The Bit Part

The Bit Part

1987 · 87 min · ★ 4.8 · Drama, Comedy

Career counsellor Michael Thornton decides to change his career and become an actor. He dreams of performing Shakespeare but ends up in a television ad where only his hands appear on camera. He finds a friend in actress Mary McAllister (Nicole Kidman) until she is called to Hollywood to star in a horror feature. Katrina Foster plays Michael's understanding wife Helen, who supports him while he pursues his elusive dream.

Directed by Brendan Maher · Written by Steve Vizard

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 29m together

The Bit Part

American Beauty

A close match in mood and era.

More from Brendan MaherSee all →

White Collar BlueWhite Collar Blue · 2002
White Collar Blue
★ 8.22002
SeriesDrama
White Collar Blue is an Australian television series made by Knapman Wyld Television for Network Ten from 2002 to 2003. Starring Peter O'Brien as Joe Hill and Freya Stafford as Harriet Walker, the series dealt with a division of the police force working in the city of Sydney and the personal and professional tensions affecting their work and lives. In the pilot episode, Harriet is introduced as the new face to Kingsway station, transferring from the "White Collar" federal police to the "Blue Collar" New South Wales Police. Throughout the series Harriet must deal not only with her husband's brutal murder and the revelation of his adultery, but with learning to adjust and fit into her new surroundings. Joe is Harriet's new partner, and isn't exactly welcoming to her as an addition to the team. With two daughters from previous marriages, Joe needs to juggle his homelife, his dedication to the job and his relationship with Nicole Brown, played by Jodie Dry. The other cops at the station are Ted Hudson, played by Richard Carter, Sophia Marinkovitch and Theo Rahme, and each have their own secrets and problems to deal with. The series was axed after two seasons, however it can be found on cable TV both in Australia and overseas.
OutlanderOutlander · 2014
Outlander
★ 8.22014
SeriesDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
SpartacusSpartacus · 2010
Spartacus
★ 8.02010
SeriesDrama
Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment.
The Road from CoorainThe Road from Coorain · 2002
The Road from Coorain
★ 8.02002
MovieDramaTV Movie
A young girl comes of age in the Australian bush amid natural disaster and family tragedy.
FarscapeFarscape · 1999
Farscape
★ 7.91999
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyAction & Adventure
A freak accident during an experimental space mission catapults Astronaut John Crichton across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield.
SpooksSpooks · 2002
Spooks
★ 7.72002
SeriesDramaAction & Adventure
Tense drama series about the different challenges faced by the British Security Service as they work against the clock to safeguard the nation. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, and the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid.
Silent WitnessSilent Witness · 1996
Silent Witness
★ 7.61996
SeriesCrimeDrama
A team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible.
SeaChangeSeaChange · 1998
SeaChange
★ 7.61998
SeriesDramaComedy
SeaChange is a popular Australian television show that ran for 39 episodes from 1998 to 2000 on the ABC. It was created by Andrew Knight and Deborah Cox and starred Sigrid Thornton, David Wenham, William McInnes, John Howard, Tom Long and Kerry Armstrong. The director was Michael Carson. Filming was based at Barwon Heads, Victoria and St Leonards, Victoria, both locations being on the Bellarine Peninsula. A number of streets in the St Leonards Sea Change Estate have since been named to acknowledge some of the characters of the series. Many scenes were also filmed in Williamstown, including the exterior of the Williamstown Life Saving Club, which became the court house of Pearl Bay.
The Passing BellsThe Passing Bells · 2014
The Passing Bells
★ 7.52014
SeriesDramaWar & Politics
At the outbreak of World War I, two teenage boys - one German and one British - defy their parents to sign up. An epic historical drama spanning the five years of the First World War, as seen through the eyes of two ordinary young soldiers.
Misery GutsMisery Guts · 1998
Misery Guts
★ 7.51998
Series
Misery Guts was an Australian children's television series on the Nine Network Australia that first screened in 1998. Keith is the only son of Vin and Marge Shipley. They live above a fish 'n' chips shop in South London and things are tough. Keith's parents are misery gutses and he is convinced that the only way for the family to regain its former happiness is for him to make his parents smile again. Keith embarks on a mission to cheer his parents up. He buys a brilliantly coloured tropical fish from Australia, where the sun shines all the time, the sea is full of fish and coconuts just fall into your hands. When all his efforts to cheer his parents up fail spectacularly, Keith decides he must somehow get his parents to Australia. People couldn't be unhappy in a paradise where fish sparkle like rainbows and it's sunny and warm all the time. Or could they? Based on Morris Gleitzman's books 'Misery Guts', 'Worry Warts', and 'Puppy Fat'.
Upstairs DownstairsUpstairs Downstairs · 2010
Upstairs Downstairs
★ 7.42010
SeriesDrama
Set in 1936, the show takes viewers, old and new, back to the lavish world of Belgravia, London. A new set of occupants reside at 165 Eaton Place and viewers see how external and internal influences of the tumultuous pre-war period shape and mould the lives of this wealthy family and their servants.‬
Dirt GameDirt Game · 2009
Dirt Game
★ 7.02009
SeriesDrama
Enter the dramatic and dangerous world of Australia's oldest and riskiest pursuit – mining. A mismatched team strive to save a struggling but proud Australian mining company, and in doing so, must overcome their own prejudice and fears while facing life-threatening situations – not only for themselves but also for the workers they employ.
FlipperFlipper · 1995
Flipper
★ 6.91995
SeriesAction & AdventureDrama
Flipper is a 1995–2000 American family adventure drama series developed by E.F. Wallengren, Michael Nankin and Reuben Leder, a sequel to Jack Cowden's 1964–67 NBC series of the same name. In and around the Bal Harbor Institute, a marine mammal research facility in beautiful Florida Keys, groundbreaking studies are being conducted on dolphin behavior and everyone's favorite dolphin finds adventure.
IdentityIdentity · 2010
Identity
★ 6.92010
SeriesDrama
Identity is a British police procedural drama television series starring Aidan Gillen and Keeley Hawes, airing in the UK during July–August 2010. Concerning identity theft, the series was created and written by Ed Whitmore, a writer most noted for his work on the BBC's Waking The Dead and the acclaimed ITV mini-series He Kills Coppers. The remake rights have been sold to the ABC Network in America who are developing their own version of the show. ITV confirmed that the show had been cancelled on 19 October 2010, after a single series.
Blue HeelersBlue Heelers · 1993
Blue Heelers
★ 6.71993
SeriesDrama
Blue Heelers was one of Australia's longest running weekly television drama series. Blue Heelers is a police drama series set in the fictional country town of Mount Thomas. Under the watchful eye of Tom Croydon (John Wood), the men and women of Mount Thomas Police Station fight crime, resolve disputes and tackle the social issues of the day. We watch their successes and their failures and learn to grow with them and their loved ones as the heart of the series develops.
The Flying DoctorsThe Flying Doctors · 1986
The Flying Doctors
★ 6.61986
SeriesDrama
The Flying Doctors is an Australian drama series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the real Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. It was initially a 1985 mini-series based in the fictional outback town of Cooper's Crossing starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. Tom Callaghan. The success of the mini series led to its return the following year as an on-going series with McFarlane being joined by a new doctor, Chris Randall, played by Liz Burch. McFarlane left during the first season and actor Robert Grubb came in as new doctor Geoff Standish. The series' episodes were mostly self-contained but also featured ongoing storylines, such as Dr. Standish's romance with Sister Kate Wellings. Other major characters included pilot Sam Patterson, mechanic Emma Plimpton, local policeman Sgt. Jack Carruthers and Vic and Nancy Buckley, who ran the local pub/hotel, The Majestic. Andrew McFarlane also later returned to the series, resuming his role as Dr. Callaghan. The popular series ran for nine seasons and was successfully screened internationally.

More Like This

Confessions of a Dangerous MindConfessions of a Dangerous Mind · 2002
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
★ 6.72002
MovieComedyCrime
Television made him famous, but his biggest hits happened off screen. Television producer by day, CIA assassin by night, Chuck Barris was recruited by the CIA at the height of his TV career and trained to become a covert operative. Or so Barris said.
The Family ManThe Family Man · 2000
The Family Man
★ 6.82000
MovieComedyDrama
Jack's lavish, fast-paced lifestyle changes one Christmas night when he stumbles into a grocery store holdup and disarms the gunman. The next morning he wakes up in bed lying next to Kate, his college sweetheart he left in order to pursue his career, and to the horrifying discovery that his former life no longer exists. As he stumbles through this alternate suburban universe, Jack finds himself at a crossroad where he must choose between his high-power career and the woman he loves.
MadoMado · 1976
Mado
★ 6.41976
MovieDramaRomance
A middle-aged businessman faces bankruptcy after his partner's suicide and a rival's unscrupulous offer to buy his company. Determined to avoid the trap, he finds an unexpected solution through a prostitute.
The KidThe Kid · 2000
The Kid
★ 6.82000
MovieFantasyComedy
An unhappy, disliked image consultant gets a second shot at life when he is mysteriously confronted by an eight-year-old version of himself.
Suburban CommandoSuburban Commando · 1991
Suburban Commando
★ 4.71991
MovieActionComedy
Shep Ramsey is an interstellar hero, righting wrongs, etc. His ship is damaged after a fight with an interstellar nasty and he must hide out on Earth until it can recharge. He leaves his power suit at home, but still finds himself unable to allow wrongs to go unrighted and so mixes it up with bad drivers, offensive paperboys, muggers and the like.
Wild HogsWild Hogs · 2007
Wild Hogs
★ 6.02007
MovieActionAdventure
Restless and ready for an adventure, four suburban bikers leave the safety of their subdivision and head out on the open road. But complications ensue when they cross paths with an intimidating band of New Mexico bikers known as the Del Fuegos.
Lost in TranslationLost in Translation · 2003
Lost in Translation
★ 7.42003
MovieDramaComedy
Two lost souls visiting Tokyo -- the young, neglected wife of a photographer and a washed-up movie star shooting a TV commercial -- find an odd solace and pensive freedom to be real in each other's company, away from their lives in America.
American BeautyAmerican Beauty · 1999
American Beauty
★ 8.01999
MovieDrama
Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.
In Good CompanyIn Good Company · 2004
In Good Company
★ 6.12004
MovieComedyDrama
Dan Foreman is a seasoned advertisement sales executive at a high-ranking publication when a corporate takeover results in him being placed under naive supervisor Carter Duryea, who is half his age. Matters are made worse when Dan's new supervisor becomes romantically involved with his daughter an 18 year-old college student Alex.
The Adventures of Ford FairlaneThe Adventures of Ford Fairlane · 1990
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane
★ 6.11990
MovieComedyCrime
To the Los Angeles elite, Ford Fairlane is known as "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll Detective." This loudmouthed ladies' man serves an exclusive rock star clientele, who depend on his keen eye and smug discretion. So when a heavy-metal musician dies mid-concert, Fairlane is on the case before the lights come up. But things turn shocking when radio personality Johnny Crunch hires Fairlane to find a missing groupie mere hours before he is electrocuted live on air.
VollidiotVollidiot · 2007
Vollidiot
★ 4.62007
MovieComedyDrama
Based on Tommy Jaud's bestselling novel, this comedy focuses on a dispassionate clerk and his set-backs in life. 29-year-old Simon works in a phone shop, but his thoughts just circle around finding a new girl-friend after being left by his last one year ago. While his Croatian cleaner tries to procure him, his efforts to chat up women in clubs also fail. However, he finds the woman of his dreams (and mother of their future children) in his most hated coffee shop, although not having a clue how to win her heart...
ThumbsuckerThumbsucker · 2005
Thumbsucker
★ 6.22005
MovieComedyDrama
Justin Cobb, a teenager in suburban Oregon, copes with his thumb-sucking problem, romance, and his diagnosis with ADHD and subsequent experience using Ritalin.
DreamgirlsDreamgirls · 2006
Dreamgirls
★ 6.72006
MovieDramaMusic
A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter