Details

Release year: 2002

Storyline

3 brothers are in and out of prison in connection with heists planned by their lawyer et al. He gets them out for the heists and "looks after" the money and one's wife.

Top credits

Directors

Scott Roberts

Writers

Scott Roberts

Cast

Guy Pearce — Dale
Rachel Griffiths — Carol
Joel Edgerton — Shane
Damien Richardson — Mal

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Did you know

• The films title 'The Hard Word' is a reference to the type of Aussie slang (Cant or Cryptolect language) the films main protagonists use when they would communicate with one another in prison or "on the job". This language is known as Retchab Klat (Rech-tub kay-lat) 'Butcher Talk'. Words spelt backwards with digraphs and plurals kept intact. It was developed as a form of communicating between butchers to either ogle or make fun of certain customers and not draw attention. It is an old time butchers language that is still used in some small country Australian towns to this day.

• The robbery in Melbourne is based on the "Great Bookie Robbery" of 1976. Six men robbed bookmakers in the Victoria Club, as the bookmakers met to settle up debts after a day's racing. Estimated takings were between $14 and $16 million. The true figure was never known; the bookmakers were reluctant to divulge how much money they had lost, to avoid the interest of the tax office. The six thieves became the targets of other criminals and corrupt police demanding a share. By 1987, all the known thieves were believed dead, either killed by other criminals or police, or had disappeared. The money was never recovered.

• Producer Al Clark set about about finding cast by firstly approaching Guy Pearce to take the lead role of the eldest brother Dale. They had first met when Clark produced 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (1994) about seven years earlier. Both had been waiting for the right project to work together again. Pearce was drawn to the film for a number of reasons. He said: "The idea of working back at home, working with Al again, working with such a funny script and the idea of playing within that little unit of three brothers who have a very strong hold over each other - a sort of devotion to each other - I found quite appealing."