The Rage in Placid Lake is a 2003 Australian film starring Ben Lee and Rose Byrne. It features Placid Lake (Lee), a seventeen-year-old boy who has led a suburban hippie life with his neurotic, free loving parents. The film documents his journey of self-discovery as he rejects his hippie roots and embraces the mundane by working for an insurance agency, much to his parents' horror.
| The Rage in Placid Lake | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Tony McNamara |
| Written by | Tony McNamara |
| Produced by | Marian McGowan |
| Starring | Ben Lee Rose Byrne Miranda Richardson Garry McDonald Nicholas Hammond |
| Cinematography | Ellery Ryan |
| Edited by | Lee Smith |
| Music by | Cezary Skubiszewski |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $482,798 |
Plot
editPrecocious, bohemian teenager Placid Lake finishes high school, but after having an existential crisis devises a plan to totally reinvent himself as a functioning member of society. With a few weeks spent reading a library of self-help manuals, Lake gets a haircut, buys a bespoke suit, and finds a white collar job at an insurance agency. Lake has a smart friend Gemma (Rose Byrne) who tries to talk him out of his newly-found economic rationalism.
Lake is adamant about becoming an acceptable member of society and ignores the signs of disapproval from his parents and best friend. Yet, by continuing his venture to normality, Lake struggles with what to say, think, and wear due to his insecurity and neurosis.[1] Lake realizes that living to society's standards does not satisfy him as much as he had hoped. Eventually, this causes him to revert to his original personality and become content with who he is.
Cast
edit- Ben Lee as Placid Lake
- Rose Byrne as Gemma Taylor
- Miranda Richardson as Sylvia Lake
- Garry McDonald as Doug Lake
- Nicholas Hammond as Bill Taylor
- Felix Williamson
- Johnny Lockwood as Barber
- Helen Thomson as Teacher 1
Box office
editThe Rage in Placid Lake grossed $482,798 at the box office in Australia.[2]
Reception
editBased on 15 reviews collected by the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of critics gave The Rage in Placid Lake a positive review, with an average rating of 6.1/10.[3]
Awards
edit| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Award | Best Film | Marian McGowan | Nominated |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Tony McNamara | Won | |
| Best Actress | Rose Byrne | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Miranda Richardson | Nominated |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Rage in Placid Lake: Synopsis". guerilla-films.com. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ "Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
- ^ "The Rage in Placid Lake (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
External links
edit- The Rage in Placid Lake at IMDb
- The Rage in Placid Lake at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Rage In Placid Lake at the National Film and Sound Archive
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