The Boys (1998 film)

The Boys
The Boys DVD cover
Directed by	Rowan Woods
Screenplay by	Stephen Sewell
Based on	The Boys by Gordon Graham
Produced by	Robert Connolly John Maynard
Starring	David Wenham Toni Collette Lynette Curran John Polson Anthony Hayes
Cinematography	Tristan Milani
Edited by	Nick Meyers
Music by	The Necks Alan Lamb
Distributed by	Roadshow Entertainment
Release date	7 May 1998 (1998-05-07)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English

The Boys is a 1998 Australian drama film directed by Rowan Woods. The screenplay by Stephen Sewell is based on the play by Gordon Graham, with Graham influenced by the 1986 murder of Anita Cobby,^[1] with the play first performed by Griffin Theatre Company under the direction of Alex Galeazzi.

Plot[]

After serving time in prison for an assault on a liquor store employee, Brett Sprague is released from prison and returns home to his two brothers and his and their girlfriends, mother and stepfather. Things have changed, and as Brett begins to drink his way through the day, he regains his "top-dog" position one argument at a time. This power trip gets Brett and his brothers united in rage against their girlfriends and mother, and they are involved in a heinous crime. The aftermath of the night unfolds through the story with flashforwards.

Cast[]

• David Wenham – Brett Sprague
• Toni Collette – Michelle
• Lynette Curran – Sandra Sprague
• John Polson – Glenn Sprague
• Anthony Hayes – Stevie Sprague
• Jeanette Cronin – Jackie
• Anna Lise Phillips – Nola
• Pete Smith – George
• Sal Sharah – Nick

Production[]

The Boys is Rowan Woods' directorial debut, and actor Peter Hehir's last film before he retired from acting. Woods "aimed to achieve a combination of documentary-style naturalism with the edge of a thriller." Woods also said that the first time he read the play, he felt "it was an Australian story that had to be told. (…) This is the inside story of a family in crisis, of three boys on the day before a nasty crime takes place, of which they are accused."^[2]

The producer of the film, Robert Connolloy, had also produced the play. He met Rowan Woods at film school, and they both suggested to John Maynard they make the movie. The script was adapted by playwright Stephen Sewell.^[3]

Shooting was done on location in a rented house in Maroubra, one of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. The location used to shoot the scene of the heinous crime was filmed at the Eastlakes Shopping Centre in Eastlakes, another eastern suburb.

Accolades[]

The original music score is composed by The Necks, with other music contributed by sound designer Alan Lamb.^[4][5]

See also[]

• Cinema of Australia
• The Boys (soundtrack album)
• List of Australian films

References[]

External links[]

• The Boys at IMDb
• The Boys at AllMovie
• The Boys at Oz Movies
• The Boys at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Boys at the National Film and Sound Archive