The Boys

The Boys is a 1998 Australian drama film directed by Rowan Woods. The screenplay by Stephen Sewell is based on the play by Gordon Graham, with Graham influenced by the 1986 murder of Anita Cobby, with the play first performed by Griffin Theatre Company under the direction of Alex Galeazzi. Plot After serving time in prison for an assault on a liquor store employee, Brett Sprague is released from prison and returns home to his two brothers and his and their girlfriends, mother and stepfather. Things have changed, and as Brett begins to drink his way through the day, he regains his "top-dog" position one argument at a time. This power trip gets Brett and his brothers united in rage against their girlfriends and mother, and they are involved in a heinous crime. The aftermath of the night unfolds through the story with flashforwards. Cast David Wenham – Brett Sprague Toni Collette – Michelle Lynette Curran – Sandra Sprague John Polson – Glenn Sprague Anthony Hayes – Stevie Sprague Jeanette Cronin – Jackie Anna Lise Phillips – Nola Pete Smith – George Sal Sharah – Nick Peter Hehir Production The Boys is Rowan Woods' directorial debut, and actor Peter Hehir's last film before he retired from acting. Woods "aimed to achieve a combination of documentary-style naturalism with the edge of a thriller." Woods also said that the first time he read the play, he felt "it was an Australian story that had to be told. (…) This is the inside story of a family in crisis, of three boys on the day before a nasty crime takes place, of which they are accused."