I first saw this phenomenal Australian actress in Romper Stomper in 1992, and she was so intense, so unpredictable, she was on another level. I couldn’t get her out of my head. She made more of an impression on me than Russell Crowe did (and he made a HUGE impression. And this was before L.A. Confidential!). Who WAS this girl?
A couple years later I saw Angel Baby, starring Jacqueline McKenzie and the great John Lynch (I just wrote about him!), during its brief run at the Angelika here in New York. I went with my friend Rebecca and we got swept away in it, carried away by the love story, and then when the mood shifted … we both started sinking down in our chairs. We glanced at each other at one point. We were both in tears. It’s a devastating film.
I have been a fan of McKenzie’s work ever since, and I was so happy to pay tribute to Angel Baby in my column for Film Comment. When editor-in-chief Nic Rapold first proposed the column to me – basically giving me carte-blanche sky’s-the-limit in terms of subject matter – I wrote down a list of ideas. That first list – about 10 pieces – I am so proud that I eventually wrote all of them for my column. And one of the pieces on that initial pitch list was Angel Baby. And somehow – someone must have forwarded the piece to Jacqueline McKenzie, and she Tweeted about it, saying something like “I am so glad these two beautiful characters are remembered.” Sob. This is why I do this.
Angel Baby is very hard to see. It’s not “out there”, it’s not streaming, it’s not even on people’s radar. This is ridiculous. Director Michael Rymer has gone on to be a very big deal, through Battlestar Galactica. But this intimate story of a couple navigating the world as they battle bipolar/schizophrenia (it’s a wonderful and compassionate and ACCURATE film on mental illness) – a film Rymer researched and felt passionate about – this film is just not available. It’s such a shame. You can see a clip of it here.
It got amazing reviews at the time. It was released. It was in theatres. Like … it should be available to be seen. I think you can order the DVD? But maybe not. It’s a lost film. Early-to-mid 1990s cinema was right before DVDs came into play – so many great films didn’t make the transfer. What Happened Was… was another one. It’s so sad because the early-mid 1990s was such a great era of film – a robust era of independent cinema was born – and it’s basically lost history right now.
Here’s the piece I wrote on Angel Baby.
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I thought I might find it on Kanopy, a treasure trove of independent, foreign and obscure films (and free with your library card), but sadly it’s not there either. I just ordered the DVD on Amazon, based on your recommendation. Thank you! Can’t wait to see it.
Helena – awesome!! It’s just so disheartening that it’s not streaming anywhere – not even Kanopy!! The early to mid 90s is a real problem in terms of access – unless the films won Academy awards. It was just before everything transferred to DVD and so much did not make that transfer.
Let me know what you think! I find it tragic and beautiful with two towering performances at the center. So interesting that this was the first film of a guy who made his real mark with Battlestar Galactica!!
I recently worked with Jacqueline on Russell Crowe’s new film which shot in Sydney. She is a total character – with the same intensity and spontaneity present in her performances. That is fully her.
AF – wow! That’s awesome!! I’ve kept track of her all these years – based solely on Romper Stomper and Angel Baby so I’m happy to hear this and I look forward to seeing it!