Review of Oranges and Sunshine (2010) by Walter M — 15 Nov 2011

In "Oranges and Sunshine," Margaret Humphreys(Emily Watson) is a social worker in Nottingham, England in 1986 who is first seen in assisting in taking a baby away from a mother unable to care for her. One night after a group therapy session, she is accosted by a woman who claimed to be deported to Australia when she was a child and is now seeking her birth mother. Some time later, Margaret hears a similar story from a woman trying to contact her brother who was sent to Australia at about the same time. Thinking they may not be exactly isolated cases, she contacts Australia House for information which she does not receive but does instead get confirmation which is almost as valuable. With the support of her husband Merv(Richard Dillane), the next stop for Margaret is Australia.

Written by Rona Munro and directed by Jim Loach, "Oranges and Sunshine" may be a little rough around the edges but still packs a wallop in depicting a real life tragedy. The movie does not take the easy way out by showing the reunions and the emotional climax is satisfying in a subtle way, as we are not sure what is going on at first. As the final credits reveal, there were about 130,000 children involved in the deportation which went on to 1970.(According to one account I read, white Australians were afraid of being outnumbered by Aborigines.) Where the movie excels in the place of a potential documentary is in telling the personal stories of heartbreak of those deported who were victimized not only by separation but also from abuse.(And Hugo Weaving is superb in playing one of the grown men.) Margaret is deeply touched by those she encounters as she undergoes an emotional journey which is never easy and still continues to the present day. Along the way, she learns she is not alone and becomes a part of a much larger family while receiving support from her own.