Category Archives: Animal story

2007, Acorn TV, Animal story, Assisted Suicide, Australian, Blackmail, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Ethical struggles, Father-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Sheep Farmers, Small Town

Rain Shadow (2007)

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From Acorn TV:

After a 10-year drought, tensions reach a breaking point in the small Australian farming town of Paringa when a mysterious disease begins to ravage the local sheep. Tough-minded veterinarian Kate McDonald (Rachel Ward, The Thorn Birds) struggles to save her community with the help of a feisty new assistant (Victoria Thaine, The Caterpillar Wish).

From IMDB:

Rain Shadow was shot in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia and is set in the fictional district of Paringa, a dry land farming area in a rain shadow. It tells the story of two characters who become the means of each other’s future. It stars Rachel Ward as district vet Kate McDonald and Victoria Thaine as new veterinary assistant Jill Blake

From Acorn TV you can stream  6 episodes, each episode lasting about 50 minutes, of this Australian production.

A rain shadow is an area of land that lies behind a mountain which gets almost no rainfall. This side of a mountainous area is away from the wind.  Even this film from 2007 speaks several times of climate change.

Life in this remote part of South Australia in a rain shadow is harsh and difficult. Survival of a farm is precarious at best and an awful lot of hard work. As a consequence the inhabitants of Paringa are a tough group of people who interact at times begrudgingly. In this story the farmers that we meet raise sheep, many of whom are infected with Johne’s disease.

Johne’s disease is a contagious, chronic, and usually fatal infection that affects primarily the small intestine of ruminants. Johne’s disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis , a hardy bacterium related to the agents of leprosy and TB.

Of the several themes in this story, including Kate’s hidden sorrow and farm foreclosures,  the Johne’s disease is prominent. Jill’s ethical struggle is whether to notify the authorities about the problem, which would lower the property and sale values of the sheep farms.

As a welcome relief from crime stories, this very human drama is well worth seeing.  If you liked “A Place To Call Home”, then these 6 episodes are a must see.

2017, Acceptable for teenagers, Acceptable Science, Acorn TV, Adopted child, Alzheimer's disease, Ambiguous Conclusion, Amusing banter, Animal story, Assisted Suicide, Australian, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Comic Moments, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Flirting, Jealousy, Love Story, Made For TV, Melodrama, Mother-son relations, Nudity, School Teacher, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Sex Scenes, Small Town, Small Town Atmosphere, Somewhat trashy, Terminal Disease, Uncategorized, Witty dialog

The Heart Guy (2017)

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From Acorn TV:

Hugh Knight is a rising star in the Sydney heart surgery ranks. He is gifted, charmed, and infallible: a hedonist who – due to his sheer talent – believes he can live outside the rules. But after an incident involving drugs and alcohol, his world comes crashing down. Placed on the Impaired Registrants List for his part in the debacle by the Medical Board, he is banned from surgery and can only work as a local doctor. 

Acorn TV offers Series 1 with 10 episodes, each of approximately 45 minutes length.

Love, loss, sex, comic banter, medical practice, family, jealousy, close friendships, cancer, fatherhood: you name it, it’s all there in this fun-to-watch, very popular Australian TV series. Best of all there is nothing more violent than a fist fight or two.

This Aussie series is much less serious than another Acorn TV offering (which I highly recommend) called “A Place To Call Home” even though there are some sad parts.

WARNING: Episode 10 ends ambiguously, probably in preparation for another season.

Need something “feel good” to watch?  Then don’t miss this show!

 

2012, Adventure, Animal story, Based on a Book, Human spirit, Sea Rescue, Suspense, Wonderful photography

Life of Pi (2012)

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From NetFlix:

Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, this coming-of-age tale recounts the adventures of Pi, an Indian boy who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with only some zoo animals for company.

Based beautifully on the book, the photography alone is worth the price of admission. From the very first shot of unusual zoo animals, through a wild storm at sea, and accompanying Pi on his journey in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, the scenes are exciting and memorable.

Additionally the story is one of determined and remarkable survival. Pi finds a book amoung the lifeboat supplies a book that teaches him to survive shipwreck. He also learns to effectively train the tiger (or at least try to train the tiger).

There are some comic moments but certainly never a dull moment. Hang onto your oars!