Oranges and Sunshine

Dir. Jim Loach
Starring. Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham

Historically based films can be very powerful. In many cases, there are parts of our history that are hardly known, and would never gain enough attention to really be known until a filmmaker comes along, stumbles onto the story, and puts it on screen. That is quite possibly the case with 'Oranges and Sunshine.'

This is the story of Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson) a Nottingham social worker who one night in 1987, encounters an Australian woman claiming to have been deported to Australia from the U.K. as a child. Humphreys soon discovers other people with similar histories, most of whom were in childrens' homes until they were told that their parents had passed away and were promised better lives in Australia. In reality, the Australian government didn't have much of a plan for these children either, so many faced worse lives there. Humphreys worked tirelessly to uncover the truths about these migrants, helping them to learn about their origins and in some cases re-unite them with families they never knew they had. The film covers her discovery of the migrant schemes, and the progression of her work with those affected. As her involvement in their stories and her relationships with them grow, she struggles to balance her work with her personal life; trying to keep in touch with her own family as she works to unite strangers with theirs.

It seems that although many people are aware of this rather recent history, they don't know much about the scale of the organized deportation, the effect it had on many peoples lives, or the story of the woman who uncovered the schemes. Because of that, 'Oranges and Sunshine' tells a fascinating and heartbreaking story. It opens our eyes to a history that may be painful to accept. It wasn't until 2009 and 2010, that the British and Australian governments issued official apologies to the child migrants, finally accepting responsibility.

Emily Watson plays Humphreys with a subtle grace and strong determination. Margaret is an inspiring woman and Watson truly portrays her ability to keep composed in the face of the horrors she uncovers, only to later be almost consumed by them. Hugo Weaving is also exceptional as Jack, a troubled man desperate to find his mother. He is a tragic example of how difficult it is to know who you are, when you don't know where you came from.

It's an incredibly interesting story, but the film struggles to tell it in a consistently interesting way. Although there is nothing wrong with divulging from traditional story structure, 'Oranges and Sunshine' can't seem to settle into a working structure of its own. After the first act, it loses its momentum and starts to feel like a heavy, lengthy, melodrama.

Had it been a bit shorter, and a bit more focused, it would have really been a memorable film. But as is, it's just a historical drama about an inspiring woman that makes for a somewhat less inspiring film.