MY BROTHER VINNIE A STUDYGUIDE BY ROBERT LEWIS www.metromagazine.com.au www.theeducationshop.com.au and care for Vinnie, but we also see Aaron • Religious and Values Education Synopsis admit that Vinnie is a crushing burden. • Film Studies Without the intervention of Aaron’s mother- y Brother Vinnie (Steven McGregor, in-law, Mum Frances, we see that the story exploring the themes of: 2006) is a 24-minute documentary could have been tragic. • Family: What does the film help you about two brothers – acclaimed M Aaron and Vinnie are Aboriginal, and we understand about family? Aboriginal actor Aaron Pedersen, and Vin- see the great strength that comes through nie Pedersen, who has cerebral palsy and • Aboriginality: What does the film help Mum Frances’ care for Vinnie – affirming an intellectual disability. you understand about Aboriginal people the image of family that is so strong in the and community today? The story is told by Aaron, and it is an ex- modern image and representation of Abo- • Love: What does the film tell us about ploration of his relationship with Vinnie. riginal culture. the nature of love and loving relation- The film introduces us to the two men, Yet we also see the hurt that the Peder- ships? and then takes us on a journey with them sens’ mother has caused them, and there is • Caring for people with disabilities: to Alice Springs, where they will install a bitterness and condemnation that provide What does the film help you understand memorial cross to their grandmother. a sense of reality and complexity to family about the costs and benefits of caring, relationships. It seems like an unexciting and uneventful carers and the cared? film – but there is an extraordinary warmth • Perceiving and describing people: and honesty to it that makes it a valuable Curriculum applicability What does the film help you understand resource for the classroom. My Brother Vinnie would be an excellent about the way we perceive people, and The film is not confrontational or dramatic, classroom resource in middle to upper the power of description to both mask but it deals with many important issues in secondary classes in: and reveal them? ways that surprise. • English The film contains a warning for Aborigi- nal viewers that it may include images of Aaron is the carer, and we see his love • Society and Environment (SOSE/HSIE) deceased persons. PAGE 2 MY BROTHER VINNIE Exploring ideas and issues in the film Family 1 There are four main family connections in the film: • Aaron and Vinnie; • Aaron, Vinnie and Mum Frances; • Aaron and Vinnie and their grandmoth- er; • Aaron and Vinnie and their mother. Describe each family relationship. 2 Many films about Aboriginal families stress the strength and richness of fam- ily ties. My Brother Vinnie does this, but it also stresses the destructive power of a dysfunctional family situation. How do you react to the existence of both praise and criticism of families in this film? 3 Vinnie and Aaron reflect on their mother – and are very critical and condemna- tory of her. Does this surprise you? How do you respond to this attitude? 4 What does the film help you understand about family? Aboriginality • Vinnie and Mum Frances 1 Describe the character of each. My Brother Vinnie features the lives of • Vinnie and their grandmother. 2 People with disabilities are often Aboriginal people. 2 What does the film tell us about the characterized by that disability. Look at these two descriptions of Vinnie. In both nature of love and loving relationships? 1 Do the lives shown surprise you – for cases we have used virtually the same example, does it challenge any com- Caring for those with disability words, but with very different images mon modern stereotypes of Aboriginal or perceptions of the people produced. life and culture? Aaron was Vinnie’s carer for many years. Discuss the different ideas and images each gives: 2 Some film critics have argued that 1 What does being a carer involve? one of the strengths of the film is its • Vinnie is a cerebral palsy sufferer with a 2 How did Aaron respond to this role? universality, its representation of life that mild intellectual disability. is recognizable in all of us, and not just 3 How did it affect him? How did it affect • Vinnie is a man with cerebral palsy and in Aboriginal people. Would you agree Vinnie? What were the benefits and the a mild intellectual disability. with this? costs to both men? Here is another example: 3 Does it matter that the film features 4 How did Mum Frances affect the bur- Aboriginal people? dens and the benefits of Aaron’s caring • Aaron Pedersen, Aboriginal actor, has a role? brother, Vinnie … 4 What does the film help you understand about Aboriginal people and community 5 How did it affect Vinnie’s development • Aaron Pedersen, actor and carer for his today? towards independence? brother Vinnie … 6 What does the film help you understand 3 One of the great triumphs of the film is Love about the costs and benefits of caring, that it allows us to see the complexity The film is about love. carers and the cared? of Vinnie; we see him as a full character. Identify different aspects of Vinnie’s 1 Describe the different love that we see, Perceiving and describing people character. How does the film enable us between: to see these? The three people we see most fully are • Vinnie and Aaron Aaron, Vinnie and Mum Frances. 4 Another great strength in the film is that PAGE 3 MY BROTHER VINNIE it allows us to see past and beyond Cinematography How is the story filmed? and violence were part of daily life – their Aaron Pedersen as the ‘Aboriginal ac- What sort of camera angles and shots does mother didn’t feed or clothe them. Vinnie tor’. How does the film go beyond this it use? Is the camera steady or hand-held? has cerebral palsy and an intellectual dis- ‘mask’ or image of Aaron? When you have identified the cinemato- ability, so Aaron, who is one year older, had 5 What does the film help you understand graphic style, consider its strengths and to ensure they survived. weaknesses. about the way we perceive people, and Their story is captured in My Brother Vinnie, the power of description to both mask Music How is music used in the film? the Steven McGregor documentary that and reveal them? Where is it used, and when? What is its will screen as part of the Message Sticks purpose – to reinforce an emotion, or create Indigenous Film Festival this weekend. Film studies one, or just as a filler in the background? Pedersen doesn’t say so in the doco, but When you have identified the style in use of his survival tactics included stealing clothes Critics have praised My Brother Vinnie. But music, consider its strengths and weak- from clotheslines, rummaging in bins for why? What makes some films effective and nesses. food and raiding fruit trees. powerful, while others are not? Script How is the story told in words? What ‘We come from a family of unbelievable 1 What is your reaction to the film? is the role of the narrator? Is everything told neglect’, Pedersen says. to us in words, or are we allowed to get 2 Why does the film succeed or fail in ‘I suppose I had to survive by any means information and messages in other ways? your view? possible and I did. I suppose the clothes When you have identified the narration and that, you call it snowdropping, I don’t In explaining and justifying your reaction, style, consider its strengths and weak- regret having done it. I mean, my brother consider these filmic elements: nesses. needed clothes and we didn’t have any Narrative structure How is the story told? Here are two articles about the film. One clothes, anyway.’ Is it a simple step-by-step progression? includes an interview with Aaron Pedersen, Pedersen hasn’t spoken to his mother for Or is it non-linear (for example using the other is more in the form of a review. flashbacks)? When you have identified the four years, but even so it was difficult to narrative style, consider its strengths and Read the two reviews and answer the publicly discuss his upbringing. weaknesses. questions that follow. ‘It was hard’, he says. ‘Look, it comes Editing In what order do we see the ele- ctor Aaron Pedersen could never ex- down to one thing – who the hell am I ments, and for how long? Is the style one plain the bond between him and his protecting? – in the end. I’m going to be of long, uncut scenes? Or rapid, staccato Abrother, Vinnie, without talking about honest. That’s why I just let Vincent talk. cuts? Does the camera linger on a scene their terrible childhood. He was more articulate about it because I to observe elements that continue after the didn’t want to say anything about it.’ The brothers grew up in Alice Springs, action or speaking stop? When you have shuffled in and out of foster homes. Even ‘I thought, “This is your voice, mate. This is identified the editing style, consider its when they were at home – where alcohol about you, my brother. You just tell it.” strengths and weaknesses. I know there’s probably going to be some backlash. I got family involved in the story, but not my mother and other brothers and sisters. Whatever happens, happens. If they’ve got something to say, say it – I don’t care.’ When Pedersen moved away from Alice Springs to pursue a career, first as a jour- nalist with the ABC in Melbourne, then as an actor, his grandmother looked after Vin- nie.