| The Getting of Wisdom | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Bruce Beresford |
| Written by | Eleanor Witcombe |
| Based on | The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson |
| Produced by | Phillip Adams |
| Starring | Susannah Fowle Hilary Ryan Barry Humphries |
| Cinematography | Donald McAlpine |
| Edited by | William M. Anderson |
Production company | Southern Cross Films |
| Distributed by | Roadshow |
Release date |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$525,000[1] |
| Box office | A$982,000 |
The Getting of Wisdom is a 1977[2] Australian film directed by Bruce Beresford and based on the 1910 novel of the same title by Henry Handel Richardson.
The film is set in 1890s Victoria, when Laura (Susannah Fowle) enters an exclusive Melbourne ladies' college based on Presbyterian Ladies' College. The film follows her struggle for acceptance, conformity, romance, friendship and achievement over the next four years. Lesbian overtones between a schoolgirl and a music teacher are made explicit in the film, more so than in Richardson's novel.
It also starred Barry Humphries, John Waters and Terence Donovan, and featured early career appearances by Kerry Armstrong, Sigrid Thornton, Noni Hazlehurst, Maggie Kirkpatrick and Julia Blake.
A musical theme runs through the story, with piano works by Beethoven, Schubert and Thalberg played by Sarah Grunstein.
- ^ Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p316-317
- ^ Hal Erickson The Getting of Wisdom (1977) Review summary in The New York Times,