The Whole of the Moon (1987, New Zealand)

Brave attempt by a Kiwi director to make a relationships film about young adults with cancer. I think it comes off, but you do have to turn off your cynicism circuits.

Kirk (Toby Fisher) is a rather spoilt youth who lives for speed-skating; when he discovers that he has cancer in his leg, his world is abruptly destroyed, and the rest of the film is then set in the cancer ward of the hospital. Another patient is a Maori girl, Marty, (Nikki Si'Ulepa) who also has cancer, and seems better at being happy-go-lucky about it. A friendship develops; but both of them are frustrated about being confined to the hospital, and they decide to "break out" in disguise.

So they find some evening clothes and they escape in reverse genders, Marty in dinner jacket and bow tie, and Kirk in a flowing white evening gown. They steal Kirk's parents' boat (pic) and go to a deserted island, in effect for a last taste of normality.

HF May 2001

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