It's not uncommon in the old British Empire to think of Americans as a bit uppity, too concerned with moving too fast, making money and impatient with local customs. I'll revisit this at the end of the month. But for right now, I'd like to draw your attention to the 1985 Australian gem, The Coca-Cola Kid.
Made without the advance knowledge of Coca-Cola, it was such a great advertisement for the soda that nobody complained after the fact. Entertaining and sentimental, the movie featured Eric Roberts in the Australian outback, doing the overbearing American bit to try and ram through a deal to buy a local soda concern, run by the very funny Bill Kerr as the irascible T. George McDowell. T. George doesn't want to sell. And he especially doesn't want Roberts' Becker to take up with his daughter Terri, played by Greta Scacchi.
Becker's first meets Terri in a meet-cute. She climbs out of an ice-chest. It isn't the first time we find Terri getting in and out of strange places. In one of the sexiest seduction scenes ever, Scacchi ends up in a Santa Claus costume in Becker's bed. Becker TRIES to do the right thing when Scacchi starts divesting herself of the costume. While Becker tries to redress one side of her, Scacchi just undoes his work on the other side. Becker admits defeat amidst parts of the costume, lots of stuffing and a naked Scacchi. Got to admit, the scene stayed in my dreams for months later.
Roberts, who can be an annoying actor, and who is SUPPOSED to be playing annoying in this movie, never played human better. He's more than little bit likable, especially when playing scenes with Terri's impossibly cute little daughter (I did mention the cute kid earlier, didn't I?).
I should also mention the wonderful soundtrack, featuring lots of didgeridoo music.
All in all, there's nothing NOT to like in this movie. Even Coca-Cola agrees!
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