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MOVIE FEATURE

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voice, or self-esteem, or who they were. And at that time, to a degree, the country was only just finding its feet. ”The idea of finding yourself and actually being comfortable with that was, to me, the essence of the story,” he continues. ”A kind of underdog story, but more than that, a very personal story about not having to fit in and actually feeling OK about yourself.” The casting of Julian Dennison couldn’t have been more fortuitous; his role as the boy with an English mum has been heralded as the performance of his career. His character - who not only finds

Uproar is an unassuming coming-of-age comedy-drama from New Zealand ,starring Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, and Minnie Driver. Words Glenn Cochrane UPROAR A NEW ZEALAND

his feet, but also connects with his culture - presented Dennison with an opportunity to break free from the type of quirky smart alecs he became famous for, such as in Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Deadpool 2 . ”No one’s really seen Julian in a role this complex, and he’s marvellous,” says Middleditch, eager to praise his lead actor. ”It was a big thing for Julian to take on this role. You know, when you talk about self-esteem and you talk about identity, it’s enormously personal for Julian. It was amazing that he was so brave, and it was extremely exciting because

although everyone’s seen his marvellous performance in Hunt for the Wilderpeople , nobody’s really seen

how great he is and how much of a true actor he is.” Funny guy Rhys Darby plays Josh’s meek drama

• Uproar is out on Mar 20

teacher, who encourages him to find his voice and take flight, even if it means leaving his hometown. It’s a surprisingly

T he film is set in 1981 during the infamous South African Springboks rugby tour, which was met with condemnation and protests in New Zealand when parallels were made between the disposition of M ā ori people and the plight of black South Africans during Apartheid. The story follows a 17-year-old boy, Josh (Dennison), who is forced to stand up for himself and his family when the civil unrest becomes too loud to ignore.

textured performance from Darby, whose reputation is that of a kooky nincompoop. ”Rhys totally connected with the character of Madigan, because he had an art and drama teacher who taught him at school, and he channelled that teacher,” says Middleditch. ”He loved the idea of playing that character. I think [Rhys is] a very fine actor, but a lot of what he’s done - particularly lately, with the bigger studio pictures - he’s inclined to paint bigger and broader characters. But he’s actually a really fine actor, and has a lot of complexity.”

Behind the scenes with Rhys Darby, Julian Dennison, and Minnie Driver.

Chatting with STACK , director Paul Middleditch explains why Uproar is one of his most personal films to date. ”The genesis of

fit in,” he explains, ”but also at a time when I remember the Springbok Tour happening in New Zealand. The country was split in half, almost like a mini civil war. So I was wanting to make a personal film about my memories,

it stems from my memories of high school, and being

Thanksgiving is available on Blu-ray and DVD on March 20. Look out for our review online.

a misfit, and desperately wanting to

Julian Dennison has a twin brother. DYK?

but also about a boy without any sense of their

10 MARCH 2024

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