GOODBYE, GEOFF
The Pork Pie director dies at 80
IT’S A WRAP FOR THE MAN WHO HELPED TO DEFINE NEW ZEALAND
It was a rallying cry against petty authority, accompanied by an increasingly decrepit yellow Mini and a good dose of Kiwi humour – “We’re taking this bloody car to Invercargill.”
Geoff Murphy, the man responsible for that iconic line and the film it featured in, Goodbye Pork Pie – as well as many other culturally significant films, including Utu – has passed away peacefully. He was 80.
Born in 1938 in Wellington, Geoff was a teacher before the lure of filmmaking became too strong in the 1960s. He actually wanted to be a fighter pilot, but was turned down by the air force, and was also a talented trumpet player, forming one half of the 1970s hit band Blerta, best known for the tune Dance All Around the World.
But it is his 1981 film classic, in which two rascals in a Mini plunge the country into chaos as they drive from Kaitaia to Invercargill, that he’s most remembered for.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paid tribute to the filmmaker, saying Geoff’s films told uniquely New Zealand stories.
“Geoff Murphy will long be remembered for his significant contribution to New Zealand’s emerging film industry and for showcasing our distinct culture on screen,” she says.
“At a time when New Zealand was developing a cultural identity of our own, Geoff was helping us to shape a sense of who we are with the stories he told and the iconic images he created. He left an enduring legacy for all New Zealanders.”
Geoff’s peers were quick to pay tribute, many celebrating his wit, intelligence and strong moral compass, as well as his ingenuity – he once built his own camera crane.
“There’s no such thing as can’t,” he once said.
One of Geoff’s five children, Matt Murphy, remade his dad’s classic, Goodbye Pork Pie, in 2017 for a new generation.
Matt says Geoff, whose reputation for honesty and forthrightness was legendary, gave the reboot his blessing.
“He was very kind in being restrained about his feedback.”
Go well, Geoff – thanks for the memories.