''Storm Boy'' is a 1976

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

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 ...

based on the 1964 book of the same name by

Colin Thiele Colin Milton Thiele AC (; 16 November 1920 – 4 September 2006) was an Australian author and educator. He was renowned for his award-winning children's fiction, most notably the novels '' Storm Boy'', ''Blue Fin'', the ''Sun on the Stubble'' s ...

, about a lonely boy and his pet pelicans living in a coastal wilderness with his reclusive father. It was the third feature film made by the

South Australian Film Corporation South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) is a South Australian Government statutory corporation established in 1972 to engage in film production and promote the film industry, located in Adelaide, South Australia. The Adelaide Studios are managed ...

, and is a highlight of the New Wave of Australian Cinema from the 1970s. The film was financed by SAFC, Seven Network and the

Australian Film Commission The Australian Film Commission (AFC) was an Australian government agency was founded in 1975 with a mandate to promote the creation and distribution of films in Australia as well as to preserve the country's film history. It also had a producti ...

Plot

Mike (

Greg Rowe Greg Rowe (born 1964 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian former child actor who starred in Australian films such as '' Storm Boy'' (1976) and ''Blue Fin'' (1978), both based on novels by Colin Thiele. His last film was ''Freedom'' ( ...

) is a lonely young boy wandering through the fierce deserted coast of South Australia's Coorong, near the mouth of the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest r ...

. He and his reclusive father 'Hide Away' Tom (

Peter Cummins Peter Cummins (born 2 June 1931 in Melbourne) is an Australian retired character actor of stage and screen and chorister who was especially prominent in the 1970s and appeared in some of the most famous Australian films of the period. He was pa ...

) live in the isolated sand dunes facing the

Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...

. In search of friendship, Mike encounters another recluse in the wilderness, Fingerbone Bill (

David Gulpilil David Dhalatnghu Gulpilil (1 July 1953 – 29 November 2021), known professionally as David Gulpilil and posthumously (at his family's request, to avoid naming the dead) as David Dalaithngu for three days, was an Indigenous Australian actor ...

), an Aboriginal man estranged from his tribal people. Fingerbone names Mike "Storm Boy" and enlists the child's help caring for three orphaned pelican chicks. Eventually, Mike's Dad insists that he release the grown birds back into the wild. However one particular pelican, named '

Mr Percival Mr Percival (1976 – 2 September 2009) was an Australian pelican, noted for his appearance in the 1976 Australian film '' Storm Boy''. He was one of three trained pelicans used in the film, based on the 1964 novel of the same name. He lived at t ...

' by Mike, returns. The bird forms a deep bond with the boy until sadly, Mr Percival is shot by duck shooters. With the wise guidance of Fingerbone Bill, Mike learns of the cycle of life and is eventually sent by his father to attend boarding school for which the people of the nearby village raised the money.

Cast

Production

Colin Thiele had little involvement in the scripting of the film. His only requirement was that his novel was not turned into a sex comedy.Paul Davies, "Sonia Borg", ''Cinema Papers'', Oct-Nov 1978 p109-111, 162 The budget came from the South Australian Film Corporation, the Australian Film Commission and the Seven television network. Shooting began in May 1976, with exteriors shot near Goolwa and interiors in the SAFC's studio at Norwood. Eleven-year-old Greg Rowe was an untrained actor, selected from over 70 applicants. Three pelicans played the lead pelican. In 2009 Mr Percival died at Royal

Adelaide Zoo Adelaide Zoo is Australia's second oldest zoo (after Melbourne Zoo), and it is operated on a non-profit basis. It is located in the parklands just north of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It is administered by the Royal Zoologic ...

, aged 33 years old. The production team later reunited on ''

Blue Fin ''Blue Fin'' is a 1978 Australian family film directed by Carl Schultz and starring Hardy Krüger, Greg Rowe and Elspeth Ballantyne. It is based on a 1969 Australian novel written by Colin Thiele. Plot Based on the children's novel by South ...

'' (1978).

Reception

''Storm Boy'' was a hit, grossing $2,645,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $13,674,650 in 2009 dollars.

Awards

It was a popular children's film both in Australia and Britain and won a medal at the

Moscow Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...

in 1977 for best children's film.

Remake

In 2016, the 40th anniversary of the original film adaptation, Screen Australia announced support for a remake of the 1976 film. Australia's National Film and Sound Archive also placed on limited releasing a digital re-mastering of the original 1976 film, for use at film festivals. The new '' Storm Boy'' film, produced by Michael Boughen and Matthew Street, has a screenplay written by Justin Monjo and is directed by Shawn Seet.Dayman, Isabelle. (26 July 2016).
Storm Boy remake with actor Geoffrey Rush about to start filming in SA Coorong
, ''

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

'', Australia. Retrieved 19 December 2017. The cast includes

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy ...

, Finn Little,

Jai Courtney Jai Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film ''Jack Reacher'' (2012). He has gone on to star in ''A Good Day to ...

and

Erik Thomson Erik Thomson is a Scottish-born New Zealand-Australian actor. He is known for playing Hades in the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', ''Xena Warrior Princess'' and ''Young Hercules'', Dr. Mitch Stevens in '' All Saints'' an ...

References

External links

* *
''Storm Boy''
at the

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

''Storm Boy''
at Oz Movies
Australian Film Commission''Storm Boy''
at

Australian Screen Online The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

''Storm Boy'' at Box Office Prophets
{{Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film 1970–1989 1976 films 1976 drama films Australian children's drama films Films about birds Films based on Australian novels Films based on children's books Films directed by Henri Safran Films set in South Australia Films set on beaches 1970s children's drama films Films about Aboriginal Australians 1970s English-language films