''Hoodwink'' is a 1981 Australian thriller film directed by

Claude Whatham Claude Whatham (7 December 1927 in Manchester – 4 January 2008 in Anglesey) was an English film and TV director mainly known for his work on dramas. Early life In 1940, Whatham, a teenage evacuee art student, had been commissioned to paint fa ...

and written by

Ken Quinnell Ken Quinnell (born 1939) is an Australia screenwriter and film director. Journalism Quinell has a background in publishing and freelancejournalism, including working for ''Screen International'' and ''Rolling Stone''. In the 1960s he was a m ...

. It stars John Hargreaves and

Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress in film, television, and on stage. With a career spanning over 40 years, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Frequen ...

with

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 ...

in his feature film debut. The film is based on the true story of a well-publicised Australian con artist. It was nominated for eight

Australian Film Institute Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry, ...

, with Davis winning the Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Plot

Martin Stang, a bank robber (Hargreaves) finds himself behind bars and decides to pursue another con job; his escape. He does this by attempting to convince prison authorities that he is blind and no longer poses a threat to society. Along his journey he befriends a sexually-repressed clergyman's wife, Sarah (Davis). The pair become intimate during Martin's day release but his con is complicated when he reveals to Sarah that he is not in fact blind.

Cast

* John Hargreaves as Martin Stang *

as Sarah *

Dennis Miller Dennis Michael Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American talk show host, political commentator, sports commentator, actor, and comedian. He was a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1991, and he subsequently hosted a stri ...

as Ralph *

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 Lucy *

Max Cullen Max Cullen (born 29 April 1940) is an Australian stage and screen actor. He has appeared in many Australian films and television series but is best known for his role in the film ''Spider and Rose'' and the television series ''The Flying Doctors ...

as Buster *

Paul Chubb Paul Dunford (14 January 1949 – 9 June 2002), professionally billed as Paul Chubb, was an Australian film, television and stage actor and scriptwriter primarily in genres of comedy and drama. Early life He was born in Arncliffe, a suburb of Sy ...

as Reid *

Wendy Strehlow Wendy Strehlow ( 1958) is an Australian actress, particularly in soap opera and theatre, she has appeared in numerous TV series and tele-dramas but is probably best known for her role as the much loved nurse sister Judy Loveday in the televisio ...

as Martin's sister *

Michael Caton Michael Caton (born 21 July 1943) is an Australian television, film and stage actor, comedian and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series ''The Sullivans'', Darryl Kerrigan in 1997's low-budget hi ...

as Shapley *

Colin Friels Colin Friels (born 25 September 1952) is a Scottish-born Australian actor of theatre, TV and film and presenter Early life Friels was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland.Interview with Colin Friels, ''George Negus Tonight'' (ABC Television ...

as Robert *

as Detective 1 *

Lex Marinos Alexander Francis Marinos (born 1 February 1949) is an Australian actor. Notable for his acting role as Bruno, the Italian son-in-law of Ted Bullpitt, on the 1980s Australian comedy television series ''Kingswood Country'' and as host of ''Late ...

as Detective 2 *John Pear as Eye Specialist *

Dasha Blahova Dasha may be: * Dashā, a planetary period in Indian astrology *''dáśan-'', the Sanskrit for "ten", in the nominative and in compounds ** Dashavatara, the ten avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu *An alternate transliteration of Dacha, a Russian sum ...

as Eye Specialist's Wife

Production

The film is based on the true story of Carl Synnerdahl, a convict who posed as a blind man to get a lighter sentence and had been forced to keep up the deception. He told his story to literary agent Rosemary Cresswell, who was doing some work for the Department of Corrective Services, who in turn told the story to producer Errol Sullivan. Several directors were approached to make the movie but turned it down, including

Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. Beresford's notable films he has directed include ''Br ...

, Michael Thornhill,

Phillip Noyce Phillip Noyce (born 29 April 1950) is an Australian filmmaker. Since 1977, he has directed over 19 feature films in various genres, including historical drama (''Newsfront'', ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'', ''The Quiet American''); thrillers (''Dead Cal ...

and

Esben Storm Esben Storm (26 May 1950 – 28 March 2011) was a Danish Australian actor, screenwriter, television producer, television director, voice artist and songwriter. He was well known for his work with the Australian Children's Television Foundation ...

. Eventually British director Claude Whatham was imported, which was highly controversial because the movie was made with funds from the Australian tax payer.

Release

The film was not a large success at the box office. However Carl Synnerdahl was released from prison on Errol Sullivan's bond after serving 21 years in prison and he remarried and had three children.

Awards and nominations

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role The AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role is an accolade given by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest ach ...

–

(won) *

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role The AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achieve ...

– John Hargreaves *

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role is an award in the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. It has been awarded annually since 1974. Previous winners ReferencesAfi.org.au — AFI Award Winners {{Australia ...

–

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Direction The AACTA Award for Best Direction is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film a ...

–

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted is an award in the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. It has been awarded annually since 1967. In 2011, it was changed to the AACTA Awards. While the category of Be ...

–

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Achievement in Editing The AACTA Award for Best Editing is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film a ...

– Nicholas Beauman *

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Costume Design The AACTA Award for Best Costume Design is an accolade given by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in ...

– Ross Major *

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Achievement in Sound The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Achievement in Sound is awarded yearly by the Australian Film Institute for excellence in sound editing. The award was first distributed in 1977 with the first winner being William Anderson for the fi ...

– Gary Wilkins/Andrew Steuart/Peter Fenton

References

External links

*
''Hoodwink''
at Oz Movies * {{Internet Archive film, id=hoodwink-1981 1981 films Films shot in Australia Thriller films based on actual events Crime films based on actual events Australian thriller films 1980s English-language films Films directed by Claude Whatham