The Rage in Placid Lake (2003)

53% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
79% of users liked it
(5,371 ratings)

Australian playwright Tony McNamara makes his directorial debut with the offbeat comedy The Rage in Placid Lake, adapted from his own play The Cafe Latte Kid. In his first feature film, indie rocker Benny Lee stars as a troubled teen named Placid Lake. The child of new-agey eccentric parents (Garry… More Australian playwright Tony McNamara makes his directorial debut with the offbeat comedy The Rage in Placid Lake, adapted from his own play The Cafe Latte Kid. In his first feature film, indie rocker Benny Lee stars as a troubled teen named Placid Lake. The child of new-agey eccentric parents (Garry McDonald and Miranda Richardson), Placid spends his childhood getting picked on by bullies. Fortunately, he finds friendship with classmate Gemma Taylor (Rose Byrne), whose father (Nicholas Hammond) pressures her to excel in school. After Placid shocks the school with his dark student film, he gets into an accident that lands him in the hospital. Upon his recovery, he reinvents himself as an conservative insurance agent and engages in an affair of sorts with emotionally detached co-worker Jane (Saskia Smith). The Rage in Placid Lake was screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Tony McNamara
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 22, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Apr 18, 2006
Studio: Film Movement

Critic Reviews

Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Watching this movie is a bit like going to a dance where the drummer can't keep a steady beat. You think you should be laughing, but you just can't quite bring yourself to.
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail
An amiable film comedy that leaves you feeling good as opposed to feeling for your wallet.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
What's missing from McNamara's film is right there in the title: the anger that cauterizes teen-movie glibness and burns down to the heart of the matter.
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
Polished and dark, but upbeat.
Keith Breese, Filmcritic.com
a brazen, mischievous look at rebellion
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Lee makes an engagingly laid-back lead and a bespectacled Rose Byrne is adorable as the geeky girl-next-door.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
There's an amusingly askance approach to the whole coming-of-age process that keeps us engaged.
Jim Slotek, Jam! Movies
A feel-good movie with some enjoyably deranged turns.
Paul Sherman, Boston Herald
Presents the business world as a caricature without bringing fresh comic twists to a much-lampooned subject.
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
Too broad and ridiculous to be an effective satire
Clint Morris, Moviehole
A pleasurable but ephemeral moment for Oz Film.
Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
Struggles to find the right tone.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
All our expectations are turned on their head and tossed aside in The Rage in Placid Lake, a darkly comic coming of age story about a young man who tries desperately to fit in.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Red L

Somewhat silly movie. After being picked on his whole school existence, Placid Lake decides to starts work in a 9-5 job just to spite his hippie parents. Placid's best friend (Gemma) seems to know him better than Placid does himself. The Aussie accents give away the origin of… More
Somewhat silly movie. After being picked on his whole school existence, Placid Lake decides to starts work in a 9-5 job just to spite his hippie parents. Placid's best friend (Gemma) seems to know him better than Placid does himself. The Aussie accents give away the origin of the movie.
Mark A

A terrific coming of age story about a kid who really doesn't fit in anywhere. A brilliant look at finding one's place in the world. Placid Lake (Ben Lee) is a goofy, free-spirited, creative kid who tries to make it in the corporate world and to suppress his artistic side.… More
A terrific coming of age story about a kid who really doesn't fit in anywhere. A brilliant look at finding one's place in the world. Placid Lake (Ben Lee) is a goofy, free-spirited, creative kid who tries to make it in the corporate world and to suppress his artistic side. His BFF Gemma (the beautiful Rose Byrne) is a brilliant straight-laced kid destined for great things. Will they embrace who they are (and each other) or will they conform to society's pressures and live lives of quiet desparation? This was laugh out loud funny and heart-breakingly sad and in the end, quite an entertaining film. Natasha Richardson was brilliant as Placid's hippy-dippy, new age, laisse-fare mother, and Claire Danes graced the screen with a brief, one-line appearance. But Lee and Byrnes make the film worth the time to watch it. One finds oneself rooting for them as individuals and as a couple. Great fun!
FanGirl B

One of my favorites, if not my favorite, of the film movement filmes. A quirky Australian film.