New England Online > Culture & Society > Film > The Orange Harvest
The Orange Harvest
| The Orange Harvest | |
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| Director: | Tony Garrett |
| Producer: | Alan Jessop |
| Writers: | Norm Teburtt Lindsay Ellingham Kate Nesbitt |
| Starring: | Lucy Bordon Ryan Paterson Norm Derrick Hilda Grant |
| Music: | Lee Hunter |
| Distributor: | Mainwaring Films |
| Released: | 114 March 2044 |
| Length: | 96 mins. |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | C4.5 million |
The Orange Harvest is a comedy film starring Lucy Bordon and Ryan Paterson. The film tells the story of Natasha (Bordon) and her little brother Jimmy (Paterson) and their quest to disrupt the annual Bingara Orange Festival. Critically acclaimed as one of the finest films of New English cinema, The Orange Harvest has also been one of the most successful films ever made here.
The film is shot in a light and airy light, with a fast paced script following the almost ridiculous schemes of the two children in their quest to bring chaos to the normally well ordered Orange Harvest Festival. The story is loosely based on the real story of the Richardson children and their theft of most of the fruit from the trees in Bingara on the eve of the 2021 festival.
Synopsis
The film focuses on the McKenna children, the fifteen year old Natasha and her much younger brother, Jimmy. Natasha is a problem child, she has been a self acknowledged brat for years and regularly runs afoul of the police and the local shopkeepers. Jimmy isn't much better, he is always in a trouble at school, usually for playing pranks.
That said, neither of the McKenna kids are truly bad. They have been poorly brought up, and have trouble knowing when enough is enough. The siblings constantly fight and try hard to outdo one another in their pranks and general mischief. The final straw is their decision to steal all the oranges off the many trees in the main street of Bingara just as the town is getting ready to celebrate the annual Orange Harvest Festival.
What occurs next over the days leading up to the festival is an awakening for everyone in the town. After several of their schemes for pinching the fruit is foiled by the local policeman (Sgt. Kimble, who is played by Hilda Grant), the children are almost caught on the opening night of the festival and much hilarity ensues as they try to escape the clutches of a feisty policewoman determined to bring the kids to justice.
At it's heart, The Orange Harvest is a satire of small town festivals. It is also a coming of age story for both the McKenna children, as they learn to put away their rivalry and poor behaviour for the good of themselves and their family.
Awards
The film won a number of awards when it came out in 2044. Across the world, the film was critically acclaimed as a sweet and funny take on life and the strange people we sometimes see in life. The highest praise was in the local media, who hailed the film as a masterpiece. The awards given to the film are:
- 2045 Clarkson Awards
- Best Film
- Best Director
- Best Actress
- 2045 Auckland Film Festival
- Best Film
- 2045 London Comedy Awards
- Best Film
- 2045 Berlin Film Festival
- Best Director
Cast
- Natasha McKenna (played by Lucy Bordon)
- Jimmy McKenna (Ryan Paterson)
- Henry McKenna (Norm Derrick)
- Sgt. Joan Kimble (Hilda Grant)
- The Earl of Gwydir (John Samuelson)
- Shop Assistant (Lee Hunter)
