A Silent Agreement
A Silent Agreement | |
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Australian Sign Language ) |
A Silent Agreement is a 2017 Australian romantic
The plot concerns Reuben (played by Davo Hardy), who overcomes a
Davo Hardy has stated in interviews that the film was a response to his film mentors telling him he could not be a director because of his real-life stutter.[7]
Plot
Reuben Heywood is an aspiring writer, who grapples with
As Derek and Reuben discuss their mutual ambitions within the arts and
Gareth, meanwhile, has reached a low point in his career. He is over 50, lamenting his lost youth and fading career. Hungry for a chance to make a comeback, Gareth agrees to meet with Reuben and discuss their collaboration on The Burden of Being Me. Derek is also present at the meeting and is quick to point out Gareth's self-obsessed narcissism. but Reuben overlooks his observations, blindsided by the support that Gareth offers. Derek's mother, Faye Shanahan, and sister, Courtney, are deeply protective of Derek and treat Reuben's artistic ambitions with skepticism. Faye, a painter, discourages Derek's involvement with Reuben's filmmaking, in favor of noble causes to support deaf education and advocating human rights in the footsteps of Helen Keller. Reuben recognizes the hypocrisy and continues to pursue his film with Derek and Gareth.
Almost immediately after receiving the script of The Burden of Being Me, Gareth begins to amend the characters and plot to suit him as both an actor and a
Shortly after, Reuben receives an emotional call from Courtney, saying that Derek has suddenly died from an accident. At the funeral, Faye confronts Reuben, imploring him to continue honoring Derek's memory, but also to honor himself. Meanwhile, Lillian reads an article about Reuben's stage play, dedicated to Derek's memory. Gareth's only response is to make sure the stage play has no affiliation with the film he now owns the rights to, or else they'd have to sue. Incensed at Gareth's heartlessness, Lillian lashes out at him and vows to reverse the contracts that she had made for Gareth. Concluding that her chance to have children has passed her by, Lillian abandons Gareth and seeks Reuben out at the theater, where he and Derek met. She encourages him to rewrite his story from scratch and amend key elements, so that Gareth cannot claim copyright infringement. Similarly, Faye reinstates her support of Reuben, around the time of her first Christmas since her son's death.
One by one, Gareth's collaborators abandon his project and he is left without any supporters at around the time that Reuben develops his new film, The Purpose of Being Me. At the a screening of his film, Reuben thanks the audience for attending, including those who may have originally discouraged him. He thanks them for providing the strength he needed to continue in his pursuits, even if it was only to prove them wrong. As a final thought, Reuben comes to terms with his speech impediment and thanks those who supported his journey, saying "actions speak louder than words."
Cast
- Davo Hardy as Reuben Heywood
- Joshua Sealy as Derek Shanahan
- Paul Mercurio as Gareth Donahue
- Sage Godrei as Lillian Donahue
- Jennifer Maclaughlan as Courtney Shanahan
- Rhonda Rourke as Faye Shanahan
Reception
Premiering in
The film was submitted into many festivals for its use of
The DVD was released in Australia on 8 December 2018, after its extended festival screenings;
Accolades
Award | Category | Subject | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Dreamanila International Film Festival |
Grand Jury Prize for Best Film | Davo Hardy | Nominated |
Grand Jury Prize for Best Director | Davo Hardy | Nominated | |
Jury Award for Best Leading Actor | Davo Hardy | Nominated | |
Joshua Sealy | Nominated | ||
Paul Mercurio | Nominated | ||
Sydney Indie Film Festival |
Best Film | Davo Hardy | Nominated |
Best Male Lead Actor | Davo Hardy | Nominated | |
Paul Mercurio | Nominated | ||
Los Angeles Cinefest |
Best Indie Film |
Davo Hardy | Nominated |
References
- ^ "A Silent Agreement (2017)". IMDb. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "A Silent Agreement (2017) - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Film Gets New Ground : A Silent Agreement". hushhushbiz.com. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Blue Heeler Film Festival plays integral role in new coming-of-age drama A Silent Agreement". Muswellbrook Chronicle. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Aussie Indie A Silent Agreement Gets a Teaser Trailer". FilmInk. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Interview with Screenwriter & Filmmaker Davo Hardy". indieactivity.com. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "New film showcases Auslan and Deaf talent". blog.ai-media.tv. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "A Silent Agreement writer and director Davo Hardy discusses new film The Blood of God". Cinema Australia. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "A Silent Agreement (2018) review". screencritix.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ ""A SILENT AGREEMENT"— Who We Are". 5 November 2019.
- ^ ""A Silent Agreement" publicity with Paul Mercurio". YouTube. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "International streaming service picks up Davo Hardy's A Silent Agreement". Cinema Australia. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Auslan Q&A released for A Silent Agreement (Exclusive)". Cinema Australia. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "A Silent Agreement at AFTRS Tickets, Fri 26/10/2018 at 5:30 pm". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Special screening for Davo Hardy's A Silent Agreement announced". Cinema Australia. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Deaf Services Queensland - Deaf Services | Deaf people empowered, connected and achieving". deafservices.org.au. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "JCU College of Healthcare Sciences: Exclusive movie screening: A Silent Agreement - 7 Sept". jcuchs.blogspot.com. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "A Silent Agreement - Dekkoo - Watch Gay Movies and Gay Series Online". dekkoo.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Amazon.com: A Silent Agreement (US Release): Davo Hardy, Joshua Sealy, Paul Mercurio: Movies & TV". amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "A Silent Agreement - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
External links
- A Silent Agreement at IMDb
- Dekkoo page Archived 2020-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
- Official Facebook Archived 2020-08-12 at the Wayback Machine