Charleston Post & Courier calls "That Eye the Sky" a Magical Drama
"Peter Coyote, who has made a career out of playing
complex people (A Man in Love, Jagged Edge), delivers a powerful performance as
Henry, infusing the character with a dark intellect and a depth of intensity that brings
this shadowy figure to life." Read the full review.
Seattle Film Festival:
"Lyrical... magical...glorious...a beautiful film about the power of love, the
importance of belief and the blurry line between the natural and supernatural."
Variety:
"The cast is uniformly excellent, starting with young Croft as Ort, the wide-eyed boy
who is a familiar enough figure in this kind of story but who is given an edge here by the
young actor. Douge is bewitching as the frustrated teenager trying to cope with mixed
emotions, and Harrow brings dignity and strength to the character of Alice. As the
mysterious stranger, Coyote gives the story its intriguing
centerpiece."
Melbourne Film Festival:
"John Ruane's understanding of nuance is the cinematic cornerstone of That Eye,
the Sky. He is mindful that not all things need be, or indeed, can be
explained."
From the Australian media:
A lyrical and faithful adaptation of Tim Winton's mystical book. The film would appeal to
both audiences familiar with the novel and those who aren't. It is an uplifting story with
intelligent characters and marvelous poetic cinematography to drive the narrative along.
Thematically, the film is challenging without being inaccessible... A rare opportunity to
view quality Australian literature meets quality Australian film."
"The first adaptation of Tim Winton's work to be made for the screen translates
the evocative poetry of his exquisite writing with great faith and subtlety. Amidst shades
of Shane, The Rainmaker and even Close Encounters...comes
this fascinating transplanting of the Western mythology into a harsh Australian
landscape."
"That Eye, the Sky is an ensemble piece that relies heavily on
characterization and revealing Ort's imagination, as well as dealing with the contentious
subject of faith and religion."
"Much of director John Ruane's storytelling here is superbly spare. You can almost
smell the dust and the bush."
"The film explores some deeply complex aspects of our Christian heritage, and
although portrayed as contradictory and mystical, they are tightly woven into a story
about trust, healing and faith. All performances strongly develop the emotional force of That
Eye, the Sky to make it a rich, if sometimes, peculiar film experience."
"Lisa Harrow's performance conveys the despair of someone for all intents and
purposes bereaved, and the emptiness of the grief that follows."
 In
the director's words:
"I think he (Winton) was pleasantly surprised because he was very wary when he heard
there was an American in the field and was also wary because of the fact that we didn't
shoot the film in Western Australia... I don't think any film does justice to the book but
we do we all try them? A book has so much more in it, but all you can do is try and
capture the flavor of the book. It is a totally separate thing but, at the same time, it
would be awful if the novelist said to you, 'I hate the film.' I think you have to do a
few changes or you just can't translate it but, in many ways, I think we were most loyal
to That Eye, the Sky. And I like books because someone has spent a lot of
time trying to get the story right... I suppose we all define God in different ways, but
if I had to say whether I was religious or non-religious, I'd say I would like to be
religious because I'd rather believe there was something rather than nothing."
Images
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1996 TDK Australian Audio Book Special Award for an audiobook of
outstanding quality
Narrated by Stig Wemyss
Bolinda Audio Books |
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The novel was published in 1987 |
[ The
Official Peter
Coyote Web Site ]
|
