In 1990s South Africa, fourteen-year-old John Milton (Troye Sivan) spends his first year at an elite boarding school for boys.
When John arrives for the first time at the school, he gets nicknamed "Spud" by the other boys because he has yet to experience puberty. All eight boys in his dormitory get nicknames. They are also called the "Crazy Eight". Spud finds it difficult to make friends and fit in. He befriends Mr Edly, a teacher nicknamed "The Guv", after he is the only one in the English class to pass an exam. The Guv frequently lends English literature books to Spud and invites him to lunch regularly. But Spud soon realises that Edly has marital problems, and is an alcoholic.
While back at home for the holidays, Spud falls in love with Debbie, the daughter of one of his mother's friends, whom he nicknames "The Mermaid." When Spud returns to the school, he sees a flyer for the school play Oliver Twist. Spud decides to audition so he can fit in. He ends up landing the lead role of Oliver. During practice, Spud meets Amanda, a girl from the nearby school St. Catherine's, and immediately falls for her. But he soon realises that she has a boyfriend already, and he cannot form a relationship with her without cheating on Debbie, whom he still loves. He seeks the advice of his roommate Gecko, who tells Spud to pretend he loves another girl named Christine, in order to make Amanda jealous.
Spud and Gecko begin to build a strong friendship and they occasionally visit a rock at the top of the hill near the school. In the fourth term, Gecko is diagnosed with cerebral malaria that he got during his holiday to Mozambique. A few days later, he passes away. Spud mourns the death of Gecko and the whole school attends his funeral service in the school's chapel.
Spud performs in the school's play and gets a standing ovation. After the performance, he is dragged away from the post-performance celebration by Amanda, and they go to a nearby field. There, she tells him to kiss her. Spud stops at the last moment and rejects her, deciding to stay true to Debbie. He offers to give Debbie a tour of the school, and kisses her in the middle of the quadrangle, which his dorm-mates witness from their window. After he returns, he is praised by the group, and finally fits in. On the final day of the year, Spud is sitting on the same rock he and Gecko used to frequent overlooking the school, and remarks that "God gives us choices. But sometimes, God gives us no choice. He deals us the cards, and we play them."
The film is entirely privately financed by South African investors, giving the filmmakers full creative control.[1]
Casting
Auditioning began in August 2009 and took place in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Grahamstown. Audition videos were also accepted via YouTube.[2][3] Hundreds of boys were auditioned for the role of Spud. Producer Ross Garland's uncle saw South-African born Australian actor Troye Sivan on Australian television and wrote to Garland about him.[4] Van de Ruit described Sivan as "exactly the way I pictured Spud."[5] Sivan who has been singing professionally since he was nine does his own singing in the film.[4]
The filmmakers initially thought Jason Cope would be too young to play Sparerib but Garland said he "turns into a nasty housemaster as soon as he steps on set."[6] Cope based his performance on a vice principal he once had.[7]
The film was released on 3 December 2010 in South Africa, a week before the beginning of the December–January holidays for South African public schools. Garland and Van de Ruit have written a book about the making of the film which was released alongside the film.[9] In its opening weekend, the film grossed an estimated R2.9 million.[10] The film has received mainly positive reviews. Rory Tyson, the national sales manager for Nu Metro Films, called it "a success", "a national phenomenon" and "about 50% bigger than expected".[10]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 80% based on reviews from 10 critics.[11]
Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote: "This agreeable lightweight entertainment doesn’t stray far from boarding-school comedy templates".[12]
Awards
Spud won the South African Film and Television Award for Best Editor (Megan Gill) and was nominated for five other SAFTAs, including Best Cinematographer (Lance Gewer), Best Sound Designer (Barry Donelly), Best Feature Film, Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film (Troye Sivan), and Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film (Jamie Royal).[13]
Criticism
The film was criticized by Justice Edwin Cameron of the Constitutional Court who wrote a letter to Spud producer Ross Garland saying that he saw in particular two scenes as "denigrating gays and lesbians". In one of these scenes "The Guv" played by John Cleese says that he would like to give all lesbians a good "rogering". The second scene is one in which the gay art teacher, coaching the school's worst rugby team, tells them that "more pressure from the rear" is needed.
Producer Ross Garland said in a statement: "In the five years since Spud was published, and with millions of people having read the book and seen the movie, Justice Cameron is the first person to ever publicly take the view that the film is homophobic [...] With readers and audiences across the country being moved by the story of a vulnerable boy who learns to find his own voice and thereby overcome the bullying and bigotry at his school in 1990, it is hard to fathom how Justice Cameron arrived at his opinion."[14]
^Van de Ruit, John (4 February 2010). . John van de Ruit's blog at Book South Africa. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^"Audition Form Information". Official Spud movie blog. 29 July 2009. from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^"Date Changes". Official Spud movie blog. 11 September 2009. from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^ abPillay, Terence (11 April 2010). "Teen actor earns praise on Spud set". Sunday Tribune. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^Nair, Nivashni (10 March 2010). "Spud Comes to Life". The Times. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^"Spud: The Movie - Jason Cope to tackle challenging 'Sparerib' role". Media Update. 17 March 2010. from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^Neophytou, Nadia (16 March 2010). . Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^. Screen Africa. 8 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^ abVan de Ruit, John (20 April 2010). . John van de Ruit's blog at Book South Africa. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^ ab"Spud movie a success". The Times (South Africa). 5 December 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
spud, film, spud, 2010, south, african, comedy, drama, film, written, directed, donovan, marsh, based, novel, same, name, john, ruit, film, stars, troye, sivan, title, character, alongside, john, cleese, jason, cope, tanit, phoenix, released, south, africa, de. Spud is a 2010 South African comedy drama film written and directed by Donovan Marsh based on the novel of the same name by John van de Ruit The film stars Troye Sivan as the title character alongside John Cleese Jason Cope and Tanit Phoenix It was released in South Africa on 3 December 2010 SpudTheatrical release posterDirected byDonovan MarshScreenplay byDonovan MarshBased onSpud by John van de RuitProduced byRoss GarlandBrad LoganStarringJohn Cleese Troye Sivan Jason Cope Tanit PhoenixCinematographyLance GewerEdited byMegan GillMusic byMauritz LotzProductioncompaniesRogue Star FilmsBLM ProductionsDistributed byNu Metro FilmsRelease date3 December 2010 2010 12 03 Running time103 minutesCountrySouth AfricaLanguageEnglishBudget 4 millionBox office 2 4 million Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Casting 3 3 Filming 4 Release 5 Reception 6 Awards 7 Criticism 8 Sequels 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksPlot EditIn 1990s South Africa fourteen year old John Milton Troye Sivan spends his first year at an elite boarding school for boys When John arrives for the first time at the school he gets nicknamed Spud by the other boys because he has yet to experience puberty All eight boys in his dormitory get nicknames They are also called the Crazy Eight Spud finds it difficult to make friends and fit in He befriends Mr Edly a teacher nicknamed The Guv after he is the only one in the English class to pass an exam The Guv frequently lends English literature books to Spud and invites him to lunch regularly But Spud soon realises that Edly has marital problems and is an alcoholic While back at home for the holidays Spud falls in love with Debbie the daughter of one of his mother s friends whom he nicknames The Mermaid When Spud returns to the school he sees a flyer for the school play Oliver Twist Spud decides to audition so he can fit in He ends up landing the lead role of Oliver During practice Spud meets Amanda a girl from the nearby school St Catherine s and immediately falls for her But he soon realises that she has a boyfriend already and he cannot form a relationship with her without cheating on Debbie whom he still loves He seeks the advice of his roommate Gecko who tells Spud to pretend he loves another girl named Christine in order to make Amanda jealous Spud and Gecko begin to build a strong friendship and they occasionally visit a rock at the top of the hill near the school In the fourth term Gecko is diagnosed with cerebral malaria that he got during his holiday to Mozambique A few days later he passes away Spud mourns the death of Gecko and the whole school attends his funeral service in the school s chapel Spud performs in the school s play and gets a standing ovation After the performance he is dragged away from the post performance celebration by Amanda and they go to a nearby field There she tells him to kiss her Spud stops at the last moment and rejects her deciding to stay true to Debbie He offers to give Debbie a tour of the school and kisses her in the middle of the quadrangle which his dorm mates witness from their window After he returns he is praised by the group and finally fits in On the final day of the year Spud is sitting on the same rock he and Gecko used to frequent overlooking the school and remarks that God gives us choices But sometimes God gives us no choice He deals us the cards and we play them Cast EditTroye Sivan as John Spud Milton John Cleese as Mr The Guv Edly an alcoholic English teacher Tanit Phoenix as Mrs Eve Wilson Jeremy Crutchley as Mr Glockenshpeel The Glock Jamie Royal as Henry Gecko Barker Sven Ruygrok as Robert Rambo Black Josh Goddard as Charlie Mad Dog Hooper Thomas Burne as Vern Rain Man Blackadder Byron Langley as Simon Brown Travis Hornsby as Alan Boggo Greenstein Blessing Xaba as Sidney Fatty Sibeko Scott Aaron McIlroy as Mr Milton Spud s father Julie Summers as Ms Milton Spud s mother Genna Blair as Debbie The Mermaid Jason Cope as Mr Sparerib Wilson Eve s husband Charlbi Dean Kriek as Amanda Alex McGregor as Christine Graham Weir as Mr Viking Richardson Siobhan Hodgson as Mrs Roberts Ryan Mayne as Julian James Murray as Bert Darren Frances as Pike Ricky Cruz as Devries Sylvaine Strike as San Sister Lehasa Moloi as P J Luthuli head boy of Michaelhouse Brenda Ngxoli as Innocence the Miltons house maid Terry Norton as The Guv s wife Christine le Brocq as Mrs Wombat Milton Spud s grandmother Ben Voss as Mr Lily Patrick Kenny as Reverend Bishop Shaeleen Tobin as Marge The Mermaid s mother Liam Magner as Hairy Gavin John van de Ruit as Mr Lennox Laura Santoni as the Librarian Harry Wilcox as Student CProduction EditDevelopment Edit The film is entirely privately financed by South African investors giving the filmmakers full creative control 1 Casting Edit Auditioning began in August 2009 and took place in Durban Pietermaritzburg Cape Town Johannesburg and Grahamstown Audition videos were also accepted via YouTube 2 3 Hundreds of boys were auditioned for the role of Spud Producer Ross Garland s uncle saw South African born Australian actor Troye Sivan on Australian television and wrote to Garland about him 4 Van de Ruit described Sivan as exactly the way I pictured Spud 5 Sivan who has been singing professionally since he was nine does his own singing in the film 4 The filmmakers initially thought Jason Cope would be too young to play Sparerib but Garland said he turns into a nasty housemaster as soon as he steps on set 6 Cope based his performance on a vice principal he once had 7 Filming Edit Filming commenced on 8 March 2010 at the Michaelhouse boarding school in KwaZulu Natal South Africa 8 and ended on 18 April 2010 9 Release EditThe film was released on 3 December 2010 in South Africa a week before the beginning of the December January holidays for South African public schools Garland and Van de Ruit have written a book about the making of the film which was released alongside the film 9 In its opening weekend the film grossed an estimated R2 9 million 10 The film has received mainly positive reviews Rory Tyson the national sales manager for Nu Metro Films called it a success a national phenomenon and about 50 bigger than expected 10 Reception EditOn Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 80 based on reviews from 10 critics 11 Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote This agreeable lightweight entertainment doesn t stray far from boarding school comedy templates 12 Awards EditSpud won the South African Film and Television Award for Best Editor Megan Gill and was nominated for five other SAFTAs including Best Cinematographer Lance Gewer Best Sound Designer Barry Donelly Best Feature Film Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film Troye Sivan and Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film Jamie Royal 13 Criticism EditThe film was criticized by Justice Edwin Cameron of the Constitutional Court who wrote a letter to Spud producer Ross Garland saying that he saw in particular two scenes as denigrating gays and lesbians In one of these scenes The Guv played by John Cleese says that he would like to give all lesbians a good rogering The second scene is one in which the gay art teacher coaching the school s worst rugby team tells them that more pressure from the rear is needed Producer Ross Garland said in a statement In the five years since Spud was published and with millions of people having read the book and seen the movie Justice Cameron is the first person to ever publicly take the view that the film is homophobic With readers and audiences across the country being moved by the story of a vulnerable boy who learns to find his own voice and thereby overcome the bullying and bigotry at his school in 1990 it is hard to fathom how Justice Cameron arrived at his opinion 14 Sequels EditA sequel titled Spud 2 The Madness Continues was released on 21 June 2013 A second sequel Spud 3 Learning to Fly began filming on 22 June 2013 and was released on 28 November 2014 in South Africa See also Edit Film portal2010 in film Cinema of South AfricaReferences Edit Van de Ruit John 4 February 2010 The Potato Movie and other musings Plus the actor who will play Spud revealed John van de Ruit s blog at Book South Africa Archived from the original on 19 April 2010 Retrieved 24 May 2010 Audition Form Information Official Spud movie blog 29 July 2009 Archived from the original on 8 July 2011 Retrieved 24 May 2010 Date Changes Official Spud movie blog 11 September 2009 Archived from the original on 8 July 2011 Retrieved 24 May 2010 a b Pillay Terence 11 April 2010 Teen actor earns praise on Spud set Sunday Tribune Archived from the original on 24 May 2010 Retrieved 24 May 2010 Nair Nivashni 10 March 2010 Spud Comes to Life The Times Retrieved 24 May 2010 Spud The Movie Jason Cope to tackle challenging Sparerib role Media Update 17 March 2010 Archived from the original on 6 April 2010 Retrieved 24 May 2010 Neophytou Nadia 16 March 2010 Local actor gets big break in Spud Eyewitness News Archived from the original on 6 October 2011 Retrieved 24 May 2010 Spud s Young Stars Screen Africa 8 March 2010 Archived from the original on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 24 May 2010 a b Van de Ruit John 20 April 2010 Icarus Allsorts John van de Ruit s blog at Book South Africa Archived from the original on 25 April 2010 Retrieved 24 May 2010 a b Spud movie a success The Times South Africa 5 December 2010 Retrieved 6 December 2010 Spud Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved 10 October 2021 Harvey Dennis 20 June 2011 Spud Variety 2011 SAFTAs All The Winners TVSA 28 February 2011 Archived from the original on 19 January 2015 Retrieved 19 January 2015 Spud Attack AlarmingExternal links EditOfficial website Spud at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Spud film amp oldid 1135466414, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
