Ya big Wally

Throughout the past two hundred years, Australia has had its fair share of historic heroes. The courageous Anzacs charging bravely on to the shores of Gallipoli, the bronzed lifesavers strutting up and down the Bondi shores, the cricketers who broke bones through gritted teeth during the Borderline series, to name a few.

But despite this rich tapestry of inspiration, recent years have seen the cinematic mantle come to rest on the shoulders of the little Aussie battler - the tired, downtrodden little fella, who strives against seemingly insurmountable odds to overcome the brutal, dehumanising effects of capitalist machinations.

We’ve seen him take on economic rationalism in The Castle, financial institutions in The Bank, insurance companies in The Man Who Sued God, poker machines in Crackerjack, and even the fast food giants in Takeaway. In truth, our little battler has had a busy time of it lately.

Yet what is his impetus for waging this war? Is he representative of the belief that our much-lauded egalitarian society is really a myth? Is he the leader of a socialist rebellion in our midst as the people cast off the oppressive shackles of big business and money hungry corporations? …Or have Australian screenwriters just run out of ideas?

Our little bloke’s latest outing takes the form of The Honourable Wally Norman, which sees Wally Norman (Kevin Harrington), an average, everyday husband, father and rural meatworker thrust into the public arena after he is accidentally nominated for federal parliament. But this is no ordinary election. Wally’s hometown, the regretfully named Given’s Head, is the most contentious seat in the nation, upon which the hopes of both sides of the political divide, the Australian People’s Party, and the Total Country Party, are riding. Considering the film’s penchant for puns, it’s not difficult to guess how these two parties are supposed to reflect the current political climate.

Harrington, known for his recurring role as the laconic Kev in Seachange, and the parochial scientist in The Dish, is likeable as well-meaning Wally, the aspiring politician with a faint-inducing fear of public speaking, traipsing around town with his beloved pet goat Carmen. And he is well supported by a roll call of Australian actors, including some quite amusing performances from Ros Hammond, Shaun Micallef as the connivingly corrupt local member, H.G. Nelson and Brian Dawe and Melissa Madden Gray as the intrepid big city journos.

Considering the recent success of director Ted Emery in the highly acclaimed Kath and Kim series, and his previous work on The Micallef Program, The Craic and Fast Forward, The Honourable Wally Norman should have proved a winner in the cinema. But sadly, the film fails to hit the mark, feeling as if it’s running a pinch too slowly, and the audience is left waiting for the expected to happen instead of being entertained by the twists of political pandering and manoeuvring.

But despite its flaws, the film has heart. From the recycled Maxwell House jars filled with pasta sitting on the Normans’ kitchen shelves, to its attempts to address significant issues facing rural communities, such as factory closures, tariff increases and job losses, the film takes the sentiments of The Castle to the rural outreaches. However, it seems to lack The Castle’s charm and wit, a fault that lies more with the script than the actors or director, who have all proven themselves thoroughly entertaining with the right material.

But where to from here for our little battler? Having exhausted almost every manifestation of the corporate menace, perhaps his next challenge could be fighting off lazy Australian filmmakers who keep exploiting his underdog status in a devious attempt to cash in on his enduring popularity.

Rebecca Whalen