Australia

What does a cattle drive, The Wizard of Oz movie, and World War II have in common?
Answer: The sweeping romantic epic Australia. It is hard to compete with the location, but Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman do an admirable job. Hugh with his shirt off and water cascading down his torso can take a girl's breathe away. Nicole is very believable as an English aristocrat and her portrayal of an uptight Englishwoman trying to sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to a child is memorable. She does have a nice voice, as witnessed in Moulin Rouge. The real scene stealer is young Brandon Walters as the young boy who is half white, half aboriginal. There's a much more troubling story here, the treatment of aboriginal Australians until the early 70's. Australia's policy of relocating children from their families and sent to missionary schools. For more information on “The Lost Generation” click here. Australia is definitely worth a trip to the theater for three hours for the cinematography, the scenery, some wonderful actors, and a sadly enlightening story.

Check it out... Nesmith Library has eight of Nicole Kidman's films... only two of Hugh Jackman's. You can search the library catalog online from the Nesmith Library website. Type last name first, then first name and click the "author" button. Look for call number "DVD" or "VIDEO". You can even tell if the item is on the shelf or not.

Poster courtesy of MSN Movies