The Sum of Us (1994)

The Sum of Us (1994)

Taglines: Dad’s looking for Mr. Right, his son’s looking for Mr. Right.

The Sum of Us movie storyline. Widower Harry Mitchell (Jack Thompson) lives with his gay son Jeff (Russell Crowe), with both men struggling in their searches for true love. Harry is completely comfortable with his son’s sexuality, and is almost over-eager in his support for his son’s search for a boyfriend.

Harry meets an attractive but judgemental divorcee through a dating service, and this leads to some conflict between the two main characters. However, when Harry suffers a stroke and loses the power of speech, the story takes a darker turn, becoming a meditation on the enduring strength of love, both familial and romantic, in the face of adversity.

The Sum of Us (1994)

The Sum of Us is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film version of the play The Sum of Us. Directed by Kevin Dowling and Geoff Burton, the film starred Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, John Polson, Deborah Kennedy, Joss Moroney, Mitch Mathews, Julie Herbert, Mick Campbell, Rebekah Elmaloglou and Lola Nixon. The screen adaptation mimics the play’s device of breaking the fourth wall with direct to camera conversational asides by both Harry and Jeff.

The Sum of Us grossed $3,827,456 at the box office in Australia.
Awards. David Stevens’ screenplay won awards from the Australian Film Institute and the Montréal World Film Festival, and the movie was named Best Film at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

The Sum of Us Movie Poster (1994)

The Sum of Us (1994)

Directed by: Geoff Burton, Kevin Dowling
Starring: Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, John Polson, Deborah Kennedy, Joss Moroney, Mitch Mathews, Julie Herbert, Mick Campbell, Rebekah Elmaloglou, Lola Nixon
Screenplay by: David Stevens
Production Design by: Graham ‘Grace’ Walker
Cinematography by: Russell Carpenter
Film Editing by: Frans Vandenburg
Costume Design by: Louise Spargo
Set Decoration by: Kerrie Brown
Art Direction by: Ian Gracie
Music by: David Faulkner
MPAA Rating: R for strong language and some sexuality.
Distributed by: The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release Date: July 12, 1994

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