My First Wife


My First Wife is a 1984 Australian drama film directed by Paul Cox. The film won several AFI Awards in 1984.

Plot

John is a composer and radio presenter. His wife Helen tells him she is leaving him, having had an affair with one of his friends, Tim. Helen moves out with their daughter Lucy to her parents' house.
John becomes mororse and potentially violent. He sleeps with a work colleague, Hilary, and takes pills and wakes up in a psychiatric unit. Helen movies back in briefly but he tries to sleep with her when she does not want to and he hits her. Helen keeps seeing Tim. John abducts Lucy and the police do nothing. John returns Lucy to her mother.
During this John's father dies.

Cast

The film was based on the breakdown of Cox's marriage. He started writing the script, showed it to Bob Ellis and the two men wrote the screenplay together.
Film Victoria invested $150,000 and loaned $120,000. The original budget was $700,000 but it was made for less.
The film was shot mostly at a house in Williamstown in Melbourne.

Music

My First Wife grossed $413,199 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $1,049,525 in 2009 dollars.

Awards

My First Wife won in 1984 AFI Awards in the Best Actor in a Lead Role, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay categories and was nominated in 4 more categories. Paul Cox also won the 1986 Grand Prix award at Film Fest Gent in 1986.