Payne’s story is a journey to success
RIDE LIKE A GIRL
THE actor Rachel Griffiths is no stranger to being behind the camera having directed two short films and three episodes of the Nowhere Boys television series.
She’s smart and talented. So when the story of Michelle Payne being the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup struck at the heart of most Australians, the temptation to tell Michelle’s story was irresistible. And so now we have Ride Like a
Girl.
Teresa Palmer stars as Michelle, who was the last child in a family of ten, raised by a single father Paddy (Sam Neill) after the death of his wife.
Paddy has a training stud, all his kids are aiming to be jockeys.
Michelle is obsessed from a very young age.
She sees her destiny.
But after the death of one of his daughters in a race, Paddy is fearful for Michelle and wants to limit her scope to race.
She defies her father and undergoes the gruelling training needed to qualify for the first tier of racing.
But tragedy strikes again when Michelle is seriously injured in a race.
What can the future hold for her?
Well, while we all know the outcome of the story, the journey to that success is an insightful and emotional journey.
Teresa Palmer is totally convincing as Michelle, Sam Neill so solid as Paddy and Michelle’s brother Stevie is touching as himself in the film.
I think Rachel Griffiths has come into her own as director, she understands performance and she also understands the emotional core of her story.
The inclusion of documentary footage of Michelle and her life is an interesting addition, grounding Ride Like a Girl in its reality.
The film is actually a very moving cinema experience, echoing the excitement of this historic win.