Caddie – Australian Movie Review
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The movie Caddie stars Helen Morse as Caddie Marsh, a young woman in the depression, Jackie Weaver, as Caddies friend Leslie, Jack Thompson as Ted, and Takis Emmanuel as Peter.
Caddie is set in the times of the Australian depression and was the first remotely successful Australian feature film.
It follows the story of a spirited woman and her experiences over seven life-shaping years of her life. Through her eyes we see the effect of the depression on the average Australians of the time.
The movie tells the story of a young Sydney woman during the years 1925 to 1932 in which time she changes from a young suburban 25 year old matron and mother to a free-wheeling woman of 32.
The film opens with Caddie learning that her husband is in love with her best friend, Ester, and taking the only course she feels is open to her; she leaves him taking the children with her. To earn enough money to keep her and the children, Caddie takes a job as a barmaid, and soon learns the ropes with the help of fellow barmaid Josie.
One day Ted, the SP bookmaker comes into the pub. He names her Caddie after his brand new Cadillac that, like her, he says has class and beauty.
Caddie is struggling to look after her two children, Anne, and Terry properly, so she makes the very difficult decision to put them into childrens homes.
Through a friend, Caddie meets Peter, a Greek immigrant and successful businessman. They fall in love and become lovers, but fate strikes with the sudden illness of Peters father and he has to leave for Greece.
Winter two years later, and the Great Depression is taking its toll on Sydney and Caddie. She has trouble staying employed, and finally is bed-ridden suffering from malnutrition and nervous exhaustion. She is befriended by “Bill the Rabbito” and his younger brother Sonny, who share their meagre belongings