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more post-christmas traditional activities planned for the day today
involved a 2-car expedition and 7 related people from 4 different families striking out
destination - mount cook via the lakes of the mackenzie country
weather - clear, heads - clear, roads - clear, route - all clear
pulled in lakeside at lake tekapo to enjoy a picnic lunch
as the clouds also moved in to reduce the temperature significantly
a quick survey of the approximate area of destination and some black clouds overhead
so the decision was made to not push our luck and instead make an early return
which meant i found myself passing through geraldine town
one if it's more famous attractions is ye olde world geraldine cinema
timing meant that a film previously considered for viewing was due to start in 20 minutes
still early evening and plenty of the day left so money and ticket exchanged
dave henderson is a small-time but successful property developer in christchurch
he has a happy life with a beautiful maori lady and her son
he asks her to deliver some documents to the tax (inland revenue) department
where she is verbally insulted, threatened and intimidated by an officer there
upon hearing this dave makes a return visit to return the insults in kind
which starts the ball rolling of a 3-year battle with the department
as they methodically try to pull him and his business apart
he goes bankrupt, losing his business, his house and his partner in the process
but adversity is his second name and detecting some chinks in his adversaries armour
he proceeds to record every conversation he has with the i r d
then pulls in the assistance of a newly elected maverick m p
who boldly states he needs the publicity as he takes dave's case up
which makes it all the way to question time in the nation's parliament
before it then falls back on the other side and sees the department humiliated
heads roll, charges are dropped, refunds (with interest) paid and apologies extended
so all in all a david versus goliath story with the same outcome
it's actually a well told and well acted story with quite a few laughs along the way
the fact that it is a true story only adds to the appeal of the film
i was hoping that it would not be too stereotyped in its good guy, bad guy portayal
and to the credit of the director we see bad and good on both sides
so not a complete damnation of the i r d as they deal with the golden boy
the action is all set in the early 1990's and attention to detail has been made with the props
down to dave's mobile phone being the original brick with extender antenna
and his letters being written on a early model hybrid typewriter / word processor
so the short trip down memory lane to the early 90's was also enjoyable
however a bigger nostalgia trip was provided by the theatre itself
for the first time in living memory the film shut-down halfway through for an intermission
i don't think reels had to be changed but other intermission activities were completed
including the tacky and amateur slide-show of the local businesses
the lowering of lights so the mirror-ball could have a spin
and then back into the film proper
big drive, good film, nostalgia trip
not such a bad day really