''The Getting of Wisdom'' is a 1977

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

n film directed by Bruce Beresford and based on the 1910 novel of the same title by Henry Handel Richardson. The film is set in 1890s Victoria, when Laura (

Susannah Fowle Susannah Fowle (born 1958 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian actress. Film She is best known for her role as Laura Tweedle Rambotham in the film ''The Getting of Wisdom'' (after the novel ''The Getting of Wisdom'' by Henry Handel Richar ...

) enters an exclusive

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 metro ...

ladies' college based on Methodist Ladies' College. The film follows her struggle for acceptance, conformity, romance, friendship and achievement over the next four years. Lesbian overtones between a schoolgirl and a music teacher are made explicit in the film, more so than in Richardson's novel. It also starred Barry Humphries, John Waters and Terence Donovan, and featured early career appearances by Kerry Armstrong, Sigrid Thornton, Noni Hazlehurst, Maggie Kirkpatrick and

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 ...

. A musical theme runs through the story, with piano works by

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

, Schubert and

Thalberg Thalberg or Talberg is a surname of German origin, which means "valley hill". It may refer to: *Irving Thalberg (1899–1936), American film producer * Irving Thalberg Jr. (1930–1988), American philosopher * Norma Thalberg (1902–1983), Canadian ...

played by

Sarah Grunstein Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a ...

Plot

Laura Rambotham is sent to attend boarding school in Melbourne at the turn of the century. During her second year she tells everyone about a made-up romance between herself and the school's minister, Reverend Shepherd. She forms an attachment with her music teacher, Evelyn. When Evelyn leaves, Laura throws herself into her studies and wins the school literary and music prizes.

Cast

as Laura Tweedle Rambotham *Hilary Ryan as Evelyn * Terence Donovan as Tom McNamara * Patricia Kennedy as Miss Chapman *

Sheila Helpmann Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, meanin ...

as Mrs. Gurley *

Candy Raymond Candida Raymond (born 1950) is an Australian actress of film and television during the 1970s and early 1980s. She attended St Ives High School in Sydney. Professional career As a teenager she played small guest roles in Australian television ...

as Miss Zielinski * Barry Humphries as Rev. Strachey * John Waters as Rev. Shepherd *

as Isabella Shepherd *Diana Greentree as Maisie Shepherd * Monica Maughan as Miss Day *

Dorothy Bradley Dorothy Maynard Bradley (born February 24, 1947) is an American former politician from Montana. She was elected to eight terms in the Montana House of Representatives, serving from 1971 to 1978 and 1985 to 1992. Bradley now lives in Clyde Park, M ...

as Miss Hicks *Kay Eklund as Mrs. Rambotham * Maggie Kirkpatrick as Sarah * Phillip Adams, cameo role as mathematics teacher * Kerry Armstrong as Kate, one of the worldly-wise students * Sigrid Thornton as Maria, one of the worldly-wise students * Celia De Burgh as M.P. *Kim Deacon as Lilith *Alix Longman as Chinky *Jo-Anne Moore as Tilly *Amanda Ring as Cupid *Janet Shaw as Bertha *Karen Sutton as Pin, Laura's sister

Production

Bruce Beresford wanted to make the film after '' The Adventures of Barry McKenzie'' (1972) and tried to get finance from Reg Grundy. Grundy said he would think about it if Beresford made a McKenzie sequel. Beresford made '' Barry McKenzie Holds His Own'' (1974) but Grundy declined to make ''Wisdom''.David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p46 The film was the first production from the newly formed Victorian Film Corporation, who provided $100,000 with additional funding from 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 ...

and the Nine Network. Six thousand girls were interviewed for the school pupil roles. It was shot at the Methodist Ladies' College and in the town of Eddington in January and February 1977.

Production crew

*Bruce Beresford – Director *Michael Lake- Assistant Director *Russel Karel – Production Manager *Donald Alpine – Director of Photography *John Stoddart – Production Designer *William Anderson- Editor *Anna Senior – Costume Designer *Desmond Bone-Sound Recording *Gary Wilkins- Sound Recording *Peter Fenton-Sound Mixing *Moya Iceton – Continuity

Box office

''The Getting of Wisdom'' grossed $982,000 at the box office in Australia,''Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office''
/ref> which is equivalent to $4,517,200 in 2009 dollars.

Awards

''The Getting of Wisdom'' was nominated for five AFI Awards in 1978 and won in the Best Adapted Screenplay (Eleanor Witcombe) category.

References

External links

* *''The Getting of Wisdom'' at th
Australian screen''The Getting of Wisdom''
at Oz Movies {{DEFAULTSORT:Getting of Wisdom, The 1977 films 1977 drama films Australian drama films Films shot in Melbourne Films about classical music and musicians Films based on Australian novels Films directed by Bruce Beresford Films set in Melbourne Films set in the Victorian era Films set in colonial Australia 1970s English-language films