Angel Baby

Angel Baby

Seeing “Shine,” I asked myself about the marriage of David and Gillian Helfgott. Was it really just a loving woman healing a troubled man? Also shown at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival that premiered “Shine” in North America was another Australian film, one that had come with seven Australian Academy Awards, including best picture, actor, actress and director. It dealt with romance and mental illness too. But somehow it didn’t create the same buzz, maybe because it was not exactly a feel-good movie.

“Angel Baby” directed by Michael Rymer is about Harry and Kate who meet at an outpatient clinic for mental patients, fall in love, seem to be blessed with each other for some time and then grow overconfident and stop taking their medication.

The outcome is predictable but this isn’t the dreariest film you’d expect from such a story line; there’s often been in more than one Australian movie a tendency towards human comedy, an affection for characters’ quirks and eccentricities when they may be doomed but cheerfully fight against dying off completely. Even on their way down Kate (Jacqueline McKenzie) and Harry (John Lynch) see signs of hope.

But then again Kate’s entire life is governed by signs which she gets from her guardian angel called Astral. The “Wheel of Fortune” method of communicating must have been developed in Australia. When letters are turned over revealing phrases underneath them Kate writes everything down considering what she sees; for example she knows she’s pregnant when the Australian version of Vanna White turns over letters spelling out “Great Expectations.” And she thinks it’s Astral residing in her womb.

The movie avoids many cliches found in films about mental health issues among others things – professionals here are caring professionals who show competence throughout their work while trying to help patients like Harry or Kate succeed at finding love during early parts of this film.

Harry is a nice man who helps his young nephew drive monsters out of the bedroom (he draws a magic chalk circle around the child’s bed), and whenever he’s with Kate, one can almost always see tender concern on his face. She is more out of control; after an irresponsible roller blander in a mall store cuts her accidentally, she becomes hysterical over losing blood and even licks some up from floor. When they decide to live together as a couple it looks like good idea for them but then they stop taking their medicines.

John Lynch should be better known as an actor (you may recall him from playing teenager roles in movies such as “Cal,” or starring opposite Helen Mirren as Bobby Sands whose life story was told in “Some Mother’s Son” among others). He has the harder part in many ways here than Jacqueline McKenzie does playing Kate because she seems to be on her own wavelength while Lynch’s character needs constantly assess what state she is in, respond accordingly and also keep track of how he himself feels physically considering everything that comes with loving someone disturbed there being no guarantee those happy times will last forever makes them look sad but beautiful anyway.

That’s what this film shows most accurately about people living with mental disorders; that they deserve understanding rather than criticism plus love regardless not just during bad times but equally so when things go well too which would otherwise seem sweet

If someone cries while watching “Shine,” they will probably not cry at all during “Angel Baby.” The last scene of the film is a sentimental fantasy which touches viewers’ hearts. Marriage no, love stories never go smoothly. When I watched this movie, I noticed that although I liked “Shine” and found it touching, “Angel Baby” deals more authentically with a troubled relationship. If Tolstoy had lived longer and seen more films he might have written that every unhappy ending is unhappy in its own way but all happy endings are alike.

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