The Travellers

“I’m not looking forward to old age. Then don’t look forward.”

Familial, sunbaked and classically ‘ocker’, The Travellers balances a refined respect for the arts, with a heartfelt appreciation of small town country life, in a story about familial responsibility and communal identity, with a classic Aussie cast, but a sadly unresolved ending. 

Discussion Points:

It’s always nice to see an Aussie film on the big screen - especially one directed by the living legend that is Bruce Beresford. It’s a comfortable watch that goes down easy and enjoyably, even as it explores some sobering topics of aging and legacy. Bryan Brown is brilliant as the cantankerous Fred, recently widowed and now dealing with the realities of old age. His son Stephen, played by an effortlessly charming Luke Bracey, has to balance his new refined life abroad with coming home to his country town roots, and Susie Porter is a sturdy anchor as sister Nikki who wants what’s best for her father, and for her brother to contribute to those plans. It’s a film about familial responsibility and communal identity, as Stephen returns to fictitious town of Yarrabiddy, a supposed 3hrs from the port of Albany, and faces ghosts of girlfriends past, but unfortunately by the films end, Stephen is not actually held responsible to his roots. He ends the film where he began, unmoored from his home, and free to do as he pleases, in an unsatisfying close that sours what is up until that point, a really wholesome and heartfelt story of a country boy gone global reconnecting with his humble beginnings and family life. I really did enjoy how much of a celebration this film is of both the refined arts and the simple slow sunbaked life, and the craft on display is commendable. But unfortunately that ending does sour what is otherwise a sturdy Aussie homecoming that’s heartfelt and humorous in equal measure.