The Hostages (1997 film)

The Hostages
Directed byCatherine Millar
Written byPeter Yeldham
Produced byRay Alchin
StarringSophie Lee
Jeremy Callaghan
CinematographyGeoff Burton
Edited byMichael Honey
Release date
  • 1997 (1997)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

The Hostages is a 1997 Australian TV film shown on Channel Nine. It was the first of a group of three movies produced by JNP Productions and written by Peter Yeldham.[1] It was inspired by two 1994 kidnapping incidents in Cambodia.[2]

Premise

Tourists are taken hostage by a group of Cambodian rebels.

Cast

Production

The Hostages was partly shot in Sri Lanka.[3]

Reception

The Hostages was the highest rated show in its timeslot.[4]

Robin Oliver in the Sydney Morning Herald calls it "Adequate — no more than that - undemanding and relenting in its fictional rewriting of two ghastly incidents in the recent history of Australians and their companions travelling overseas".[5] Simon Hughes of The Age says "Not only does a telemovie such as The Hostages (Nine, 8.30pm) insult the viewer's intelligence, it does a disservice to those connected to the David Wilson case on which it is clearly based."[6]

References

  1. ^ Freeman, Jane (10 November 1997), "Break out the popcorn ...", The Sydney Morning Herald
  2. ^ Joyce, James (7 November 1997), "Dramatic Lee", Newcastle Herald
  3. ^ Weiniger, Peter (6 November 1997), "Entering the mind of a terrorist", The Age
  4. ^ Joyce, James (21 November 1997), "First bikini of the summer - Tuned In", Newcastle Herald
  5. ^ Oliver, Robin (10 November 1997), "The Hostages", The Sydney Morning Herald
  6. ^ Hughes, Simon (12 November 1997), "If they move, kill 'em", The Age