True blue hits like this are just cherished treasures. I'll come clean here. Don's Party is my favourite Aussie movie. It's reminds me a little of my Dad's parties, though they weren't as raunchy as this. David Williamson is a one in a million playwright. His plaque should be truly honoured. I don't care how many times, I watch this. Love it, love it, love it. John Hargreaves, the swinging, ("full grown bomb out" as one woman describes him) host, holds this party at the change of the 69 election. Most are swinging labour voters, one woman guest of refinement, is liberal. The others, a raunchy mob of men, don't take too well to this, but will still have a go at her. A much younger stuck up woman, who arrives with a real tight arse is another apple of the older men's, eyes. But there's a younger, 19 year girl who really gets down and dirty. We see one beaver shot, after she's thrown into the neighbour's pool. As a much older, envious woman describes here, "She's a lemon breasted tart". I won't disagree with that. One highlight is Graham's Kennedy's joke, concerning duck hunting while relieving himself of number 2's. Jeanie Drynan, who admittedly, I did have a crush on once, is Hargreaves, long suffering wife, Kath. She admits, this election is just an excuse for a booze up, which Don heavily denies, yet that's exactly what it is. By the way these crass men act, it's hard to believe their occupations. One thing I picked up on, not with my first view, was an original "Good Times" song, that Jimmy Barnes re did in 87. I thought song was a true original. While not finding the movie overly funny, I just love it for it is. Even the barbecue and eating scenes got me hungry. One line that stuck in my head for some reason, as if hearing my Dad, drunk, say it, was the Barrett line "Now shut up, I'm having an argument with your wife" Pause. "Pea brain" He says this to Blundell, the outsider of the party, and the husband to the lady of refinement, before a fracas breaks out between the two. And near the end, with Barrett and Hargeaves, pi..ed as parrots, slumped on beanbags, arguing with their misses, I've seen that scene played over so many times, while being a kid witness to my dad's parties. Priceless script from a great, that transforms well as a movie, and directed of course, by no other than the great Bruce Beresford, who totally gets my seal of approval. Aussie gem.

The summary title might be embarrassing to a modest man like Williamson but he really does have an uncanny knack of exposing human foibles that I have found astonishing for many years.Don's Party is well recognised as a work of genius portraying the hopes of Australians on Election Night in 1969 who wanted to see the end of successive Liberal Governments for over 20 years. This election did not provide a change but established Whitlam as a very real threat to the Liberals' perceived right to rule. He was successful 3 years later.The characters are of real interest in this film as they lose control due to the unlimited flow of alcohol. Had they been in a more restrictive environment there may have been some very interesting thoughts exchanged.Intelligent and beautiful actresses are the sober ones whose presence as human beings with feelings and opinions goes woefully unappreciated by the "Ugly Australian" in the males. The male behaviour becomes more tribal as the evening degenerates and the gorgeous enchanting women are left to themselves.

An adaptation of a popular play, this inherently Australian film examines the dynamics of a cocktail party thrown by a couple on election night in 1969, which eventually deteriorates into confrontation and some sexual shenanigans. Hargreaves and Drynan play the couple who have a minor amount of dissatisfaction between them which is exacerbated by the interplay of their guests. Barrett and Bishop are on the verge of divorce themselves. Blundell and Lang are the black sheep of the group, living a bit better off and rooting for the opposite political party. Taylor and Raymond are on the rocks due to his attempts to rein in her free and artistic spirit. Sexually voracious Hopkins brings his latest nubile conquest Binney with him. Kennedy is the lone single guest, having just evicted his wife following another domestic squabble. These folks drink and chatter about politics, but as the night wears on and the political party that most of them support begins to flounder, things begin to spiral downward. Binney decides she wants to bed down with Hargreaves, understandingly upsetting Drynan. Taylor gets angry and storms out when Raymond doesn't wish to leave. The remaining men gang up on Blundell and humiliate him for being different. Hopkins makes a move on one of the wives while the rest bicker amongst themselves or with their mates. It's almost a plot less film; more of a character study with the characters representing exaggerated facets of the Australian populace. Accordingly, it may mean more to its core audience, though it remains entertaining and compelling to others as well. It's aggressively tacky in décor and costuming and vulgar in dialogue, but has a nice clipped pace and contains many interesting exchanges between the characters. Also, there are considerable doses of skin on display to keep things spicy. Four of the men and three of the women have nude scenes of varying exposure. Though some of the actors are not well-known apart from their work Down Under, the cast is made up of several of the country's most popular performers of the era. Sadly, Hargreaves died of AIDS in 1996.

Perhaps one of the best of Williamson's plays/movies, the story is about an election eve party where the winning side is the wrong one for most of the participants.The characterization of the drunk middle-aged, middle class, and slightly socialist characters is in my opinion the highlight of the film.A must see for anyone wanting to understand Australia.