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Bootmen

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Bootmen
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDein Perry
Written bySteve Worland
Hilary Linstead
Dein Perry
Produced byHilary Linstead
Antonia Barnard
StarringAdam Garcia
Sophie Lee
Sam Worthington
CinematographySteve Mason
Edited byJane Moran
Music byCezary Skubiszewski
Distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures
Release dates
  • 5 October 2000 (2000-10-05) (Australia)
  • 6 October 2000 (2000-10-06) (United States)
Running time
92 minutes
CountriesAustralia
United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2,720,302

Bootmen is a 2000 Australian romantic comedy film directed by Dein Perry. It was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures and funded by the Australian Film Finance Corporation. Production was from 19 June to 18 August 1999 in Sydney and Newcastle by cinematographer Steve Mason who won two cinematography awards in the 2000 AFI awards and the 2001 FCCA Awards. It stars Adam Garcia, Sophie Lee and Sam Worthington in his film debut.

The film was released in Australia on 5 October 2000 and was the debut film of Dein Perry, who was previously involved with stage shows such as Tap Dogs and Steel City. It is also known as Tap Dogs in Japan.

Plot

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Sean and Mitchell are young adult brothers, having grown up in the rugged Australian steel city town of Newcastle. The father is a tough coal miner and they have no mother. Mitchell is a small-time criminal, while Sean dreams of being a professional dancer. Their father does not approve of Sean's dancing, so he hides his passion. Sean meets local hairdresser Linda at a dance class and falls in love with her. Things look promising between them, but Sean leaves to make his mark. Mitchell confesses his love for her and she thinks Sean has left, so they end up getting drunk together and having a one-night stand.

Meanwhile, Sean gets a role as a dancer in a show. The star's girlfriend flirts with him and the star gives Sean a difficult time, culminating with Sean outdancing him. They get into a shouting match. Sean punches the star and is fired.

Sean returns to Newcastle and tries to pick up where he left off with Linda, only to be told that she is pregnant with Mitchell's child. He breaks ties with both Linda and Mitchell, creates his own dance troupe and plans to show the people of Newcastle what they can do. Their father's work needs money to keep the company open and Sean plans a benefit show.

Mitchell gets in trouble with local thugs and escapes on his motorbike. They later catch him in a warehouse and he plunges to his death. The police immediately charge the culprit. Sean, depressed over the death of his brother and that he was unforgiving, thinks about quitting until he finds a tool that Mitchell designed, solving a technical problem with the show. Realizing that his brother believes in him, Sean is determined to honor his memory. The show goes on.

They charge $10 a head and estimate 5,000 patrons will attend the event, even Sean's proud Dad who now accepts his son as a dancer and tells Sean even his mother would be happy. Sean realises his dream of being a respected dancer, reconciles with Linda and pledges to help take care of his brother's child.

Cast

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Awards and nominations

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Awards won

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  • Australian Cinematographers Society (2001):
    • Award of Distinction (awarded to Feature Productions Cinema – Steve Mason)
  • Australian Film Institute (AFI) (2000):
    • Best Achievement in Cinematography: Steve Mason
    • Best Achievement in Costume Design: Tess Schofield
    • Best Achievement in Production Design: Murray Picknett
    • Best Achievement in Sound: David Lee, Laurence Maddy, Andrew Plain, Ian McLoughlin
    • Best Original Music Score: Cezary Skubiszewski
  • Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards (FCCA) (2001):
    • Best Cinematography: Steve Mason
    • Best Editing: Jane Moran
    • Best Music Score: Cezary Skubiszewski (tied with Edmund Choi for The Dish (2000)).

Award nominations

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  • Australian Film Institute (AFI) (2000):
    • Best Achievement in Editing: Jane Moran
    • Best Film: Hilary Linstead
    • Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Sam Worthington

DVD release

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The film was released on home video on 27 February 2001 by Fox Home Entertainment.

Soundtrack

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The Bootmen Soundtrack was released by RCA Victor in 2000 and composed by Cezary Skubiszewski and other various artists.

  1. Rumble – You Am I
  2. Opening Sequence – Cezary Skubiszewski
  3. Strange Human Beings – Regurgitator
  4. Tease Me – Paul Kelly
  5. My Family – Banana Oil
  6. Sign Post – Grinspoon
  7. Love Theme – Cezary Skubiszewski
  8. Radio Loves This – Deborah Conway
  9. Hit Song – Custard
  10. Giveway – Supaskuba
  11. Better Off Dead – Grinspoon
  12. Don't It Get You Down – Deadstar
  13. Nothing on My Mind – Paul Kelly
  14. Nipple – Icecream Hands
  15. Deeper Water – Deadstar
  16. Finale Part 2 – Cezary Skubiszewski
  17. Shiver – Oblivia
  18. "Even When I'm Sleeping" – Leonardo's Bride
  19. Junk – You Am I
  20. Tap Forge – Dein Perry

Reception

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Box office

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Bootmen grossed $2,720,302 at the box office in Australia.[1]

Critical reception

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On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 39% based on 17 reviews, and an average rating of 4.90/10.[2] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 14 critics.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Film.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Bootmen (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Bootmen Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
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