Second Hand Wedding (Murphy, 2008)
Today’s recommendation is especially for local readers, a charming low-budget comedy that was shot very close to where I now live.
It’s always a challenge reviewing NZ – or especially Wellington-made – material. There’s hardly anyone involved with Second Hand Wedding that I hadn’t worked with in some capacity prior but I would like to think my affection for it is well earned.
I reviewed it back in May 2008 (along with the much less deserving Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher comedy What Happens in Vegas):
Geraldine Brophy plays Jill Rose, Kapiti’s top garage sale expert. Every Saturday morning you’ll find her (and best mate Muffy broadly played by Tina Regtien) trawling the nick-nacks looking for bargains. Long-suffering hubby Brian (a lovely and understated performance by Patrick Wilson) puts up with all the new paraphernalia because he has his own collection to maintain: all the pieces of a Model T Ford that will one day become a complete car again.
Local mechanic Stew (a performance by Ryan O’Kane that is, perhaps, lacking in detail) has proposed to the Rose’s daughter Cheryl (Holly Shanahan) but, afraid of the bargain basement wedding she fears her mother will provide, she keeps it a secret. When the news breaks, poor Jill is devastated but another tragedy forces the family (and the community) to pull together once again. There’s lots to love about Second Hand Wedding: music by Plan 9 and some songs I wouldn’t mind owning; classy editing particularly in the montages; perfect, witty production design by Brad Mill; but the heart and soul of the film is Brophy’s beautiful and measured performance. If she’s not at the front of the queue when the acting awards are handed out for this year I will be very surprised*. Indeed, in this reviewer’s opinion it may be one the five best New Zealand screen performances ever.
I want to make special mention of the late Patrick Wilson as Jill’s husband Brian. He was a pal and someone who is remembered very fondly by everyone who worked with him.
*Reader, I was correct. Brophy and Shanahan won acting prizes that year and Mill and editor Michael Horton were also nominated for their craft.
Where to watch Second Hand Wedding
Aotearoa: Digital rental from AroVision or NZ Film On Demand (the official NZ Film Commission rental site)
Rest of the world: Doesn’t appear to be available anywhere else, I’m afraid. It got some good reviews in Australia but doesn’t seem to have made it to any of their streaming services. You can watch a ten-minute extract at NZ On Screen.
Further listening
The topics in last Friday’s RNZ Nights chat with Emile Donovan will have been familiar to subscribers here: The Way, My Way, BlackBerry and Once.
During a busy week you have to expect a bit of recycling. I’d like to offer more variety but the current TV series we are watching is being saved for an RNZ website feature next Monday and previewing the forthcoming French Film Festival in Aotearoa has also taken up a big chunk of time (and will be posted tomorrow to RNZ).
Still, at least the football season is finally over …
