| Malpractice | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Bill Bennett |
| Written by | Bill Bennett |
| Produced by | Tristram Miall Bruce Moir |
| Starring | Caz Lederman |
| Cinematography | Steve Arnold |
| Edited by | Denise Hunter |
| Production company | Film Australia |
| Release dates |
|
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $900,000 |
Malpractice is a 1989 Australian drama film directed by Bill Bennett. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot
A child is born with brain damage and the mother decides to sue the doctor for malpractice.
Cast
- Caz Lederman as Coral Davis
- Bob Baines as Doug Davis
- Ian Gilmour as Dr. Frank Harrison
- Pat Thomson as Sister Margaret Beattie
- Charles Little as Dr. Tom Cotterslow
- Dorothy Alison as Maureen Davis
- Janet Stanley as Sister Diane Shaw
Production
The movie was one of a series of drama documentaries produced at Film Australia for the Nine Network dealing with social issues. It was filmed using hand held cameras. The actors improvised their parts based on detailed research and had real people in supporting roles as professionals, Bennett says the making of the film was extremely emotional and it remains one of his favourite films.
Reception
Marke Andrews of the Vancouver Sun gave it 4 stars and says "Bennett never manipulates our emotions with melodrama; the sight of a tiny infant going into a brain scan machine is devastating enough."
References
- ^ Childs, Kevin (25 May 1989), "Aussie smiles at Cannes", The Age
- "Festival de Cannes: Malpractice". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
- Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p103
- Schembri, Jim (6 September 1990), "Trauma of a nightmare birth", The Age
- David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p211-212
- "Interview with Bill Bennett", Signet, 11 April 1996 Archived 8 December 2012 at archive.today accessed 17 November 2012
- Andrews, Marke (8 December 1989), "Trauma of a nightmare birth", The Vancouver Sun
External links
- Malpractice at IMDb
| Films directed by Bill Bennett | |
|---|---|
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