Crackerjack

Paul Moloney's 2002 Australian film follows a bowling club losing members. The club is about to be taken over; a lazy man who joined only for the cheap parking finds himself inside the fight to save it. The humour comes from the difference of generation. The mismatch between the club's elderly members and the lead is the engine of the narrative; neither understands the other and the comedy grows from that distance. Mick Molloy both stars and worked on the script, and was known in Australia from television comedy. The film became an unexpected box office success at home. The narrative follows the template and the outcome is predictable. Who it's for: those who like Australian comedy and films about community. Who it's not for: viewers looking for an original plot; the film carries a familiar structure onto local ground.