Themes: Infidelity, Love Triangles, Foibles of Marriage
Main Cast: Rosanna Arquette, Bruce Spence, Hugo Weaving, Kerry Walker
Release Year: 1987
Country: AU
Run Time: 87 minutes
Plot
Originally released in Australia as Wendy Cracked a Walnut, Almost made it to American shores in 1991, nearly five years after its completion. Rosanna Arquette plays Wendy, whose notions of life have been formed by romance novels. On her tenth wedding anniversary, Wendy hopes that her neglectful husband Ronnie (Bruce Spence) will rekindle his premarital ardor. While Ronnie is delayed by circumstances beyond his control (including a bolt of lightning), Wendy makes the acquaintance of handsome stranger Jake (Hugo Weaving). Convinced that Ronnie is cheating on her, Wendy decides to fight fire with fire by running off with Jake-just like in one of her Harlequin Romances. Ronnie tries his best (which is none too good) to win his wife back, leading to an archly whimsical finale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Desiree Smith - Cynthia; Susan Lyons - Caroline; Betty Lucas - Mrs. Taggart; Dennis Hoey - Sonny Taggart; Douglas Hedge - Mr. Leveredge; Barry Jenkins - Pierre Dalmonte; Jan Adele - Marjorie; Jennifer Hagan - Miss Hound; Gillian Hyde - Supermarket demonstrator; Ray Kelly; Charles Little - Waiter; Robert Price - Pirate; Bernie Ledger; Cotton Warburton - Elsie; William McInnes - Ralph; David Webb
Credit
Helen Hooper - Costume Designer, Michael Pattinson - Director, Michael Honey - Editor, Bruce Smeaton - Composer (Music Score), Leigh Tierney - Production Designer, Jeff Malouf - Cinematographer, Ray Brown - Producer, Sandra Levy - Producer, Brian Rosen - Producer, John Edwards - Producer, Suzanne Hawley - Screenwriter
