A Study Guide by Katy Marriner

A STUDY GUIDE BY KATY MARRINER http://www.metromagazine.com.au http://www.theeducationshop.com.au Introduction This study guide to accompany My Biggest Fan (Tara Morice, 2008), a documentary by Tara Pictures, has been written for secondary students. It provides information and suggestions for learning activities in English, SOSE, Drama, Health and Human Development, Media and curriculum projects exploring the concept of identity. My Biggest Fan was written, directed and produced by Tara Morice and executive produced by Michael Cordell. My Biggest Fan My Biggest Fan is the story of what happens when Tara Morice, star of Strictly Ballroom (Baz Luhrmann, 1992), meets her biggest fan, Mildred Levine, a 75-year-old, lip-synching great grandmother from Coconut Creek, Florida. Tara played Fran in Strictly Ballroom. The film became a classic and inspired a number of television shows about ballroom dancing. Tara was thrust into the whirlwind of celebrity. She rubbed shoulders with big stars and received hundreds of fan letters. SCREEN EDUCATION 2 Before viewing the documentary • Who is your biggest fan? • Write a list of the entertainers you admire. Share your list with others in the class. Explain why you admire the entertainers on your list. • What entertainers have an obsessive fan base? Why do you think they generate this interest? • Before the Internet, fans would join clubs and write letters to the entertainers they admired. Technology has changed the way On 11 September 2001, Mildred My Biggest Fan documents the people learn more about had organized a screening unlikely friendship of two women and contact the entertainers of Strictly Ballroom for the from very different worlds. The they admire. Have you ever residents of her retirement story affirms the power of a googled an entertainer, community. When the film movie to bring people together written a fan email, posted a finished, the audience rose to and broadens the audience’s comment on an entertainer’s their feet, as best they could, perspective of the talents and myspace page or accessed and cheered for the first time aspirations of the elderly. It is a blog about an entertainer? that terrible day. Mildred sat also a personal and revealing • Would you like to be down and wrote her first ever account of what fame is like famous? fan letter. She now has Tara’s and what happens when the photograph on her living room excitement suddenly stops. • Use a think, pair, share wall and has been in contact approach to discuss the ever since. Using My Biggest following statements about ageing: Inspired by Mildred’s videotapes Fan in the of her favourite films and her classroom – ‘You’re only young once.’ productions with the Wynmoor Teachers may select from the – ‘You’re never too old.’ Entertainers, Tara decided it following activities to support – ‘You’re as young as you would be fun to meet Mildred students’ viewing and close feel.’ and be present for the opening analysis of My Biggest Fan. night of her variety show Follies. – ‘Young at heart’ SCREEN EDUCATION 3 • Do you think a movie can • What does My Biggest Fan Close Analysis change your life? tell us about each of these Tara themes? Ask students to • Have you ever experienced endorse their responses with ‘When I was a little girl I wanted a moment that you felt specific evidence from the to be just like Vivien Leigh.’ defined your future? documentary. – Tara After viewing the Theatre has always been a big documentary • Create an A3 collage of words and images that offers a part of Tara’s life. Her father was Did you enjoy watching My response to a theme explored manager of the Theatre Royal in Biggest Fan? Share one of your in My Biggest Fan. Use these Hobart. As a four year old she favourite moments with the responses to compose a watched Sir Robert Helpmann’s class. class mural that reveals the ballet The Display and knew that After watching My Biggest Fan, concerns of the documentary. she wanted to be a performer. Tara made her stage debut at what comments would you • Select one of the themes age sixteen playing Anne Frank make about the purpose of the explored by My Biggest Fan in The Diary of Anne Frank. documentary? and work with other students What does My Biggest Fan tell to develop a multimedia Tara graduated from the us about fame? presentation offering your National Institute of Dramatic group’s stories about this Art (NIDA) in 1987. While Tara Do you think Tara was brave to theme. is best known for her role as make such a revealing account Fran in Strictly Ballroom, she of self? Why is it important to tell the stories of people like Mildred Levine? Did My Biggest Fan challenge your notion of old age? Themes • Identity • Independence • Self awareness • Self expression • Destiny • Fame • Fans • Friendship • Ageing SCREEN EDUCATION 4 has also appeared in Metal Skin determined to play Fran in the parts and having people (Geoffrey Wright, 1994), Hotel film adaptation. always say that they just Sorrento (Richard Franklin, couldn’t see me as anything • Use the following statements 1995), Moulin Rouge! (Baz other than the girl from to initiate a discussion of the Luhrmann, 2001), Hildegarde Strictly Ballroom. way Tara’s involvement in (Di Drew, 2001), Candy (Neil – Tara Strictly Ballroom has shaped Armfield, 2005) and Razzle her life and sense of self. • Tara sings, ‘This is the day Dazzle (Darren Ashton, 2006). your life will surely change. – ‘I felt absolute ownership Tara’s stage credits include This is the day when things of the character, so the productions for Sydney Theatre fall into place’. Use these thought of someone else Company, Belvoir St Theatre, lyrics to begin a discussion of doing some of the lines that The Bell Shakespeare Company, Tara’s visit to Coconut Creek. I’d actually made up was Ensemble Theatre and Griffin really hard.’ • Were you surprised by Theatre Company. She has – Tara Ondine’s attitude to her worked extensively on television mother’s decision to meet in Grass Roots, Dogwoman, – I had no idea back then that Mildred? Answered by Fire, After the the character of Fran would Deluge, Loot and Salem’s define me for years and • ‘They really reinforced that I Lot. Tara has also narrated years to come. It was pretty was a really lucky person.’ documentaries for ABC and frustrating going for other – Tara SBS television. As a singer she has toured Australia with Pardon Me Boys and The Madrigirls, as well as the musical The Venetian Twins. Tara was named Australian Star of the year in 1995. • Fran is someone who appreciates doing things in an unconventional way. She dares to achieve her dreams. Based on your knowledge of Strictly Ballroom, what parallels can you draw between Tara and Fran? • Tara first played Fran when she was just out of drama school. She came to regard the role as her own and was SCREEN EDUCATION 5 It is frustrating to really want • What do Mildred’s family and for they had to get away from to act but not get the parts, friends make of her interests? the terrible images on TV. I think, but also it’s about – Mildred’s first letter • Discuss Mildred’s role in accepting what you get in life supporting other people to Strictly Ballroom is a fictional and making the best of it. achieve their ambitions and portrayal of the world of – Tara share their talents. Australian ballroom dancing. When Tara reflects on the Strictly Ballroom Scott Hastings is a champion adulation and acceptance ballroom dancer who wants that she has experienced My darling Tara, you know how to dance his own steps. during her time in Coconut we here in the US are suffering When his regular dancing Creek, what does she realize? with the events of September partner Liz leaves him, Fran, 11th. Tara on that evening I Mildred a beginner dancer and a bit was supposed to show Strictly of an ugly duckling offers to From a young age, Mildred Ballroom for I had advertised take her place. Their decision was interested in performing. weeks ahead of time. I thought to challenge the Dance In her tenth year of high school no-one would turn out but to my Federation’s ruling ‘there are Mildred won a small part in the amazement many people came senior class play and later at the University of Nebraska she majored in speech and dramatic arts. When her mother became ill, Mildred’s plan of becoming an actress was put on hold. It wasn’t until much later in life that Mildred returned to the stage. • What’s your opinion of Mildred Levine the lip-synch queen? • Why Tara? Drawing on moments and statements from My Biggest Fan explain Mildred’s interest in Tara. • Why do you think My Biggest Fan tells Mildred’s life story? • Working in small groups and by drawing on moments and statements from My Biggest Fan, discuss Mildred’s attitude to life and ageing. SCREEN EDUCATION 6 no new steps!’ at the Australian it received a seven-minute stop her on the street, praising Pan Pacific Championships is standing ovation. The film was her performance and asking for audacious and brave. sold to over eighty countries. her autograph. She acknowledges Tara danced with the then Prime that her involvement in the film • Watch Strictly Ballroom. Minister Paul Keating at the and ensuing fame, gave her life a • What are the themes of Strictly film’s Australian premiere, was sense of purpose. Ballroom? nominated for a British Academy • Drawing on Tara’s reflections, award and was mobbed in Japan.

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