Mr. Reliable

"An unbelievable true story about a home-style siege and a BBQ between friends."

1996 1h 52m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 7

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

All Wally Mellish, an ex-convict in 1960s Australia, wants to do is live a quiet life with his girlfriend Beryl. Unfortunately when two police officers come around to disturb this, a misunderstanding quickly becomes out of control, resulting Wally, Beryl and her child being trapped in their house, surrounded by armed police under the impression that Wally is holding everyone hostage. Events quickly spiral into a media circus as, through the siege, Wally - inadvertently - manages to become a symbol for the anti-war movement.

“An unbelievable true story about a home-style siege and a BBQ between friends.”

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Cast

Colin Friels
Wally Mellish
Jacqueline McKenzie
Beryl Muddle
Paul Sonkkila
Commissioner Normal Allen
Frank Gallacher
Don Ferguson
Lisa Hensley
Penny Wilberforce
Aaron Blabey
Bruce Morrison
Geoff Morrell
Sergeant Campbell
Neil Fitzpatrick
Reverend Clive Paton

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nadia Tass
Writers: Terry Hayes, Don Catchlove
Languages: English
Countries: Australia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nadia Tass, shot by David Parker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Philip Judd. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Carrodus shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Colin Friels and Jacqueline McKenzie and Paul Sonkkila carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An unbelievable true story about a home-style siege and a BBQ between friends.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0117101 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nadia Tass directs. David Parker behind the camera. Philip Judd scores. Peter Carrodus cuts. Produced in Australia. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

130 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Nadia Tass, shot by David Parker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Philip Judd. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Peter Carrodus shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Colin Friels and Jacqueline McKenzie and Paul Sonkkila carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "An unbelievable true story about a home-style siege and a BBQ between friends.".
7IMDB entry: tt0117101 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.