Sebastian and the Sparrow


Sebastian and the Sparrow is a 1988 Australian film directed by Scott Hicks. Hicks says he wanted to make the film one he could watch with his teenage son:
It was a kind of junior buddy movie with the theme of two people who envied each other's life. To Sebastian, Sparrow has the perfect life: nobody's on his back, he can do what he likes. It looks like glorious freedom. But to Sparrow the constraints of that life are very real. There is Sebastian with the luxury of a home, a family and a very well-to-do existence which was Nirvana to him. I love the way those thoughts could jostle together.

Cast

Many of the outdoor scenes were filmed on location in Port Adelaide, where much of Hicks's acclaimed Shine was filmed.

Reception

Despite some enthusiasm by critics the film was not commercially successful, which Hicks blames on poor distribution. It was released on VHS tape by the Home Cinema Group but has not to date made it to DVD.