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 Loose Enz - Press for Service
 Fallout
 Revolution (part one) - Fortress New Zealand
 Revolution (part two) - The Grand Illusion
 Face to Face with Kim Hill

Synopsis

Reluctant Revolutionary mines a wealth of then-new interviews to trace David Lange's rise from pudgy doctor's son to lawyer, to Prime Minister leading the country through radical change. Along the way writer/director Tom Scott asks how a man as gifted as Lange allowed his Government to collapse around him after only five years in office. The film includes rare input from National leader Jim McLay (who praises Lange's wit at university), Rogernomics architect Roger Douglas, and the first ever TV interview with Lange's second wife Margaret Pope.

Credits (9)

 Tom Scott

Tom Scott
Director, Writer, Producer

 Danny Mulheron

Danny Mulheron
Producer

 Owen Ferrier-Kerr

Owen Ferrier-Kerr
Editor

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Comments (1)

 David

David

Posted at 06.52AM - 27.06.2012

Great documentary. Bassett's contributions were the most interesting particularly as regards the breach of confidence in Cabinet.

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Produced by

 Direct Hit Productions

Direct Hit Productions

Source

 TVNZ Archive

TVNZ Archive

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Related Titles (5)

 Face to Face with Kim Hill

Face to Face with Kim Hill

Television, 2003

Excerpts from a 2003 interview with David Lange

 Loose Enz - Press for Service

Loose Enz - Press for Service

Television, 1982 (Full Length)

Tom Scott-penned comedy about life in the press gallery

 Fallout

Fallout

Television, 1994

Tom Scott co-wrote this mini-series on Lange taking NZ anti-nuclear

 Revolution (part one) - Fortress New Zealand

Revolution (part one) - Fortress New Zealand

Television, 1996 (Full Length Episode)

First episode of series about the Labour/Douglas Government

 Revolution (part two) - The Grand Illusion

Revolution (part two) - The Grand Illusion

Television, 1996 (Full Length Episode)

Doco on changes under Lange’s Labour Government/Douglas Government

Collections.   See all collections ›  

Included in:

 Politics

Politics

Curated by NZ On Screen Team
Added 03 November 2011

ScreenTalk  See all interviews › 

Related interviews:

 Tom Scott - from portraits to production

Tom Scott - from portraits to production

Tom Scott made his name for his portraits - both written and drawn - of politics and politicians, and for getting thrown out of the occasional press conference by...

Quotes

It's hard to imagine anything worse in politics than such an open falling out. It made the Government dysfunctional. It meant a constant barrage of unfavourable writing, unfavourable reporting. I just can't think of a worse way to run a Government than what happened after 1987.  

– Margaret Pope on the end of Lange's time as Prime Minister

The trouble with Mr Lange, Mr Prebble offered in more than one compliment he delivered, was that he was so damn smart he was probably bored most of his life, which seemed to hit the mark. 

– Jane Bowron, reviewing Reluctant Revolutionary in The Dominion Post, 26 October 2004

... they were all incredibly candid. And they were nicer about each other than they would have been even 15 years later. A lot of the old anger had died down and they thought 'let's just tell the truth'. 

– Tom Scott on those interviewed for Reluctant Revolutionary

Awards

2005 New Zealand Screen Awards
Nominated for Best Presenter - Entertainment/Factual: Tom Scott