The Getting of Wisdom

The Getting of Wisdom (1977)

Based on the 1910 novel by Henry Handel Richardson, thought to be an account of her own schooldays at the Presbyterian Ladies College in Melbourne. A young girl, Laura Tweedle-Rambotham who grew up in the outback, and at around the age of 14, is sent off by her poor mother who has scrimped and saved for her to go to a prestigious women’s private college in Melbourne, the Presbyterian Ladies College.

Date of release
1977-08-25
TMDB
5.4 / 10 (17)
Runtime
1h 41m
Genres
Drama
Director
Bruce Beresford

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Box office: A$982K
  • Based on: The Getting of Wisdom
  • Awards: 1 · Nominations: 4. Including: AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

The Getting of Wisdom is a 1977 Australian film directed by Bruce Beresford and based on the 1910 novel of the same title by Henry Handel Richardson. It is regarded as being part of the Australian New Wave of cinema.

Production

Bruce Beresford wanted to make the film after The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) and tried to get finance from Reg Grundy. Grundy said he would think about it if Beresford made a McKenzie sequel. Beresford made Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974) but Grundy declined to make Wisdom.

The film was the first production from the newly formed Victorian Film Corporation, which provided $100,000 with additional funding from the Australian Film Commission and the Nine Network. Six thousand girls were interviewed for the school pupil roles. It was shot at Methodist Ladies' College and in the town of Eddington in January and February 1977.

Donald McAlpine – Director of Photography

Sarah Grunstein commented on her approach to playing the piano works featured in the film: "I read the book, loved it, and tried to play like an adolescent girl whose performances reflected her experiences in new surroundings at a boarding school away from home."

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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