Scott Hicks Tagged Articles at Cinematical

After the last few years, we've grown quite accustomed to Clive Owen as the headlining, slick star, whether that be chowing down carrots and shooting people up, living black and white and dangerous as Dwight, or dealing with a world that no longer has children. What's easy to forget in all of his fame, however, is that the man has more than an irresistible delivery and on-screen charm. He's an actor with subtlety, one whose very presence can change. In films like Closer, that meant a fresh layer of smarminess and sleaze. In The Boys Are Back, it means showing the familial heart underneath the macho exterior.

Based on Simon Carr's novel, Owen stars as Joe Warr – a sports reporter in Australia who is the classic father figure, the loving but slightly absent provider. But when his wife suddenly falls ill and passes away, Joe is forced to take on a new role as the sole parental figure. He still must provide security, but now that means a lot more than just money. He is the caretaker to his young son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty), and must not only provide for him, but also help the young boy deal with the loss of his mother, and give the boy the emotional comfort he needs to heal.

It's kind of remarkable to me that Australian filmmakers have a knack for taking some of the most tired film plots and combining them with a distinctive sense of humor. Movies like Strictly Ballroom, Muriel's Wedding, and even it's "Hollywood cousin" My Best Friends Wedding (both directed by P.J Hogan) were movies that, normally, you couldn't pay me to sit through, but for some reason, those Aussies just seem to know how make it work. Which makes me think there might be some promise in the next project for Shine director Scott Hicks.

The Hollywood Reporter announced that Hicks had signed on for his first Australian production since the Oscar winning Shine. On board to produce is Southern Light Films and they have already made a deal with BBC Films. The Boys Are Back in Town will center on a twice-divorced single father and sportswriter who has the duties of fatherhood thrust upon him when he's forced to raise his two sons. If you are a fan of English crime television, you might be happy to know that Prime Suspect writer Alan Cubitt is penning the script based on real-life UK sportswriter Simon Carr.

On paper the film might not sound earth-shattering, but Hicks has proven himself to be a talented director, and I hope that quirky Aussie perspective can help fight off any of the usual feel-good movie clichés.