actress. She has had a career on both stage and screen. She has appeared in stage productions such as ''Coral Browne - This F***ing Lady'' and ''The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race'' She was a regular on the first ...

as Sandy *

Terry Serio Terry Serio is an Australian actor, director, musician and singer-songwriter. He has played recurring roles in several television series, including ''Blue Heelers'', ''Halifax f.p.'' ''Ocean Girl'', '' All Saints'', '' Young Lions'', ''Home and A ...

as Gary *Ian Spence

Production

Buzo was approached to make the film by

Alan Burke Alan S. Burke (September 15, 1922 – August 25, 1992) was an American conservative television and radio talk show host who was on the air primarily in New York City from 1966 to 1969 on WNEW-TV. Life He was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1922 ...

. "He approached me to do this for what I felt were all the right reasons," said Buzo. "I thought he would do it with style and flair, rather than being pedestrian and naturalistic. But I didn't breathe my sigh of relief with Rooted until I saw the final version." The film was set in Manly in the mid-sixties. According to Buzo, "I've been told Rooted hasn't dated, but with a telemovie it has got to have a more definite time and place." Buzo said making a telemovie was tough. "It is so silent, it is like swimming underwater. When I saw the rough cut I was a bit shocked because the film medium seems unsubstantial compared to the stage... I think the stage is more malleable; if something doesn't work you can change it immediately. If something doesn't work on television you just can't go back and change it." Buzo was happy with the end product. "If all television could turn out like this I would be very happy because if it bad been done badly it would nave reflected on the play. If it is good, it's like having something embalmed, like having St Rooted." The film remained stylised. "I hate the naturalism of all these mini-series," said Buzo. "It is so boring. I prefer things to be like Rooted, more quirky, like a black comedy."

References

External links

* * * Australian television films 1985 television films 1985 films Australian films based on plays Australian plays 1969 plays 1980s English-language films {{Australia-tv-film-stub