DAD AND DAVE ON OUR SELECTION

This 1995 film earned Peter Best his third Best Original Score award at the Australian equivalent of the Oscars.

This is the third film based on ON OUR SECTION. The first was a silent film in 1920 directed by Raymond Longford, and the second in 1932 by Ken G. Hall. This third filming of these famous stories about the Rudds, however, was inspired by the stage version directed by George Whaley in 1979, and his tireless vision to make it into a feature film finally came to fruition in 1995 when Mel Gibson's ICON company agreed to co-finance the film with the Australian Film Finance Corporation and Anthony Buckley Films.

Conceived with songs, and as a tribute to the old fashioned elements of early Australian filmmaking, with many stories revolving around the Rudd family, it focuses on subjects like the early Australian battlers on the land, and the effect of drought, bank loans, squatters and the coming of the railway on these Aussie battlers.

Peter Best's music captures a happy folk-like feel in this period romantic comedy, which is full of good-natured Aussie subjects like 'Country Life', and Dad's attempt to run for political office (You Can Vote for Me).

Famous opera singer Joan Sutherland was convinced to play Mother Rudd, Leo McKern brought considerable energy to Dad, and Geoffrey Rush got one of his earliest film-starring breaks after years on the stage, as Dave. His next film, SHINE, made him a worldwide star when he won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as David Helfgott.

1 Prologue 2.49
2 "On Our Selection" 2.49
3 Who's Dave Seeing? 1.15
4 Dave Practices his Dancing 0.34
5 "Wouldn't You Like to Make Hay?" 1.20
6 Conversation Lollies 1.11
7 "Our Little Bush Home" 2.27
8 Jack Kills His Father 2.40
9 "When the Ship Comes In" (concertina version) 1.12
10 "My Little Concertina" 2.45
11 "When the Ship Comes In" 1.56
12 "Paddy O'Hehir" 1.53
13 Mrs Peterson's Bones 1.37
14 What Do Foxes Look Like? 0.39
15 Joe Calculates the Profit 2.13
16 "Country Life" 2.30
17 Only 30 Pounds! 0.52
18 What Does a Farmer Do? 0.31
19 "It's a Glorious Life in the Bush" 1.33
20 Kate Comes Home 1.35
21 The Night We Watched for Wallabies 1.20
22 "If You Vote for Me" 1.44
23 My Dad! 0.22
24 "Champion of the Ordinary Bloke" 2.10
25 Joe Proposes a Toast 0.35
26 "My Little Concertina" (bridal waltz version) 3.00
27 Finale 4.19
28 On Our Selection Medley 19.11