Bowled over

The bowls club - it's as iconic of Australia as Bondi Beach, Uluru or the Akubra hat. It's also, according to Mick Molloy "the repository of this country's oral history". It's where stories are swapped, friends remembered and truths twisted - usually over a cooling ale or two. Under the direction of Paul Moloney, Molloy (in concert with his brother Richard), a few choice snippets of that "oral history" have been moulded into Crackerjack. The result is an amiable and surprisingly touching little film. To their credit, those behind the film don't make any pretensions towards the film being anything else. The jokes flow thick and fast, but they're all grounded in a reality to which we can all relate. In addition, they treat their characters (mostly) with respect, not sarcasm. This makes Crackerjack an engaging and very pleasing experience.

The action centres on Cityside Bowls Club, a quaint older club on the fringe of Melbourne's CBD. Local lad Jack Simpson (Mick Molloy) has a neat little scam going. He's signed up for three memberships at the club, and is flogging off the prime parking spaces at a tidy profit. The club itself hasn't seen a tidy profit for quite some time, and they're being stalked by bowls entrepreneur Bernie Fowler, who's eying the club as his next poker machine den. The committee determines to fight for survival, so it's all hands on deck - including Jack. Pressed into service in the club's men's fours team, he soon finds an affinity of sorts for the game. But the only way the club can scramble out of its financial crisis is to win a tournament - organised by Fowler. But under the guidance of skipper Stan Coombs (Bill Hunter) and with the "support" of bowls reporter Nancy Brown (Judith Lucy), the boys from Cityside are going to give it their all.

Crackerjack is a fine example of the independent filmmaking spirit in Australia; one that embraces the challenge of bringing a story to the screen and revels in doing just that. There's no airs or graces about the film; it's a straight-ahead story about battlers making good. The script holds just enough surprises to keep the audience interested, while maintaining a familiarity that ensures no one will be disappointed with the outcome.

Mick Molloy has clearly relished the role of Jack, a character not far removed from his public persona. He has great fun here, and his larrakin appeal adds immensely to the film. Bill Hunter's character Stan is probably Jack 40 years later. He shares that mischievous streak, but age and experience has taught him when enough is enough. Judith Lucy has some great moments as Nancy, as does Samuel Johnson as Jack's flatmate; while John Clarke makes for a great villain. But the real heart of this film is the cast of older Australian actors; including Lois Ramsay, Frank Wilson and Monica Maughan. You can just about see the spring in their steps as they bring the wonderful characters to life.

Crackerjack is a true-blue slice of Australian life. It may not be the slice that most of us experience every day, but it is a warm, funny and appealing film that's easy to relate to and even easier to like.

David Edwards