The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell

Gazza is your typical Kiwi dad – embarrassing and a bit annoying at times, but essentially a very loyal and devoted father who only wants the best for his kids – even if he gets a little confused at times as to what that might mean…

The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell
Directed by Brendan Donovan
Starring William McInnes, Robyn Malcolm, Joel Tobeck, Josh McKenzie and William McKenzie
Rated M Contains sex scenes and offensive language

Gazza is your typical Kiwi dad – embarrassing and a bit annoying at times, but essentially a very loyal and devoted father who only wants the best for his kids – even if he gets a little confused at times as to what that might mean. Living in Howick, Gazza and his long-suffering wife Gail have two boys, Marc and Ed, and more than anything else, what Gazza wants is to see his boys succeed in the local karting scene and ultimately on the world stage in Formula One racing. Gazza will do anything to get them there, regardless of the cost, and when he scores an interview for a job with a local Chinese businessman, he is not above fudging the truth in order to better his chances.

But one day at the racetrack there is an accident between Marc and Ed, which leaves Ed in a coma, with a very uncertain outlook from the doctors. This tragedy affects the family in very different ways and as always, Gazza is the eternal optimist. Over the course of the film, Gazza must learn to face up to his shortcomings in order to win back his family’s support – but is it too late to win back Ed?

This is a film about the drama of everyday life and the fascinating stories and characters that exist all around us. Writer and director Brendon Donovan talks about his inspiration for the character of Gazza, a man he met when location scouting for a commercial shoot. Inside the very normal suburban home that this man and his family lived in, Donovan found a shrine to karting – trophies, equipment and memorabilia everywhere. With this image in mind, Donovan created the story of one man’s struggle to realize his passions and dreams while facing the very ordinary pressures of raising a family, holding a decent job and paying the bills.

Another feature of ordinary suburban life that Donovan touches upon is the growing multiculturalism of New Zealand’s main centres. The inclusion of the Lin family, in particular Mr Lin with whom Gazza is trying to get a job, and his streetwise daughter Jee who forms a relationship with Marc, provides an interesting element to the story. While the children, Marc and Jee, get on straight away, the cultural gulf between Gazza and Mr Lin is clearly evident, and Gazza’s clumsy attempts to navigate this cross-cultural exchange show how out of his depth this man who thinks he can do anything really is.

In order to give this domestic story the cinematic qualities it needs for the big screen, Donovan focuses on the sensory impact of kart racing, on a number of occasions giving the camera and therefore the audience, Marc’s perspective as he’s racing. These scenes, while perhaps likely to induce some queasiness, allow the audience a taste of what it feels like to be in the driver’s seat and all the excitement this entails. For a moment, you can understand the buzz Gazza gets from karting and his dream that his boys might one day be Formula One drivers.

Australian William McInnes brings the character of Gazza to life with gusto. He is at once charming, infuriating, and amusing but always genuine. The moment at which he reaches his lowest, acknowledging how badly he has messed things up to his mate Ron, is painful, but moving to watch. Robyn Malcolm steps away from the bolshiness of Cheryl West in playing Gazza’s wife Gail. Gail is Gazza’s reality check – she is the one who brings his lofty ambitions down to earth with her pragmatism. However Gail is not perfect and goes on her own journey of discovery in this story but ultimately she and Gazza come together in their concern and fear for Ed. Newcomers Josh McKenzie (Marc) and Melissa Xiao (Jee) are both names to watch in the future.

In cinemas 27th January 2011.

By Rosie Hole, 12 December 2010.