Careful, He Might Hear You

Carl Schultz's sensitive 1983 Australian film adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott's 1963 novel centers on a boy and the two maternal figures in his life. Since his mother Sinden's death six years before, PS (Nicholas Gledhill) has lived with his Aunt Lila (Robyn Nevin) and Uncle George (Peter Whitford). The couple provide a happy home, but they've never told him that Sinden, aka “Dear One,” died in childbirth (PS just thinks she's in Heaven). From out of the blue, Lila's glamorous sister, Vanessa (Wendy Hughes), moves to Sydney from London to share in his guardianship. PS has never met Vanessa and finds her formal ways off-putting; she makes him take lessons in piano, dance, and horseback riding, but also tells him things about life and death that Lila and George would have never revealed. When PS's father, Logan (John Hargreaves)—who left after Sinden's death—makes an appearance, the visit only causes more problems. Things ultimately come to a head when Vanessa threatens to take PS to England—leading to a custody battle in which PS learns to stand up for himself. While the musical score can be melodramatic, the multi-faceted performances here keep the narrative grounded in reality. Extras include a new featurette with interviews of Hughes and Gledhill, a 1985 interview with Elliott, and a stills gallery. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)