15 | 1h 46min | Drama, Romance | Australia
Director:
Cate Shortland
Writer: Cate
Shortland
Stars: Abbie
Cornish, Sam Worthington, Lynette Curran
A young girl flees her hometown and arrives in the Australian
Alps, where new experiences help her learn the differences between sex and
love.
Somersault is a 2004 Australian romantic drama film written and
directed by Cate Shortland, starring Abbie Cornish and Sam Worthington. Shot in
the winter of 2003, it was released in September 2004 and screened in the Un
Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It also swept the
field at the 2004 Australian Film Institute Awards, winning every single
feature film award (13 in total).
Exploring the themes of human sexuality, alienation
and emotion, Somersault is about a 16-year-old girl named Heidi (Cornish) who
flees her Canberra home to the mountain town of Jindabyne in New South Wales.
There she meets Joe (Worthington), the son of a local farmer, and gradually
forms a relationship with him, despite his difficulty in expressing his
feelings. He also seems to be unsure of his sexual orientation, despite having
better-than-average luck meeting women.
The soundtrack is written and performed by Australian
band Decoder Ring—their song "Somersault" plays during the end
credits.
Likeable.
