Matthew Turner | On 26, Jun 2020

Director: Rachel Griffiths
Cast: Teresa Palmer, Sam Neill, Sullivan Stapleton, Stevie Payne, Genevieve Morris, Magda Szubanski
Certificate: PG
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Actor Rachel Griffiths makes her directorial debut with this Australian sports drama about Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. It’s an unashamedly feel-good picture, heightened by strong performances, an effective script and assured direction.

Teresa Palmer plays Michelle, the youngest of 10 children in a horse-racing family headed by no-nonsense patriarch Paddy (Sam Neill), following the death of Michelle’s mother when she was six months old. Given that seven of her older siblings have careers as jockeys, Michelle is eager to prove herself, but when her older sister is killed in a fall, her father becomes over-protective and keeps her in apprenticeships rather than letting her race.

Intent on chasing her dream of competing in the prestigious Melbourne Cup, Michelle strikes out on her own, leading to estrangement with her father. Along the way, she faces numerous obstacles, including sexism – she’s repeatedly told a woman will never win the Melbourne Cup – a brief moment of sexual harassment and a serious injury, when she’s thrown from her horse just as she wins a race.

The script, by Andrew Knight and Elise McCredle, successfully paints Michelle as the mother of all underdogs, so that you’re constantly rooting for her to succeed, even if the outcome is a forgone conclusion. Griffiths knows exactly which buttons to push and when – most notably when she pulls out a moment between Palmer and Neill that will have you smiling from ear to ear.

The performances are excellent. Palmer gives Michelle a real sense of inner fire – her determination to succeed, especially after her injury, is nothing short of extraordinary. She also perfectly captures Michelle’s more outspoken qualities, something that clearly attracted Griffiths to the story, given the evident glee with which she includes the clip of the real Michelle telling everyone who stood in her way to “get stuffed”.

Neill is predictably good as Paddy, not exactly stretching himself too far, but generating an effectively touching father-daughter bond all the same. However, several of the other supporting actors have presumably been rather short-changed by the editing process (given the film’s trim 98-minute runtime), most notably Magda Szubanski as Sister Dominique, Michelle’s former teacher.

The exception there is Stevie, Michelle’s Down Syndrome afflicted brother, who plays himself in the film, an inspired decision that pays off beautifully. The bond between Stevie and Michelle is genuinely touching, with Stevie getting his own feel-good subplot.

The central story may be by-the-numbers, but Griffiths packs the film with great little scenes and sequences as well as several memorable moments. Highlights include: a sequence where Michelle has to lose 3kg in three days before an important race; a sequence where she has to make it from a race to her sister’s wedding; and a jaw-dropping post-injury moment where she literally gets back on the horse.

The strangest thing about the film is that there’s not nearly as much focus on the horses as you might expect. Michelle claims a special connection with her horse (Prince of Penzance), but other than a brief sequence where they go for a ride on the beach, you have to take her word for it.

At the end of the day, feel-good sports dramas stand or fall on the strength of their emotional climaxes and, in that respect, Ride Like A Girl is an unqualified success. Will you cry? Oh, yes. Stock up on tissues now, because you’re going to need them.

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