A very unpopular film in its day sometime in 1986, this excellent Bruce Beresford film was wholly ignored by the Australian public and was regarded by crits of the time as a major misfire. Well maybe time will be kinder as I intend to be as I believe it is a compassionate funny and quite realistic look at the attempt of one Aboriginal (black) family to move from the riverbank shanty into a nice new house in town...which through the help of every relative and extended family hanger-on, manage to repaint lime green and almost completely trash - all within just one month. Told (like the superb NO WORRIES) through the eyes of their teenage daughter THE FRINGE DWELLERS does not falter in portraying the family and their calamities of lifestyle and town prejudices warts and all. Filmed in the small Queensland town of Murgon with plenty of local color and humor, THE FRINGE DWELLERS is often very funny showing the equally cringe-worthy and ghastly head-shaking behavior as 'the norm'. It is easy to take a set against the content as it all probably is exactly why well meaning white Australian townspeople criticize the unbelievable but true shabbiness and social disaster that happens when black rural Australia tries to go white. It is actually a heartfelt and charming film, well crafted and lovingly portrayed. It well deserves another new century view and I champion Director Bruce Beresford for his vision and humor. It also clearly shows his adept hand in an earlier clash of culture that was so celebrated in DRIVING MISS DAISY.
Review of The Fringe Dwellers
