press kit (pdf format)


Charlie & Boots
Charlie
and
Grace
McFarland
are
a
loving,
salt‐of‐the‐earth
couple
in
their
late
60s,
and
tonight,
is
their
forty
fifth
wedding
anniversary.
Family
and
friends
pack
the
celebrations
and
the
dance
floor
is
crowded.
Charlie
and
Grace
dance
happily
in
amongst
the
crowd
when
suddenly
Grace
appears
unsteady
on
her
feet.
She
collapses,
tragically
struck
down
by
a
fatal
stroke.
As
he’s
lost
his
best
friend
and
soul
mate,
Charlie
is
devastated
and
withdraws
into
his
grief.
Charlie’s
youngest
son,
“Boots”
‐
who
has
become
largely
estranged
from
his
father
in
recent
years
‐
is
deeply
concerned
by
his
father’s
decline.
After
visiting
him
one
morning
he
decides
something
needs
to
be
done
and
it
is
up
to
him
to
do
it.
Boots
convinces
his
reluctant
father
to
take
a
fishing
trip
with
him,
but
it
is
not
until
they
are
well
on
their
way
does
he
confess
that
they
are
not
actually
going
to
fish
at
their
favorite
local
spot,
but
off
the
top
of
Australia
at
Cape
York
‐
3,000
miles
away!
The
feisty
old
curmudgeon
wants
no
part
of
his
son’s
crazy
idea
and
does
his
best
to
escape,
but
Boots
is
on
to
him
and
the
resulting
trip
takes
the
two
across
some
of
the
most
beautiful
locations
and
landscapes
in
Australia.
As
the
journey
proceeds,
Charlie
becomes
distracted
from
his
grief
and
his
natural
mischievousness
starts
to
return
with
Boots
as
the
object
of
his
jokes
and
pranks.
Is
it
playful
mischief
or
a
real
desire
to
hurt
his
son
as
he
tries
getting
the
best
of
Boots
by
trying
to
set
him
up
with
an
uninterested
woman
and
confessing
some
of
his
son’s
adolescent
misadventures
to
a
radio
talk
show?
Its
funny
stuff,
but
not
when
the
joke
is
on
you.
But
when
a
young
beautiful
hitchhiker,
Jess,
joins
them,
her
natural
charm
and
upbeat
outlook
on
life
helps
them
to
understand
how
important
they
really
are
to
each
other
and
Charlie
and
Boots
launch
into
the
rest
of
their
journey
and
some
hilarious
adventures
including
an
encounter
with
Jess’
sex
mad
boyfriend,
barely
surviving
an
explosive
fuelled
rodeo
bull
ride,
a
full
body
massage
and
a
run
in
with
some
of
the
toughest
grandmothers
ever
to
swing
a
bowling
ball.
As
they
get
closer
to
their
destination
and
the
quality
time
together
increases,
old
wounds
are
reopened
and
family
secrets
exposed
but
for
the
first
time
in
their
lives
rehashing
their
old
problems
and
fears
helps
them
to
overcome
the
rift
in
their
relationship.
Boots
starts
to
come
to
terms
with
his
failed
marriage,
and
they begin
to
accept
their
grief.
Short
of
their
destination,
they
run
out
of
road
and
find
themselves
passengers
in
a
rickety
old
plane
with
a
possibly
suicidal
pilot
dipping,
looping
and
stalling
over
ancient
rain
forest
and
coral
reefs,
eventually
touching
down
on
the
sands
of
Cape
York.
Charlie
and
Boots
are
finally
where
they
need
to
be
–
a
place
where
what
isn’t
said
is
as
important
as
what
is
and
where
family
ties,
no
matter
how
imperfect,
are
the
ties
that
truly
bind.
2
PAUL
HOGAN
Hogan
was
working
on
the
Sydney
Harbour
Bridge
before
rising
to
fame
in
the
early
1970s
with
his
own
comedy
sketch
programme,
The
Paul
Hogan
Show,
which
he
produced,
co‐wrote,
and
in
which
he
played
a
panoply
of
characters.
The
series,
which
ran
for
60
episodes
between
1973
and
1984,
was
popular
both
in
his
native
country
and
around
the
world.
In
1985,
Hogan
was
awarded
Australian
of
the
Year
and
was
also
inducted
into
the
Order
of
Australia.
During
the
early
1980s,
Hogan
filmed
a
series
of
television
ads
promoting
the
Australian
tourism
industry,
which
aired
in
the
United
States.
In
particular
the
advertisement
featuring
the
phrase
“Shrimp
on
the
Barbie”
which
aired
from
1984,
was
particularly
successful.
Later
in
the
decade,
he
appeared
on
British
television
in
a
long‐running
series
of
advertisements
for
Foster’s
Larger,
in
which
he
played
an
earthy
Australian
abroad
in
London.
The
character's
most
notable
line
(spoken
incredulously
at
a
ballet
performance)
"Strewth,
mate,
there's
a
bloke
down
there
with
no
strides
on!"
followed
Hogan
for
years,
and
the
popularity
of
its
"fish
out
of
water"
humour
was
repeated
with
his
next
endeavour.
Hogan's
first
film,
Crocodile
Dundee
(1986),
featured
a
similarly
down‐to‐earth
hunter
travelling
from
the
Australian
Outback
to
New
York
City.
The
film
became
the
most
successful
Australian
film
ever,
and
launched
Hogan's
international
film
career.
It
won
him
a
Golden
Globe
Award
for
Best
Actor
in
a
Comedy,
as
well
as
an
Academy
Award
nomination
for
Best
Original
Screenplay,
and
a
BAFTA
Award
nomination.
Following
the
success
of
Crocodile
Dundee
Hogan
starred
in
the
sequel
in
1988,
and
these
two
films
have
taken
over
half
a
billion
dollars
at
the
worldwide
Box
Office.
Most
recently
Hogan
starred
in
the
highest
grossing
Australian
film
of
2004,
Strange
Bedfellows
SHANE
JACOBSON
Better
known
for
his
warm
and
charismatic
portrayal
of
the
“fairdinkum
Aussie
bloke”,
Kenny,
Shane
Jacobson
won
the
2006
AFI
Award
for
Best
Lead
Actor,
the
2006
Film
Critics
Circle
of
Australia
Award
for
Best
Actor
in
a
Lead
Role,
the
2007
Film
Ink
Magazine
Awards
for
Best
New
Comer
and
recently
won
2007
Australian
Star
of
the
Year
Award
at
the
Australian
International
Movie
Convention.
“Kenny”
was
the
highest
grossing
Australian
film
of
2006.
Shane
Jacobson
began
his
career
on
the
stage
at
the
tender
age
of
10
with
amateur
theatre,
performing
in
Australia
and
overseas.
At
age
18
Shane
began
his
comedy
career
with
regular
theatre
restaurant,
musical
theatre,
stand‐up
and
MC
gigs.
It
wasn’t
long
until
the
corporate
world
caught
onto
his
talent
for
characterization
and
a
quick
quip,
hiring
him
to
play
to
huge
corporate
functions
impersonating
business
icons
and
luminaries.
His
sharply
honed
performance
and
character
skills
were
noticed
by
Melbourne’s
Gold
FM
radio
station,
who
in
1999
gave
him
a
regular
spot.
Shane’s
focus
eventually
moved
towards
the
camera
and
he
began
acting
in
prominent
Music
Videos,
Short
Films
and
TV
Commercials
whilst
continuing
to
perform
audience
Warm‐Ups
for
all
the
major
TV
networks.
Shane
and
his
Brother/director
Clayton
Jacobson
shared
the
2006
IF
Awards
for
both
Best
Feature
Film
and
Best
Script
and
the
2006
Film
Critics
Circle
of
Australia
Award
for
Best
Original
Screenplay.
In
2007
Shane
acted
in
the
feature
film
NEWCASTLE,
directed
by
Dan
Castle
due
for
cinematic
release
later
in
2008.
Shane
recently
finished
a
5
month
season
of
Guys
‘N’
Dolls
at
the
Princess
Theatre
as
“Nicely
Nicely”.
For
his
role
he
won
a
Helpmann
Award
–
Best
Male
Actor
in
a
Supporting
Role.
3
WRITER/DIRECTOR
Dean
Murphy is
a
writer,
producer
and
director.
Dean
wrote,
produced
and
directed
his
first
feature
at
the
age
of
16
and
followed
this
with
a
sitcom
pilot
for
Australia's
Nine
Network.
In
1992
Dean
wrote,
produced
and
directed
his
second
feature
before
moving
to
the
US
to
write
and
develop
projects
with
producer
George
Folsey
Jr
(An
American
Werewolf
in
London,
Trading
Places,
Coming
to
America).
Dean
returned
to
Australia
in
1997
to
direct
his
third
feature
and
became
a
founding
member
of
Instinct
Entertainment,
producing
both
features
and
an
award‐winning
short.
In
2004,
Dean
co‐wrote
and
directed
the
highly
successful
Strange
Bedfellows
and
has
just
completed
producing
the
thriller,
Torn.
Dean
is
now
developing
various
projects
as
both
a
producer
and
director
including
an
animated
feature.
4
5
DIRECTOR’S
NOTES
–
BY
DEAN
MURPHY
Charlie
&
Boots
will
celebrate
the
many
varied
and
wonderful
characters
and
places
that
make
up
this
great
country,
Australia.
The
physical
journey
Charlie
and
Boots
take
from
Warrnambool
to
Cape
York
takes
them
up
through
Victoria,
the
centre
of
New
South
Wales
and
Queensland
showcasing
much
of
this
land.
I
want
the
audience
to
feel
they
are
travelling
alongside
our
two
heroes
on
this
journey
and
that
they
very
much
feels
Charlie
and
Boots
are
familiar
to
them
and
people
they
know
and
relate
to.
Charlie
and
Boots
are
inspired
by
people
I
personally
know
very
well.
I
grew
up
on
a
dairy
farm
at
the
foot
of
Mount
Murramurrangbong
in
country
Victoria.
My
father,
along
with
being
a
farmer
is
also
a
pilot
and
was
a
strong
influence
for
the
character
of
Charlie.
Dad
has
a
wonderful
dry
sense
of
humour
and
whilst
on
the
surface
can
sometimes
appear
serious;
he
is
in
fact
hilarious
and
has
a
fascinating
view
on
the
world.
Charlie
is
a
dry,
‘salt
of
the
earth’
type
who
has
always
had
his
life
in
order.
Being
a
farmer,
he
knew
every
morning
when
he
awoke
there’d
be
120
cows
to
milk
and
that
his
wife,
Grace,
and
two
boys,
Graeme
and
Boots
would
be
working
alongside
him
on
the
farm
and
sharing
with
him
common
goals
and
dreams.
Charlie
knew
his
place
in
the
world
and
community
and
was
a
happy,
confident
individual
who
had
life
in
control.
Then
after
a
family
tragedy,
the
break
up
of
a
marriage,
followed
by
the
sudden
death
of
Grace,
all
that
changes.
Charlie
suddenly
loses
his
best
friend,
his
soul
mate,
his
work
mate
and
lover
and
now
finds
himself
alone
on
a
farm
and
in
a
home
that
suddenly
no
longer
offers
him
the
support
it
once
did.
Charlie
is
a
country
bloke
in
the
true
sense
of
the
word,
a
man
that
cares
for
others
deeply
but
never
lets
it
show
and
certainly
tries
to
not
let
it
show
when
he,
himself
is
struggling.
Boots
also
grew
up
happy
and
confident,
going
to
a
local
Tech
School
and
leaving
school
at
fifteen
knowing
his
home
was
on
the
family
farm
and
knowing
his
future
and
career
was
in
his
own
control.
Before
long
he
finds
himself
married
to
a
woman
who
doesn’t
feel
his
passion
for
the
country
and
begins
to
feel
guilty
that
his
partner
has
moved
from
the
city
to
become
a
farmer’s
wife
–
something
she
has
never
settled
with.
This
causes
some
conflict
within
the
family
and
marriage
when
suddenly
the
family
tragedy
hits.
Boots
and
his
wife
Therese
struggled
through
the
tragedy
and
as
a
part
of
trying
to
move
on,
leave
the
farm
and
shift
into
Warrnambool
–
Boots
taking
a
job
at
a
local
tractor
dealership
–
but
the
family
tragedy
is
too
much
to
overcome
and
the
marriage
breaks
down.
Boots
suddenly
finds
himself
living
alone
in
a
flat
in
the
city
and
no
longer
feeling
able
to
return
to
the
family
farm
–
his
true
home.
Boots
tries
hard
to
remain
upbeat
and
positive
but
the
realities
of
his
life
and
his
moving
away
from
the
family
farm
has
caused
many
conflicts
between
he
and
his
father
and
they
have
grown
somewhat
estranged.
This
is
where
we
pick
up
our
story:
The
journey
finds
our
heroes
taking
to
the
road,
both
needing
a
new
start
and
a
break
from
old
hurt
and
pain.
As
the
boys
travel
north,
along
with
many
fun
adventures
and
scenarios
they
start
to
work
through
and
slowly
resolve
many
of
their
issues.
Their
journey
is
about
exploring
loss,
grief
and
the
people
left
behind.
Boots
has
lost
his
son
and
mother,
Charlie
his
wife
and
grandson
and
they
befriend
a
hitch‐hiker
Jess,
who
herself
has
never
known
her
father
and
helps
the
boys
understand
how
special
what
they
have
is
–
despite
their
differences
and
the
heartache
they
have
both
experienced.
The
relationship
between
Charlie
and
Boots
is
the
core
of
the
story
and
one
with
much
light
and
shade
to
be
explored.
6
Unlike
my
previous
film,
Strange
Bedfellows,
that
was
a
heavily
plotted
script
where
‘oh
no
the
inspector
is
turning
up
on
the
same
day
as
the
fireman’s
ball
and
oh,
no,
my
daughter’s
going
to
be
there
too!’
and
relied
heavily
on
farce,
Charlie
&
Boots
is
a
much
more
linear
character
study
of
these
two
Australian
men
where
the
humour
comes
from
a
more
realistic
place.
Whilst
this
humour
is
harder
to
read
and
understand
off
the
page
than
Strange
Bedfellows
type
farce,
I
sincerely
believe
that
Charlie
&
Boots
will
be
a
much
funnier
and
rewarding
film
as
the
humour
comes
from
a
real
place
and
will
resonate
more
strongly.
It’s
been
interesting
discussing
this
with
Paul
Hogan
and
Shane
Jacobson
as
they
both
see
this
as
a
very
funny
movie
and
absolutely
understand
its
tone
and
where
the
humour
comes
from.
Tonally,
the
humour
will
sit
somewhere
in
the
realm
of
Sideways
or
Little
Miss
Sunshine
but
with
a
more
mainstream
Wild
Hogs
or
Bucket
List
(for
want
of
a
better
example)
touch.
The
wonderful
movie
Happy
Go‐Lucky
shows
that
audiences
like
to
embrace
and
celebrate
the
joy
of
life
and
those
who
rise
above
the
daily
grind
with
a
twinkle
in
their
eye.
Charlie
&
Boots
is
to
be
a
big,
mainstream
film
that
is
hilarious
but
with
a
strong
heart
and
relationship
at
its
core
that
many
Australians
will
identify
and
fall
in
love
with.
I
feel
that
the
more
subtle,
authentic
and
understated
these
country
characters
are,
the
funnier
and
more
entertaining
the
film
will
play.
Basically,
the
film
has
to
ring
true.
7
Casting:
The
casting
of
Charlie
&
Boots
has
been
a
dream
with
Paul
Hogan
and
Shane
Jacobson
quickly
attaching
themselves
to
the
project
and
they
have
both
related
strongly
to
the
relationship
of
Charlie
and
Boots.
Shane
has
a
very
strong
relationship
with
his
father
as
does
Paul
with
his
many
children
and
they
both
quickly
began
to
recount
their
personal
experiences
and
details
of
their
own
family
relationships.
Both
Paul
and
Shane
understand
that
it
is
crucial
that
we
feel
their
relationship
is
genuine
and
has
a
true
history
–
scattered
with
both
happy
and
sad
memories
and
complications
that
past
events
have
imposed
on
their
relationship.
The
role
of
Charlie
resonates
strongly
with
Paul
and
he
is
excited
by
the
challenges
Charlie
presents
for
him
and
the
script
was
very
much
written
to
play
to
Paul’s
strengths
whilst
at
the
same
time
taking
him
into
some
un‐chartered
territories
for
the
audience.
I
know
Paul
very
well
and
we
have
already
discussed
at
some
length
the
character
of
Charlie
and
Paul’s
portrayal
and
I
think
it’s
going
to
be
something
quite
special
and
surprising.
Shane
is
also
very
excited
by
the
challenges
the
role
Boots
presents
and
sees
this
as
an
exciting
next
step
in
his
career
and
the
perfect
follow
up
to
Kenny.
Shane
told
me
his
great
concern
has
been
that
he
wouldn’t
be
able
to
find
a
role
that
would
allow
him
to
top
‘Kenny’
but
feels
he
has
found
it
and
will
be
working
very
hard
to
bring
the
same
level
of
realism,
understanding
and
humour
as
with
his
portrayal
of
‘Kenny’
–
but
without
in
anyway
repeating
what
he
did
in
that
film.
The
casting
of
Paul
and
Shane
as
father
and
son
has
certainly
intrigued
many
and
I
think
there
will
be
many
delightful
surprises
to
come.
For
the
supporting
roles
we
have
been
discussing
many
exciting
possibilities.
There
are
a
wonderful
array
of
Australian
character
actors
we
are
keen
to
have
populate
the
many
colourful
roles
and
cameos
on
offer.
People
such
as
Roy
Billings
as
Roly,
the
pilot,
Anne
Phelan
as
the
truck
driver
and
Val
Lehman
as
the
angry
bowls
lady
give
an
indication
of
the
fun
we
can
have.
8
Cinematography:
Shooting
the
film
will
be
Roger
Lanser
ACS.
Roger
has
shot
several
films
for
us
including
Till
Human
Voices
Wake
Us
and
Strange
Bedfellows.
I
have
chosen
to
again
work
with
Roger
for
his
subtle
use
of
light,
colour,
overall
craftsmanship
and
importantly
his
strong
understanding
and
love
for
what
we
want
to
achieve
with
this
film.
We
are
planning
on
shooting
Super
35mm
in
the
2.40
ratio.
We
want
to
showcase
Australia
and
its
landscape
in
its
ever
changing
glory.
From
the
lush
farming
lands
of
Warrnambool
through
the
harsh
environment
of
central
NSW
through
to
the
amazing
Rain
Forests
and
magical
colours
of
the
Great
Barrier
Reef.
Whilst
a
lot
of
the
films
journey
takes
place
in
the
hero
car,
we
have
started
discussions
with
Key
Grip,
Richard
Allardice
about
ways
of
freeing
up
the
camera
on
the
traveling
scenes
using
a
combination
of
techniques
including
an
A‐Frame
towing
system
and
jib‐arm
etc,
along
with
a
specially
rigged
vehicle
for
over‐the‐shoulder
shooting
etc.
I
want
the
film
to
have
a
large
classic
style
look,
with
rich
colours
and
classic
framing.
I
want
to
use
the
2.40
frame
to
sometimes
show
the
beauty
and
majesty
of
the
Australian
countryside
whilst
at
other
times
show
the
loneliness
and
solitude
one
can
feel
in
the
world,
especially
the
vast
Australian
wilderness.
9
Design:
For
Production
and
Costume
design
I
will
be
again
working
with
Ralph
Moser
and
Jeannie
Cameron.
Ralph
production‐designed
Till
Human
Voices
Wake
Us
and
Strange
Bedfellows
for
us
and
is
wonderful
at
enhancing
natural
environments,
which
is
crucial
on
Charlie
&
Boots.
I
want
to
primarily
use
real
locations
and
hotel
rooms,
museums
and
diners
etc…
using
only
minimal
enhancements
to
these
already
fascinating
locales.
The
journey
our
heroes
take
is
already
dotted
with
stunning
locations
and
landmarks
and
many
of
these
will
be
used
on
the
journey.
10
11
With
costume
design,
realism
is
the
key.
We
need
to
absolutely
believe
that
Charlie
and
Boots
are
both
men
of
the
land
and
their
no‐fuss
wardrobe
needs
to
express
this.
From
growing
up
on
a
farm,
I
know
farmers
have
a
very
specific
look.
Very
rarely
do
they
actually
go
out
and
buy
‘farm
clothing’
but
what
they
wear
on
the
farm
is
generally
their
‘good’
clothes
once
they
get
old.
The
clothes
move
from
the
‘good’
cupboard
to
the
‘work’
cupboard.
This
might
sound
like
a
trivial
detail
but
give
a
grounding
and
understanding
where
the
mindset
for
the
costume
design
(or
lack
thereof)
needs
to
start.
Obviously
as
our
heroes
head
north
the
wardrobe
changes
as
the
properties
get
bigger
and
the
environment
harsher
but
we
need
this
reality
throughout.
Music
/
Sound
Design:
As
always
sound
design
and
music
is
critical
in
helping
set
the
tone
and
atmosphere
of
the
film.
Musically,
I’m
planning
on
working
with
Dale
Cornelius
whom
we
worked
with
on
Strange
Bedfellows,
Till
Human
Voices
Wake
Us
and
Torn.
Dale
is
wonderful
at
understanding
a
film’s
meaning
and
tone.
He
is
very
strong
thematically
which
I
feel
will
work
very
well
with
the
large,
open
landscapes
and
vistas
but
also
is
effective
at
gently
establishing
an
emotional
backbone
to
the
characters’
journeys
and
getting
inside
their
emotional
state.
It
is
also
intended
that
there
will
be
quite
a
heavy
sound
track
of
classic
Australian
music
playing
on
the
car’s
stereo.
It
would
be
nice
if
the
radio’s
music
changes
slightly
as
their
trip
heads
north
and
depending
on
what
the
local
radio
station
is
likely
to
be
into.
For
example,
I
know
whenever
I
am
heading
home
to
my
parents
place
up
near
Albury,
I
only
have
to
be
on
the
local
station
for
a
couple
of
minutes
before
some
Cold
Chisel
is
heard.
12
If
you
head
north
through
central
NSW
the
music
generally
takes
on
a
more
country
flavour
etc…
Overall
I
see
quite
a
rich
musical
sound
track
made
up
of
classic
Aussie
music
and
a
large
musical
score.
On
sound
design
we
will
once
again
be
working
with
Mike
Slater
and
Scott
Findlay
who
we
have
worked
with
us
on
all
our
previous
films.
The
ever
changing
location
of
Charlie
&
Boots
allows
us
to
explore
a
really
atmospheric
soundtrack
and
create
a
rich,
dense
soundtrack
featuring
many
of
the
sounds
of
the
country
and
wildlife
that
make
this
country
unique.
13
14
Summary:
Ultimately,
Charlie
&
Boots
is
to
be
a
celebration
of
a
father
and
son’s
relationship
and
their
memories
of
lost
loved
ones
‐
and
two
estranged
men’s
love
and
support
through
the
many
challenges
life
offers.
I
have
a
very
strong
relationship
with
my
own
father
and
much
of
the
relationship
being
explored
by
Charlie
and
Boots
comes
from
a
very
real
place
for
me.
While
Charlie
and
Boots
are
typically
dry
and
authentic
Aussie
blokes
who
struggle
to
express
their
emotions,
they
have
an
incredibly
strong
love
and
bond
between
them
and
ultimately
would
go
to
the
end
of
the
world
for
each
other.
The
story,
whilst
told
gently,
will
ring
true
to
many
and
reflect
on
father
and
son
relationships
worldwide
and
the
struggles
these
relationships
can
endure.
I
think
Charlie
and
Boots
will
make
a
wonderful,
memorable
team
and
the
audience
will
empathize
heavily
with
them
through
both
their
comedic
misadventures
and
emotional
journey
and
awakening.
Charlie
&
Boots
is
to
be
a
big,
main
steam
yet
heartfelt
comedy.
It
will
celebrate
the
human
spirit
whilst
showcasing
the
best
of
Australia
with
two
of
our
most
popular
comedic
actors.
Dean
Murphy.
The End
David Redman
Instinct Entertainment
[email protected]
Mobile - +61 418 546 005
©
2008
Instinct
Entertainment
Pty.
Ltd.
All
Rights
Reserved
15