Love, friendship, kindness, hope — and a heroic dog called Runt
This is a wonderful, uplifting film based on a big-hearted novel by one of Australia’s most gifted writers. It’s about love, friendship, kindness, pride and hope. Make sure you stay for the end credits.
Canine caper Runt, directed by John Sheedy and adapted for the screen by Craig Silvey from his 2022 novel of the same name, is the feel-good film of the year.
That’s not to say everything that happens to its characters, humans and pooches, is tail-wagging fun. Some moments bring joy to the heart; others tears to the eyes. That’s life, and it’s embraced and celebrated in all its ups and downs.
Upson Downs is the fictional Australian farming town at the centre of this heartfelt and inspiring story. It sounds similar to Dwellingup, the West Australian rural town where Silvey grew up. It hasn’t rained for more than a year.
The drought is forcing farmers to sell their properties to rapacious land owner Earl Robert-Barren (an imperious Jack Thompson), who is more a buccaneer than a baron.
“He’s starving us out and buying us cheap,’’ says sheep farmer Bryan Shearer (Jai Courtney, in one of his best roles). The Shearers are close to being shorn naked by the “overdraft on the overdraft”, but are determined to hold on to their property.
The unlikely saviour is the stray mutt, Runt (real name Squid), adopted by 11-year-old Annie Shearer (Lily LaTorre). Her daredevil 13-year-old brother, Max, is played by her real older brother, Jack, and each of the young actors is a treat to watch.
Runt, who obeys only Annie, takes to canine agility courses like a dog to a bone. He scampers over the hurdles and through the hoops and slaloms in record times.
He first shows this ability at a local fair, where we also meet the villain of villains, dog show song-and-dance man Fergus Fink, gloriously played in glitter suits by Matt Day. His dog is a papillon named Chariot.
When Silvey’s novel came out I asked him the dream actor to be Fergus Fink and he said Hugh Jackman. And, yes, he’d be great, but Day knocks this role out of the park, helped by a well-chosen 1970s-80s soundtrack. “Heel, Simpkins,’’ he orders his assistant (Tom Budge).
The local titles lead to the national titles, which offer the chance to win the Melbourne Cup of canine contests: the Krumpets (read Crufts) tournament in London. The first two Down Under dogs head to London, where the first prize cheque is $250,000, enough to save the Shearer farm.
This is the set-up: Runt v Chariot, Annie Shearer v Fergus Fink, with Earl Robert-Barren looming in the background. As an aside, Silvey has a lot more fun with Jack Thompson’s character in the novel, which I highly recommend.
All the actors deliver superb performances, including Deborah Mailman as a retired trainer of champion show dogs, Genevieve Lemon as looking-for-love Grandma Shearer and Celeste Barber as terrible cook-brilliant mother Susie Shearer. All the canine stars – there were more than 100 on set – deserve applause, especially Squid, a real life rescue dog.
What unfolds is full of beautiful moments, such as when Bryan and his mum sit in the kitchen and he talks about his fear that he will “lose everything”. Her reply reminds him, and us, that some things are impossible to lose.
This is a wonderful, uplifting film based on a big-hearted novel by one of Australia’s most gifted writers. It’s about love, friendship, kindness, pride and hope.
Make sure you stay for the end credits to hear Paul Kelly sing the song he wrote for the movie. It, too, is beautiful. It’s about going through endless ups and downs and standing “side by side” without fail.
Runt (PG)
91 minutes
In cinemas
★★★★½
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