Tim Winton backs Simon Baker’s hunch on gem of a town

Simon Baker “knew immed­iately” the WA town of Denmark was the place for his film version of Tim Winton’s Breath.

Denmark

Simon Baker, The Mentalist TV star who for seven years played a psychic with the knack of reading minds, says he “just knew immed­iately” that the West Australian coastal town of Denmark was the right place for his movie version of Tim Winton’s novel Breath.

“I’m a gut person; when I drove in to town I felt the place was rich in authenticity, that there were inter­esting characters and a welcoming community.”

He wasn’t wrong. Local dignit­aries and a gaggle of surfers turned up yesterday to officially welcome him to Denmark’s local surf club, 420km southeast of Perth, which overlooks the windswept Southern Ocean.

Regional Development Minister Terry Redman says Baker’s decision to locate his film shoot in Denmark, with pre-production starting as early as December, means about $4.3 million in local income and a tourism boost for the town of 5000 residents.

Funding body Screenwest estim­ates that Breath will employ 100 local film workers and 150 local­s as actors, extras and surfing doubles. In return, the state government is investing $2.3m to ensure­ that Breath, the eighth novel by West Australian Winton, is entirely filmed in the state.

In the past seven years, regional Western Australia has been the setting for several films with combined production budgets of $89m — including Paper Planes, Red Dog, Bran Nue Dae and Australia.

Australian-born Baker was rated by Forbes as the highest-paid actor on American television last year, earning $US13m. He has appeared in movies such as LA Confidential, The Devil Wears Prada and Margin Call, and earned an Emmy Award nomin­ation for his long-running role as Patrick Jane in The Mentalist, for which he directed some episodes. But Baker’s debut as a feature film director comes with Breath, the tale of two thrillseeking boys who form an odd bond with reclus­ive surfer Sando and his enigmatic wife.

Baker will play the lead role of Sando, as well as directing and co-producing the film. Can he surf? “Badly.”

The Mentalist is a chapter now firmly closed, “but it gave me the sheer confidence to do this film, through the time I spent in front of the camera and directing.

“Of course, it also gave me enormous exposure which helps.”

Baker’s 16-year-old son, Claude, hung back as Denmark locals joined the media scrum, including tousle-headed surfie Zac, 14, who hopes to audition for a surfing-double part in the film.

The Hollywood actor says his two sons — Claude and Harry, 13 — have taught him much about adventurous teenage boys. “Of course it’s helpful. My two boys span the ages of the boys in the book.”

Baker says he shares with Winton a childhood spent as a “small-towner — I know how they work”.

He says he has valued input from Winton, who sent a message to yesterday’s gathering. “Denmark is a gem of a town with a unique community and it holds a very special place in my heart,” Winton said. “I hope it reaps the benefits of having the production based there and that Simon’s film will show the rest of the world what they’re missing.”