Jindabyne (film)

April Films

Industry	Film production and distribution
Headquarters	Sydney , Australia
Products	Film production and distribution

Jindabyne is a 2006 Australian drama film helmed by director Ray Lawrence, featuring performances from Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney, Deborra-Lee Furness, and John Howard. Shot entirely on site in Jindabyne, New South Wales, near the Snowy Mountains region, it was one of more than sixteen Australian film releases that year. The movie was lauded by critics for its sophistication, representing a significant development in the evolution of Australian cinema.

The script, penned by Beatrix Christian, is an adaptation of Raymond Carver's 1975 short story "So Much Water So Close to Home," which had earlier been included in Robert Altman's 1993 film Short Cuts. The soundtrack includes contributions from Australian musician Paul Kelly, who had previously interpreted the narrative in his 1989 track "Everything's Turning to White."

Jindabyne made its debut at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and later premiered in North America at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released domestically in Australia on 20 July 2006 and later in the United States on 27 April 2007. The production budget amounted to $10.8 million. April Films, based in Sydney, handled the financing, production, and distribution efforts, with most funding coming from private sources.

Although the film's box office earnings totaled approximately $6 million—falling short of its production costs—it was met with generally favorable reviews from critics.

Plot

During their yearly fishing expedition, Stewart (Gabriel Byrne), Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis), and Billy (Simon Stone) come across the corpse of an Aboriginal girl who has been murdered by Gregory (Chris Haywood), a local electrician. The men are stunned; only Billy acknowledges the crime immediately but is disregarded by the others. They decide to trek back the following morning, with Stewart securing the body to a riverbank. After fishing the next day, they postpone notifying authorities until daylight.

Meanwhile, some of their wives—Jude, Claire (Laura Linney), and Carmel—meet socially. Jude discloses that their daughter died nearly two years earlier, leaving them to care for their troubled granddaughter Caylin-Calandria. During their discussion, Claire’s history of mental illness and familial difficulties come to light.

Upon returning home, the men report the discovery to police. Stewart finds Claire asleep in a position reminiscent of the deceased girl and initiates intimacy without revealing what he has learned. When police interview Stewart, they express outrage over the men's delay in reporting the death. The men explain that Carl’s ankle injury prevented an earlier return. The victim’s Aboriginal heritage leads to accusations of negligence, provoking some members of the Aboriginal community to vandalize the men’s businesses.

This event exposes cultural conflicts between the immigrant town’s Western norms and Aboriginal traditions. Claire and Elissa (Billy’s partner) show remorse for their partners’ actions, while Jude and Carl defend them. As Claire pushes for responsibility and justice, tensions within the town intensify.

Claire conceals both her pregnancy and past trauma; she contemplates abortion but has not informed Stewart by the conclusion of the film. She attempts to offer financial support to the girl’s family but initially faces rejection before her aid is accepted.

Stewart becomes increasingly antagonistic toward Claire’s inquiries, culminating in a physical altercation. After Billy departs from town, Stewart warns Claire that he will not allow her to take their child. Carl stands up for Caylin-Calandria against Jude’s bitterness.

At the memorial service attended by the community despite underlying strains, Stewart offers an apology on behalf of the men but is rebuffed by the girl’s father. The murderer Gregory remains present throughout these events yet is never arrested.

Box office

In Australia, Jindabyne generated $400,438, while its international earnings reached $5.64 million, bringing the worldwide total to slightly above $6 million, compared to a production cost of $10.8 million.

Critical response

The film holds a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 100 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The general consensus highlights the compelling performances by Linney and Byrne despite some thematic inconsistencies. On Metacritic, it received a score of 65%, reflecting generally favorable critiques.

Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian awarded it five stars, commending its visual composition and subtle character development. A. O. Scott of The New York Times praised the strong acting but noted the film’s metaphorical depth as somewhat challenging. The Age lauded it as "one of the most captivating, thoughtful, mature dramas produced on Australian cinema screens in two decades."

Festivals

• 2006 – France – Cannes Film Festival, Official Selection Director's Fortnight
• 2006 – UK – Edinburgh International Film Festival
• 2006 – Canada – Toronto International Film Festival
• 2006 – Spain – Valladolid International Film Festival
• 2007 – Ireland – Jameson Dublin International Film Festival

Awards

Won:

• 2006 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards: Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress (Deborra-Lee Furness)
• 2006 Valladolid International Film Festival: Best Actress (Laura Linney), Best Music
• 2006 Stockholm Film Festival: Best Manuscript (Beatrix Christian), FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film
• 2006 Aria Fine Arts Award: Best Soundtrack (Australia)
• 2006 Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards: Best Sound Recording, Best Sound Mixing, Feature Film Soundtrack of the Year
• 2006 Edinburgh Film Festival: Herald Angel Award
• 2006 SPAA Independent Producer of the Year Award - April Films

Nominated:

• 2006 Australian Film Institute Awards: Best Film, Direction, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound, Original Music Score; Lead Actor (Gabriel Byrne), Lead Actress (Laura Linney), Supporting Actress (Deborra-Lee Furness)
• 2006 IF Awards: Best Director, Actress (Laura Linney), Actor (Gabriel Byrne), Cinematography
• 2006 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards: Best Film, Lead Actress (Laura Linney), Supporting Actor (John Howard), Music Score
• 2006 Valladolid International Film Festival: Golden Spike (Ray Lawrence)
• 2006 Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards: Sound Recording, Sound Design, Sound Mixing, Feature Film Soundtrack of the Year

Soundtrack

Issued by Capitol Records in 2006, the soundtrack secured the ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album at that year’s ARIA Music Awards.

Track listing

1. "Rocks"
2. "Jindabyne Fair"
3. "Body Drop"
4. "Claire On The Road"
5. "Mirror"
6. "Morning Fishing"
7. "Stewart And Claire"
8. "Power Lines"
9. "Nukkanya"
10. "Night River"
11. "So Soft"
12. "Going to Susan's"
13. "Welcome Dance"
14. "Way That I Love You"
15. "Humming Way"
16. "Troitsa Bratya"
17. "Everything's Turning to White"

External links

• Jindabyne official website
• Template:IMDb title
• The Director Interviews: Ray Lawrence, Jindabyne at Filmmaker Magazine
• Jindabyne at the National Film and Sound Archive