Top Enders

This made-for-television children’s adventure movie was one of a series of six telemovies made by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation set in each Australian State and the Northern Territory, the location of this edition.

It tells the story of two Darwin children, an Anglo-Australian girl, Alice (Bennendine Woods) and an Aboriginal boy, Mick (Donald Dale), who run away from home, Alice to express her displeasure at her estranged parents (John Jarratt and Madeleine Blackwell), Mick to follow his adored uncle (Tommy Lewis).

Although marred somewhat by the lack-lustre acting by the two children, both of whom were clearly non-professionals and never made another film, Top Enders, despite its evident didactic purpose holds up reasonably well against similar films such as Bush Christmas and is of interest if only as a snapshot of late 1980s Australiana complete with mullets, walk socks and flagrant drink-driving.

 

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