Melane Tait's play deserved better than this. I'm a long-.time local and should have loved this film. Even with the added pleasure of spotting local places and faces, I struggled to make it all the way through. I loved Tait's play, which was witty and warm without being predictable or saccharin. You could say the exact opposite about this film, which wastes a stellar cast on a cliche-ridden script with predictable results. It's all the more disappointing that Kylie Needham was a script .consultant - her writing usually sparkles more than this too. Mostly, the film just tries too hard. I hope Tait's play lives long and prospers and lives down this leaden adaptation.
The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race
2023
Action / Comedy / Drama
The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race
2023
Action / Comedy / Drama
Plot summary
Penny returns to her childhood home for the Appleton Show and its 'world famous' potato race, she is outraged that the men's first prize pays out $2,000 and the winning woman's prize is only $200. She is determined to right this wrong.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
August 06, 2023 at 02:04 PM
Director
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB.x265Movie Reviews
As Disappointing as Deb Instant Potatoes
Not as good as the stage play
Melanie Tait's stage play of the same name was witty, engaging and entertaining. The 5 female characters told the meaningful story with humour and the right amount of pathos.
By contrast, the movie features too many outdoor settings, a cast of about 100 characters, and more storyline. This extra dialogue proves to be less interesting and also overwhelms the humour of the stage play. Sometimes simpler is better.
The movie has an acceptable IMDB rating, so others who have not seen the stage play may have found the storyline interesting enough. However, for me, while the stage play was witty, engaging and entertaining, the movie is preachy, with too much dialogue and therefore less engaging.
See the stage play instead, especially if it features the brilliant Sharon Millerchip in the lead role.