The Eye of the Storm (2011 film)

The Eye of the Storm

Company type	Film
Industry	Film
Founded	2011
Founder	Fred Schepisi (director)
Products	Drama film

The Eye of the Storm is a 2011 Australian drama helmed by director Fred Schepisi, based on the 1973 novel by Patrick White. Featuring performances from Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling, and Judy Davis, the film received the critics' accolade for best Australian feature at the 2011 Melbourne International Film Festival and premiered in cinemas in September 2011.

Plot

Set in a Sydney suburb, the story revolves around nurses, a housekeeper, and a solicitor attending to Elizabeth Hunter as her estranged children—Sir Basil, a struggling actor based in London, and Dorothy, a financially troubled French princess—return to be by her side during her final days. The formidable Mrs. Hunter influences their confrontation with death and their quest for significance.

Driven by the prospect of inheriting a substantial fortune, the siblings maneuver through Sydney’s social circles, seeking to hasten their mother’s passing with assistance from family attorney Arnold Wyburd, who has long harbored affection for Mrs. Hunter.

As those caring for her sense the impending end of their unique environment, Mrs. Hunter expresses regret over her inability to reclaim the humility and grace she once experienced during a cyclone fifteen years prior. In her last moments amid a violent storm, she passes away asserting her wishes, reliving the tranquil calm that once surrounded her amid chaos.

Cast

• Geoffrey Rush as Basil Hunter
• Charlotte Rampling as Elizabeth Hunter
• Judy Davis as Dorothy de Lascabanes
• John Gaden as Arnold Wyburd
• Robyn Nevin as Lal
• Helen Morse as Lotte
• Colin Friels as Athol Shreve
• Dustin Clare as Col
• Liz Alexander as Cherry Cheesman
• Maria Theodorakis as Mary DeSantis
• Alexandra Schepisi as Flora
• Louise Siversen as Carol
• Heather Mitchell as June
• Benita Collings as Lady at lunch
• Laurent Boulanger as French waiter

Awards

Ceremony	Recipient	Category	Result
2011 Asia Pacific Screen Awards	Judy Davis	Best Performance by an Actress	Template:Nom
AACTA Awards (1st AACTA Awards)	Antony Waddington Gregory J. Read Fred Schepisi	Best Film	Template:Nom
	Fred Schepisi	Best Direction	Template:Nom
	Judy Morris	Best Adapted Screenplay	Template:Nom
	Geoffrey Rush	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Template:Nom
	Judy Davis	Best Actress in a Leading Role	Template:Won
	Charlotte Rampling		Template:Nom
	John Gaden	Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Template:Nom
	Helen Morse	Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Template:Nom
	Antony Waddington Gregory J. Read Fred Schepisi	AFI Members' Choice Award	Template:Nom
	Melinda Doring	Best Production Design	Template:Won
	Terry Ryan	Best Costume Design	Template:Won

Ceremony	Recipient	Category	Result
2011 Inside Film Awards	Antony Waddington Gregory J. Read Fred Schepisi	Best Feature Film	Template:Nom
	Geoffrey Rush	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Template:Nom
	Judy Davis	Best Actress in a Leading Role	Template:Nom

Ceremony	Recipient	Category	Result

|- | Melbourne International Film Festival |

| The Age Critics' Award for Best Australian Feature Film
| 

|- | Rome International Film Festival |

| Jury Special Prize
|  

|- }