source: My Brilliant Career

If not to see a young Sam Niel or for the gorgeous landscapes of Australia that set the film, see this movie for an interesting viewpoint on feminism and the outback all in one. The main character, Sybylla, is constantly insulted by her alleged friends and family, though they don't intend it directly. Her character's flaky-ness doesn't help her plight as a female in a society hell-bent on marrying her off, but the character's story is worth renting this for.

A lovely, beautifully acted first feature that launched both Judy Davis, who is amazing in this, and director Gillian Armstrong. Its lost a little something revisiting it after all these years. While it's feminist ideals are inspiring and handled with complexity, there's a certain lack of emotion to it. We don't really get the deep bitter-sweetness of choosing loneliness over loss of self. Also, that the film forces that choice seems a bit disingenuous. Nothing about Sam Neil's character that suggests he would repress our heroine – indeed he clearly loves her for the free spirit she is. To really have her need to make an either/or decision 'work' we'd need to go further into the relationship and her psychology. Last, a number of the supporting roles tend towards clichés about both the upper and lower class. And that oversimplifying takes something away from the complex character Davis builds. But all that said, there are beautiful images and magical moments. It just didn't quite hold up to my memories of first seeing it 30 years ago. But if you've never seen it, you still certainly should.

A headstrong young woman comes of age in the Austalian outback during the early 20th century. There is hardly any plot to drive the narrative, causing the film to drag despite the relatively short running time. Not only does the plot meander somewhat, but also the motivations of the central character are unclear. She is supposed to be an ambitious feminist, but she comes across as a confused woman who's only goal is to stay unmarried. Davis is good in her first starring role, although it's hard to buy her as the ugly duckling that the film portrays her as. Neill is young and handsome but rather bland as her suitor.

I just bought the Australian DVD release of My Brilliant Career. All I can say it was worth every penny. I don't need to go into the specifics of the plot. There are plenty of comments listed on IMDb already. But the peformances, by then new and upcoming actors Judy Davis and Sam Neill, are beautifully timeless!! It's everything I'd hoped for and more. It just gets better with repeated viewings. Made on a shoestring budget by new director Gillian Armstrong, the commentary provided by her on the recently released Australian DVD in widescreen is a real treat to listen to! You'll chuckle at the stories she tells on how cast and crew achieved what you see on screen when little or no money was left in the budget. And you'll realize how lucky and fortunate Armstrong and producer Margaret Fink were at landing Judy Davis to play Sybylla. My Brilliant Career is currently out-of-print in the USA. Don't know why, but currently a DVD is out in Australia and the UK only. If only the Criterion Collection would select this film for a DVD release in the USA.....

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** The movie My Brilliant Career takes place on the Austrailan frontier, in the year 1909. The story is about this one girl Named Sybylla(played by Judy Davis) who had been living on a farm with her relitives after her mother died. she is forced to live with her uncle when the farm dries up in the drought. Sybylla's Relitives have no way to support them selves so they have to make her live with her uncle. Her uncle is a rich realastate owner and overall he is a really good man, he often laughs at the things that Sybylla does because she is out of the ordenary, compared to the other women that live in the house. While she lives with her uncle she learns about her mother. Sybylla feels that she will never be able to be like her mother who she adores. Sybylla's relitives say that her mother maid a mistake by marrieing for love. Sybylla then meets a man named Harry(played bye the vary young Sam Neill) From the First part where we see Harry we know that the two are going to be together. Threw the movie the two have struggles. Harry and Sybylla want two different things in life. Harry wants love with Sybylla. And Sybylla dosent want to be a normal house wife, she wants to be a writer at all cost. The to together make a deal, in two years when Sybylla knows what she is doing in life she will marry Harry. Two years comes and Sybylla knows what she wants to do but she cant do it being Harrys wife. They are bolth inlove with each other witch makes the story so hard to grasp that this is a love story where the two charicters don't end up having eachother. I liked this movie because the ideal was real. At the end of the movie we find out that Sybylla publishes her book. The ending Scene is my favroite. Sybylla is leaning up against her fence and we find out her book was published. She stands alone looking into the distance. Then it hits us what her uncles wife said to her earlyer in the movie. "lonleyness is a terrible price to pay for independence".

I first saw "My Brilliant Career" in the early eighties while I full of teen angst. At the time I related so closely to Sybylla not only in her unfortunate looks, but desire to break away from my hometown, and be creative. I recently re-watched the movie with my teenage son, and had a totally different experience. First of all, the cinematography is stunning. The movie captures the immense beauty of Australia. Judy Davis at times is dreadful to look at, and then classically beautiful. I notice how similar Judy Davis's acting is to Nicole Kidman's, and I wonder if Kidman considers Davis to be a role model. But the plot rang hollow with me, this time round. It did not sit well with me. Sybylla found a good man who truly loved her, and waited for her, and he was good looking and wealthy. She seemed to love him. It hung on me, why could Sybylla not have her brilliant career and the man? Sybylla was a tease. She wanted the attention, but was disgusted when she got it. I was further confused when I realized the director Gillian Armstrong also directed "Little Women" (another one of my favorite movies). Jo/Louisa May had a brilliant career, and was married, some fifty years earlier, and yet Sybylla/Miles felt she could not have the career and the marriage. My 14 year old son said…"the answer is easy mom, she was a lesbian"! LOL I nearly fell out of my chair. At that point I HAD to look up to see if Miles Franklin was indeed a lesbian, and I think it is agreed upon that she did have a lesbian affair. It seemed to me to that the career was the excuse she used to not marry. If you like romantic period pieces you will like this movie. I am glad I saw it as an idealist young girl.

Watching this film made me think of what a strong character Sybylla is. In a time when doing something like trying to have a career, as a woman, was basically not done we are introduced to someone who is so head strong that she doesn't care what anyone says. One thing that I really enjoyed about this movie is the relationship between Sybylla and Harry Beecham because of the way it was presented. Usually a love relationship in a film is something that is just expected after one interaction, the audience should just know that since we see these two characters together they are now in love, nothing that you see actually develop on screen with multiple encounters and a progress of feelings. I felt like a huge part of this story was the development of the Harry/Sybylla connection. It's obvious early in the film that she cares for no one else, when she throws the flowers given to her by Frank in the river we see she has no intention of giving him a second thought. We see through the numerous encounters with these two that they both have very strong feelings for the other and it is finally revealed when he proposes to her. She takes this offer very seriously but realizes that if she is to be true to herself she cannot accept his offer. This hurts both of them very much and we can see that when she is teaching the family that her father is indebted to and she is not able to write him a letter. When he shows up at her family's farm two years later and re-offers his proposal it is another account of just how much she means to him. When she declines again it is for her reasons and for her career that she is not able to accept. I think that this is a great characteristic of her in this film and helps to make the point of how she is such a strong willed woman who will not settle for less then what she knows she is capable of.

Well clearly I form the minority report of reviewers on IMDB for this one, but I thought this movie was slow and lacked charm. Fast forward Jane Austin 100 years and transport her to Australia and you would get a far more captivating and racier equivalent of the book. Have Merchant-Ivory make the movie and you would get a far more charming film version. The actors are a fine ensemble, probably among the best that Oz could offer at the time, but they were wasted on this dross. I was hoodwinked into seeing this movie by the good reviews and urge caution amongst discerning film lovers. Alternatively, you could do as we did: watch the first 10 to 15 minutes to get a feel for it and watch the rest on fast forward until the last five minutes. It might be worth investing half an hour just to say that you've seen it and believe me you'll miss little by whizzing through the middle 80 minutes.

Judy Davis, as Sybylla Melvin, struggles with the conflicts that we all have between ambition, family, love, and guilt in a most remarkable manner. Sybylla grows to understand that life is a series of trade-offs, and that no one can have it all, and that no one can please everyone. Simple yet universal themes told with charm, wit, and a vulnerability that allows us to get right inside of her character and to understand her --- up to a point that is, a career is vital but I don't believe I'd have the strength to pass up Sam Neill under any circumstances, especially as cute as he is in this movie. In fact, all the acting is great, and the cinematography is breathtaking. Gillian Armstrong has been my idol ever since she made this magnificent film. I give it a 10.