I have had a very social weekend. Had a No Limits meeting Friday night after work. Met up with Jentopia for breaky yesterday. Went to belly dancing after breaky. Picked up Lucy from the city, and went with her and Trudie to see Tomorrow When the War Began at the cinema. After that Lucy and I went to the Melbourne Writer’s Festival (blog to come). And when we got home, I had a very long conversation with a boy. Today Lucy and I went for breaky and shopping and then rested.
I really have to write about Tomorrow When the War Began. Lucy said I used the word awesome far too many times afterward. But seriously, it was so AWESOME.
Lucy, Trudie and I had all read John Marsden’s Tomorrow series when we teenagers. I read the series many times, and even met John Marsden at school. I love all his books!
Like every book turned into a movie, we wondered whether it would be done justice. And we can safely say it was. There is a funny moment in the Tomorrow When the War Began movie where one character is reading the book My Brilliant Career. She’s asked if it’s any good, and she says that it’s better than the movie. The other character replies that most books usually are.
The movie had a brilliant soundtrack. Sarah Blasko’s Flame Trees. The Temper Trap’s Fader. Missy Higgins’ Steer. And my favourite, Bob Evans’ Don’t You Think It’s Time?.
The acting by the young people in the film was fantastic. We particularly loved Caitlin Stasey.
I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and also the way the movie has been brought into the present day with not too excessive mentions of technology.
The film made me think about threats of Australia being taken over by another country, and how the early settlers took over Australia from the Indigenous people. I also thought about the value placed on life – how many lives should one kill to save their own?
The film was packed with special effects, mateship and bravery. I loved the clever, tactical thinking the young people employed to save themselves and fight for their country.
We read the Tomorrow series before September 11 2001. Before the Bali bombings. Before boat people became a national focus. Perhaps since the book series started in 1993, and because the importance of national security has been heightened, a threat of invasion seems more likely than when I read them aged 13 to 17. Interestingly, in the books, the nationality of the invaders was never revealed but the movie showed the invaders to be Asian.
I thoroughly recommend you seeing the movie. You will be blown away. I was. It’s a great product of the Australian film industry.
My friends and I felt like we were transported back to our teenagehood. We were so pleased with this adaptation of the book.
Here are a few reviews written better than mine.
The Vine
The Sydney Morning Herald
The official Tomorrow When the War Began website
(Click pictures for source)
Great review, Carly.
Had no idea the film was about the books (duh).
SSG xxx
loved the books when I was a kid/teen.My dad read them to/with my older brother and I so we saw it for father's day. He was excited and really liked it! movie definitely captured the essence of the book.
I was so excited when I heard Bob Evans (almost brought tears to my eyes haha). Two of my favourite things!
This was a film I had to see, despite my trepidation that it would spoil the books I'd loved as a teenager. Thankfully, it didn't! I also liked that little exchange about the book usually being better than the movie and I loved the girl who played Robyn. She seemed so young but she was so good!
I LOVE LOVE LOVED it too! It was just Brilliant and an Aussie film that we should be very proud of! YAY!
YAY. So happy you loved it too! Because Marsden's books are still my favourite books of all time, I was pretty nervous going in – but it was absolutely brilliant. I want to just see it again and again with whoever will go with me 🙂
I also completely agree about it being brought to the present time without too much excessive mentions of technology. I'm glad they brought it into the present day, because I think there would've been too many faults trying to make it 1993 or whenever.
Glad you had such a great weekend 🙂
Teehee, I am laughing as I just posted on the exact same topic! I also felt the need to write about it, what an awesome film!! Always exciting when a film does a book justice…can't wait for the next installment!
Also fabulous to hear that you had a good weekend! xx
im currentlng the first book and can not put it down
i cant wait to see the movie!
and now after your review im even mor eexcited
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