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{{Short description|1986 novel by Tim Winton and 1994 Australian film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2024}}
[[File:ThatEyeTheSky.jpg|thumb|First edition (publ. [[McPhee Gribble]])]]
[[File:ThatEyeTheSky.jpg|thumb|First edition (publ. [[McPhee Gribble]])]]
'''''That Eye, the Sky''''' is a 1986 novel by multi-award winning [[Australia]]n author [[Tim Winton]]. It follows the young protagonist Morton 'Ort' Flack, as he struggles to cope with life in a small country town after his father is paralyzed in a serious car accident. After his father's accident, Ort is forced to step up and become the 'Man' of an increasingly complicated household. The situation becomes all the more convoluted with the introduction of the mysterious Henry Watburn, a dubious figure who says he has come to help. The story explores coming-of-age, and the complicated role religion plays in rural Australian life.
'''''That Eye, the Sky''''' is a 1986 novel by Australian author [[Tim Winton]]. It follows the young protagonist Morton 'Ort' Flack, as he struggles to cope with life in a small country town after his father is paralysed in a serious car accident. After his father's accident, Ort is forced to step up and become the '[[Adult|Man]]' of an increasingly complicated household. The situation becomes all the more convoluted with the introduction of the mysterious Henry Warburton, a dubious figure who says he has come to help. The story explores the theme of [[coming of age]], and the complicated role religion plays in rural Australian life.


== Reviews ==
== Reviews ==
''[[Publishers Weekly|The Publishers Weekly]]'' said of the book, ''"The wrenching story... proves love like Ort's can prevail against hell itself"''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-11869-2|title=That Eye, the Sky Tim Winton, Author|last=|first=|date=|website=Publishers Weekly|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref>
''[[Publishers Weekly|The Publishers Weekly]]'' said of the book, ''"The wrenching story... proves love like Ort's can prevail against hell itself"''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-11869-2|title=That Eye, the Sky Tim Winton, Author|last=|first=|date=|website=Publishers Weekly|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref>


The [[Los Angeles Times|''Los Angeles Time''s]] writes that, ''"The great strength of the novel is in the way the grotesque contrasts and parallels in human life are spread out, examined and accepted."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/tim-winton/that-eye-2c-the-sky|title=That Eye, the Sky Tim Winton|last=|first=|date=|website=Pan Macmillan|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref>
The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' writes that, ''"The great strength of the novel is in the way the grotesque contrasts and parallels in human life are spread out, examined and accepted."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/tim-winton/that-eye-2c-the-sky|title=That Eye, the Sky Tim Winton|last=|first=|date=|website=Pan Macmillan|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref>

== Adaptations ==
==Film adaptations ==


===Film Version===
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = That Eye, the Sky
| name = That Eye, the Sky
| image =
| image =
| image size =
| caption =
| caption =
| director = [[John Ruane]]
| director = [[John Ruane (director)|John Ruane]]
| producer =
| producer =
| writer =
| writer =
| based on =
| based_on =
| narrator =
| narrator =
| starring = Jamie Croft<br>Lisa Harrow
| starring = [[Jamie Croft]]<br>[[Lisa Harrow]]
| music =
| music =
| cinematography =
| cinematography =
| editing =
| editing =
| studio =
| studio =
| distributor =
| distributor =
| released = 1994
| released = {{Film date|1994|df=y}}
| runtime =
| runtime =
| country = Australia
| country = Australia
| language = English
| language = English
| budget =
| budget =
| gross = A$53,100 (Australia)<ref>[http://www.film.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/967/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", ''Film Victoria''] accessed 13 November 2012</ref>
| gross = A$53,100 (Australia)<ref>[http://www.film.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/967/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", ''Film Victoria''] accessed 13 November 2012</ref>
| preceded by =
| followed by =
}}
}}
The film adaptation was directed by [[John Ruane (director)|John Ruane]] and released in 1994.
The film adaptation was directed by [[John Ruane (director)|John Ruane]] and released in 1994.


Ruane later said:
Ruane later said:
<blockquote>I think the mistake I made with ''That Eye, the Sky'' is not to have more humour in it, because the book had a lot of humour. But, unfortunately, with the novel being written in the first person, a lot of the humour comes from the little boy interpreting the events and the situations he finds himself in and that he observes. So we are party to his sense of humour via his inner thoughts. When you pull that away, you have to come up with an orthodox third person approach. I really wish we had come up with more humour.<ref>[https://archive.is/20130112040317/http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=John+Ruane&bl "Interview with John Ruane", ''Signis'', 22 August 1995] accessed 20 November 2012</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>I think the mistake I made with ''That Eye, the Sky'' is not to have more humour in it, because the book had a lot of humour. But, unfortunately, with the novel being written in the first person, a lot of the humour comes from the little boy interpreting the events and the situations he finds himself in and that he observes. So we are party to his sense of humour via his inner thoughts. When you pull that away, you have to come up with an orthodox third person approach. I really wish we had come up with more humour.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130112040317/http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=John+Ruane&bl "Interview with John Ruane", ''Signis'', 22 August 1995] accessed 20 November 2012</ref></blockquote>
The film was made by the company of [[Fred Schepisi]] who later claimed the film was bad:
The film was made by the company of [[Fred Schepisi]] who later claimed the film was bad:
<blockquote>Because the director didn't know what he was doing or what side he was on. You've got to take a side. He went on an exploration. An exploration is all right but you've got to do it from a point of view.<ref>[http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=Fred+Schepisi&bl "Interview with Fred Schepisi", ''Signis'', 22 December 1998] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014034842/http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=Fred+Schepisi&bl |date=14 October 2013 }} access 20 November 2012</ref> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Because the director didn't know what he was doing or what side he was on. You've got to take a side. He went on an exploration. An exploration is all right but you've got to do it from a point of view.<ref>[http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=Fred+Schepisi&bl "Interview with Fred Schepisi", ''Signis'', 22 December 1998] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014034842/http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=Fred+Schepisi&bl |date=14 October 2013 }} access 20 November 2012</ref> </blockquote>
Actor [[Peter Coyote]] stated:
<blockquote>''That Eye, the Sky'' was masterfully made into a really lovely film by the director, but the producer abandoned them during the final edit, which resulted in a studio hack taking it over, cutting 40 minutes out and making it completely impenetrable. They blamed the director.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111407/trivia|title = That Eye, the Sky (1994) - IMDb}}</ref> </blockquote>


=== Play ===
===Cast===
* [[Peter Coyote]] as Henry Warburton
The book was adapted by [[Richard Roxburgh]] and [[Justin Monjo]] into the play That Eye, The Sky (by Justin Monjo, Richard Roxburgh, and Tim Winton) produced by Burning House Theatre Company, at Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia (6th January – 6th February 1994) and Playhouse Theatre, Melbourne (13th15th October 1994). Cast included Alan Flower, Andrew Gilbert, Celia Ireland, Steve Rodgers, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Szalay (Alice), Richard Roxburgh (Henry)
* [[Jamie Croft]] as Morton 'Ort' Flack
David Wenham (Ort Flack), Tom Lycos (Sam) and Susan Prior played Tegwyn.<ref>https://theatricalia.com/play/czy/that-eye-the-sky/production/sb9</ref>
* [[Lisa Harrow]] as Alice Flack
There was a later production at the [[New Theatre (Newtown)|New Theatre]], 15 March to 16 April 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newtheatre.org.au/season-2016/that-eye-the-sky/|title=That Eye, The Sky|last=|first=|date=|website=New Theater|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref> A review of the play described it as "...a dark and mysterious play anchored by a cast at the top of their game .. not an emotionally engaging play, but it is an interesting one".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/review-new-theatres-eye-sky|title=Review: New Theatre’s That Eye, The Sky 7 April 2016|last=|first=|date=|website=Aussie Theatre|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref>
* [[Amanda Douge]] as Tegwyn Flack
* Mark Fairall as Sam Flack
* [[Alethea McGrath]] as Grammar Flack
* [[Paul Sonkkila]] as Mr Cherry
* [[Louise Siversen]] as Mrs Cherry
* [[Jim Daly (actor)|Jim Daly]] as Lawrence Wingham

==Play==
The book was adapted by [[Richard Roxburgh]] and [[Justin Monjo]] into the play ''That Eye, The Sky'' (by Justin Monjo, [[Richard Roxburgh]], and [[Tim Winton]]) produced by Burning House Theatre Company, at Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia (6 January – 6 February 1994) and [[Melbourne Theatre Company|Playhouse Theatre, Melbourne]] (1315 October 1994).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theatricalia.com/play/czy/that-eye-the-sky/production/sb9|title = Production of That Eye, the Sky &#124; Theatricalia}}</ref>
There was a later production at the [[New Theatre (Newtown)|New Theatre]], 15 March to 16 April 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newtheatre.org.au/season-2016/that-eye-the-sky/|title=That Eye, The Sky|last=|first=|date=|website=New Theater|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref> A review of the play described it as "...a dark and mysterious play anchored by a cast at the top of their game .. not an emotionally engaging play, but it is an interesting one".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/review-new-theatres-eye-sky|title=Review: New Theatre's That Eye, The Sky 7 April 2016|last=|first=|date=7 April 2016|website=Aussie Theatre|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref>

===Original cast===
* [[Richard Roxburgh]] as Henry Warburton
* [[David Wenham]] as Morton 'Ort' Flack
* [[Rachel Szalay]] as Alice Flack
* [[Susan Prior]] as Tegwyn Flack
* Tom Lycos as Sam Flack
* Alan Flower
* [[Andrew S. Gilbert|Andrew Gilbert]]
* [[Celia Ireland]]
* Steve Rodgers
* [[Hugo Weaving]]


==References==
==References==
Line 52: Line 74:


==External links==
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0111407}}
*{{IMDb title|qid=Q56744258|id=tt0111407}}
*[http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/that-eye-the-sky/ ''That Eye, the Sky''] at [[Australian Screen Online]]
*[http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/that-eye-the-sky/ ''That Eye, the Sky''] at [[Australian Screen Online]]
*[http://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/that-eye-the-sky ''That Eye, the Sky''] at Oz Movies
*[http://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/that-eye-the-sky ''That Eye, the Sky''] at Oz Movies

{{Tim Winton |state=collapsed}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:That Eye, The Sky}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:That Eye, The Sky}}
[[Category:1986 Australian novels]]
[[Category:1986 Australian novels]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian novels]]
[[Category:Australian drama films]]
[[Category:Australian novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Australian novels adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Novels by Tim Winton]]
[[Category:Novels by Tim Winton]]
[[Category:Australian films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

{{Tim Winton |state=collapsed}}

Latest revision as of 16:26, 24 August 2024

First edition (publ. McPhee Gribble)

That Eye, the Sky is a 1986 novel by Australian author Tim Winton. It follows the young protagonist Morton 'Ort' Flack, as he struggles to cope with life in a small country town after his father is paralysed in a serious car accident. After his father's accident, Ort is forced to step up and become the 'Man' of an increasingly complicated household. The situation becomes all the more convoluted with the introduction of the mysterious Henry Warburton, a dubious figure who says he has come to help. The story explores the theme of coming of age, and the complicated role religion plays in rural Australian life.

Reviews

[edit]

The Publishers Weekly said of the book, "The wrenching story... proves love like Ort's can prevail against hell itself"[1]

The Los Angeles Times writes that, "The great strength of the novel is in the way the grotesque contrasts and parallels in human life are spread out, examined and accepted."[2]

Film adaptations

[edit]
That Eye, the Sky
Directed byJohn Ruane
StarringJamie Croft
Lisa Harrow
Release date
  • 1994 (1994)
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Box officeA$53,100 (Australia)[3]

The film adaptation was directed by John Ruane and released in 1994.

Ruane later said:

I think the mistake I made with That Eye, the Sky is not to have more humour in it, because the book had a lot of humour. But, unfortunately, with the novel being written in the first person, a lot of the humour comes from the little boy interpreting the events and the situations he finds himself in and that he observes. So we are party to his sense of humour via his inner thoughts. When you pull that away, you have to come up with an orthodox third person approach. I really wish we had come up with more humour.[4]

The film was made by the company of Fred Schepisi who later claimed the film was bad:

Because the director didn't know what he was doing or what side he was on. You've got to take a side. He went on an exploration. An exploration is all right but you've got to do it from a point of view.[5]

Actor Peter Coyote stated:

That Eye, the Sky was masterfully made into a really lovely film by the director, but the producer abandoned them during the final edit, which resulted in a studio hack taking it over, cutting 40 minutes out and making it completely impenetrable. They blamed the director.[6]

Cast

[edit]

Play

[edit]

The book was adapted by Richard Roxburgh and Justin Monjo into the play That Eye, The Sky (by Justin Monjo, Richard Roxburgh, and Tim Winton) produced by Burning House Theatre Company, at Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia (6 January – 6 February 1994) and Playhouse Theatre, Melbourne (13 – 15 October 1994).[7] There was a later production at the New Theatre, 15 March to 16 April 2016.[8] A review of the play described it as "...a dark and mysterious play anchored by a cast at the top of their game .. not an emotionally engaging play, but it is an interesting one".[9]

Original cast

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "That Eye, the Sky Tim Winton, Author". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. ^ "That Eye, the Sky Tim Winton". Pan Macmillan. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria accessed 13 November 2012
  4. ^ "Interview with John Ruane", Signis, 22 August 1995 accessed 20 November 2012
  5. ^ "Interview with Fred Schepisi", Signis, 22 December 1998 Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine access 20 November 2012
  6. ^ "That Eye, the Sky (1994) - IMDb".
  7. ^ "Production of That Eye, the Sky | Theatricalia".
  8. ^ "That Eye, The Sky". New Theater. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  9. ^ "Review: New Theatre's That Eye, The Sky 7 April 2016". Aussie Theatre. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
[edit]