William Lodder Go!

Cast: Richard Roxburgh, Frances O'Connor, Dan Wyllie, Damian de Montemas, William Lodder, Anastasia Bampos, Darius Amarfio- Jefferson, Cooper Van Grootel
Director: Owen Trevor
Genre: Family
Rated: PG
Running Time: 102 minutes

Synopsis: When Jack (William Lodder) and his single mother (Frances O'Connor) move to a small town in Western Australia, he soon gets involved in the competitive world of go-kart racing. Jack's got natural talent but must learn to control his recklessness. To do that, he'll need the help of aspiring engineer, Mandy (Anastasia Bampos), wise-cracking best mate Colin (Darius AmarfioJefferson) and mysterious mentor, Patrick (Richard Roxburgh). Together, the team will endeavour to overcome all odds and defeat ruthless racer Dean (Cooper Van Grootel) to win the National Go Kart Championship. GO! is a high-octane Australian family film with heart.

GO!
Release Date: January 16th, 2020

About The Production

The Genesis And Development

For a film centred on teamwork and friendships, the initial development of GO! followed a comparable journey. Producer Jamie Hilton and Director Owen Trevor went to University together, going to work on music videos together before they begun discussing collaborating on a feature film. Trevor had cut his teeth on directing shorts and music videos, before being picked up by the globally successful Top Gear, which he worked on for four seasons.

While developing an award-winning career in commercials work, Trevor was pursuing his own projects. Enter Hilton, Founding Partner and Producer at See Pictures, a company which had produced critically acclaimed independent fare such as Breath, 1% aka Outlaws and Swinging Safari and were looking for an audience driven family feature to develop. Hilton asked Trevor if he would be interested in a film that the whole family can enjoy, set in the world of go kart racing. "I wanted to make a movie that was very heightened and stylised and that had a Director who knew what they were doing" said Hilton "Someone who wasn't just taking a job or making content for kids, but who was really going to put their heart and soul into it, and I think Owen was, and is, the perfect person to do that."

Trevor noted that GO! was "Something I haven't seen yet or that I'm aware of has been made, so we went down that path and two years later, here we are."

Along that path, the rest of the team was pulled together. Partner and Producer at See Pictures Sonia Borella, writer Steve Worland and also Roadshow Films, who codeveloped the film from a very early stage.

Worland is well known for having co-written the screenplay to the smash hit Paper Planes, known fondly to Australian audiences as a film about a young boy who channels his grief into making paper airplanes.

However, it wasn't just Worland's experience in screenwriting for a family audience that confirmed his expertise would be invaluable to the writing of GO!. Hilton explains the fortuitous revelation they discovered when they approached Worland "Steve is a Formula 1 nut, so that was just good fortune. He had said no to the last 10 family films, but he knew more about Formula 1 than anyone I had ever met, so we were very lucky he said yes."

More knowledge than even Trevor, who noted, "People assume that I know and love a lot about cars, and I don't. I love filming them, but I'm not a car nut or a geek about that stuff. Working on Top Gear for all those years has imbued me with a bit of car knowledge but I don't know as much as Steve. That's Steve's passion outside of filmmaking, that's what he really loves and once we found that out, it was kind of an obvious choice to bring Steve in."

Various screening agencies in Australia also saw the film as an attractive proposition and Screen Australia were onboard early on. When it came to locations for the film, Western Australia shone through as the clear favourite. Borella elaborates, "Screenwest was a major supporter of our movie. We shot the entirety of the movie in Western Australia and without their support the film wouldn't have been made.

"The movie also attracted major investment from the Western Australian Regional Film Fund, which had been set up to attract screen projects to the regions of Western Australia.

We also used so many local individuals and suppliers in our movie and so they could themselves build up their capacity for the next film. It was amazing to be able to work in Western Australia, especially in Busselton."

It was Busselton, that became a major location for shooting which was weaved into the story, as explained by Borella "We actually call Busselton, Busselton, so it's a real place, we used real locations with a number of the people that live there in the movie. The movie also garnered the support and investment of the City of Busselton, which was so amazing for us. They were so accommodating and maybe, most impressively, agreed to our request to close their major tourist attraction, the Busselton Jetty, in the school holidays so we could race a go kart down the length of it. It's almost two kilometres and we have a beautiful drone shot of it in the film – which might just be a postcard for Busselton."

The various drafts that Worland presented were worked through by the whole team and Borella cited Worland's expertise as being helpful to the relatively fast development period of the film saying "From script to shoot it was 2016 to 2018, I think in part because Steve understands the family audience and can write characters and moments for both the older and younger generations."

The film itself was to embrace a strong cinematic history of coming of age stories, Worland explaining "We always like to say it is The Karate Kid meets Days of Thunder – so it's a feelgood family movie about a kid who overcomes certain obstacles to reach his goal and set in the world of go kart racing, which I think is a lot of fun and is very exciting."

Trevor delves deeper into the story explaining, "GO! is about a young boy, Jack, moving to a new town with his mother. He's in a single-parent family and he's coming to terms with this. He's living in a new place, not knowing anyone and growing – and he discovers go karting, something that he has a bit of a surprising aptitude for. He finds love for it, a passion for it and through that meets a raft of people that take him through this journey.

"It's about him learning to grow up and overcome the things that you need to overcome as a young teenage male in Australia. Over the course of the film, he really learns so much about himself and how he's going to grow."

Importantly the film has well-crafted and distinct characters, which will no doubt be welcoming to audiences looking for something to relate to. Hilton explains "The one thing that I think this film does well is that someone – everyone - is going to be watching this film through one of the character's lens. There's something in there for the mums, there's something in there for the grandparents, there's something in there for the kids - the movie's different but still works for whoever is watching the movie."

When talking about what drew her to the concept, Borella exemplifies how the carefully crafted characters aim to resonate with audiences, and was true to her own reaction to the story "This story in particular resonated with me. Even though we mainly follow the character of Jack, I was particularly excited and attracted by the role model of his friend Mandy who is strong and determined." Touching on the themes present throughout, she says "Along with the characters, it was also because of so many of the positive themes of the movie such as standing up for yourself, working together as a team and being in touch with your emotions."

Perhaps it is the film's director, who most closely resembles the protagonist, Jack, in the film and it is those qualities that helped make the development of the film a success.

"I knew he was the star director when we were at University together and he is a star director." said Hilton. "I think Owen is going to go on from this movie and work on much bigger international movies. He's a very, very bright guy – kind of a bit like Jack in the film. He could have been the captain of the football team; he could have been the captain of the debating team. He doesn't settle for any less than what he needs. He's a really excellent director and he leads with his smile, which is a great asset."

Timelessness: Capturing A No-Era Feel
Director Owen Trevor bought a unique aesthetic to the film explained by Producer SONIA Borella "The movie is actually current and period at the same time, you might call it timeless. It has various nostalgic cues from earlier eras and contemporary cues as well. So there's a lot of inspiration from the 70s, 80s and 90s, from Christie's house, her car, the Hawaiian shirts that Jack's partial to, or the Michael Jackson-influenced outfit of Colin, but then that's contrasted with the very futuristic Arise team racing facility suits and karts."

This timelessness was precisely what Trevor was aiming for and the signature style well thought out and purposeful, an element he persisted with despite the budgetary constraints of an independent film.

"I've been making commercials for a very long time and there's an attention to detail that I'm used to in that world that I wanted to bring into this." Trevor says "It's hard because we're operating on tight schedules and tight budgets and the team that we had around us, the art department, the camera department, lighting and grips guys, all the way down to the sound and music as well, has to be geared towards creating a very specific look.

"I made this 200 page bible for everyone that we printed out and bound which was a range of eclectic references. One of the things that came out of that was that I wanted to create a timelessness to the whole film, I wanted to give you a sense that it wasn't set in any real era. That's partly because I obviously have been living for 40 years and I wanted to compact all of the world that I've lived into that, particularly late 80s and early 90s - that was when I lived that age that Jack is. I guess that it's a slightly selfish choice but also I think it's an interesting look and it's very relevant for now."

This motivation transcended all elements of production, Trevor further explaining, "You'll see the kids' haircuts and wardrobe is a very eclectic mix of things. We brought in vintage lenses for the cameras, the sound track is a real jukebox of music from the 60s all the way up to now and even the coverage style, the way we shot it was not standard. There were a lot of techniques that we approached, whether they be heavily composed single shot scenes or carefully choreographed steady cam sequences, down to the way we shot the racing.

"The combination of Jack's wardrobe, his helmet and the fact that his kart is an old kart, just all combines to create a timelessness. Like a no-era kind of feel and the comment that I kind of like the most that's been said to me a few times is that they didn't realise it was set now until the mobile phones come out at about the hour mark"

Trevor bought in long time collaborator Dop Peter Eastgate to shoot the film. It was also Eastgate's first feature film, though like Trevor he came with a wealth of experience.

"We have worked together for probably a decade and we've shot all over the world. Countless commercials, campaigns etc. and he is A, a very close friend but also B, an extraordinary collaborator and he brought everything to it." says Trevor. "He wanted it to be better every single time and we spent a lot of time in pre-production watching other work and subsequently there are obscure references that you wouldn't pick up, whether it's a 50s Italian neorealist film or an 80s kids movie. On an attention to detail level it meant that I could focus a lot of my energy on the performances of the actors because I knew that he and I were very aligned in the look and feel of the film."

This effort was not overlooked by the cast, perhaps best articulated by Richard Roxburgh "Something that really appealed to me with the project was that, when I read it, I thought look this is the type of thing that would be fabulous if it had a director who had a particular idea, or a lot of ideas, because it really relies on that.

"What excited me in particular about doing the film, was when I saw Owen's portfolio of work and I thought wow, this is a person who has a very clear, visual style. He can do funny, because the film needed comedic touch and, I was really excited about the possibility then of working with Owen and what he would bring. He has a very particular architecture of each shot and he's very particular about everything to do with the cinematography – to do with the colourisation, everything – each individual component and the architecture of a shot, or a set up is carefully laid out."

In The Drivers Seat: Depicting The World Of Go Karts

The shooting of the go kart racing on a limited budget produced challenges that the filmmaking team wholeheartedly embraced – the adage that out of limited resources springs creativity was certainly true for the filming of GO!

Director Owen Trevor credited the grip team, under the watchful eye of Key Grip Greg Stirling with being integral to the process. Passionate about vehicles and motor racing themselves, and experts at filmmaking, they were consistently developing new ways of approaching a shot.

Noting that the most exciting element of go karting, is actually being in the kart, Trevor wanted to recreate this for the audience.

"You're not that far off the road going at 80 to 100 kilometres an hour, and it's just an engine and four wheels really," Trevor notes. "I wanted show that very subjective view, to help everyone know what that feels like rather than the audience just watching kids racing around a track. So we came up with a number of personalised, subjective point of view type shots, so the camera is very often mounted on Will's face or over Will's shoulder.

"For the crash we built what we called the Hamster Wheel which was a big metal wheel that we mounted a kart in and then we mounted the camera to, so that we could roll it, twist it and crash it. Another technique we used was attaching a seat to a dolly and we would throw Will left and right on the track in order to do some of the crash sequences. Towards the end when we'd got more comfortable and we'd worked out some of the problems and tricks we started just throwing the karts around the track a little bit more violently to see what would happen, and we got some extraordinary shots out of that too."
"There were a lot of fun things that we developed over the course of the film to get the shots that we needed." Trevor ponders "And as far as I'm aware, I don't think that anyone has really shot go karts like this before."

Along with the important preparation the actors did and the knowledge that Trevor and writer Steve Worland had about motorsports, the production enlisted the expertise of BD Soutar-Dawson. A Western Australian motorsport engineer and high-performance racing coach, his work on the film turned out to be threefold. One, working on co-ordination of stunts with the stunt team, two, driving double for Will and three, working with Trevor and EASTGATE on the authenticity when shooting the go karts racing.

The first two roles, namely in stunts and as a driving double were his official capacity, while the third was a spontaneous role that BD jumped into when on set.

"That was a discussion I had with Owen and Peter about if they need help." Soutardawson explains. "How best to do something or how to position something, how it would look in real life but obviously without interfering with their artistic licence on how things are filmed. It's been a good working group with them; to discuss what I feel you need to make it realistic and authentic but then they bring it back so there is still an artistic flare"

The effect, on motor racing enthusiast Worland was successful, both in how the film was shot and the authenticity created. "The motor racing has been beautifully covered," he says. "That's the great thing about having a movie that's based around a number of races. You never know who is going to win, you never know what's going to happen and you're on the edge of your seat the whole time, so it's very exciting from that perspective and Owen has filmed it beautifully.

"You're really on the edge of your seat the whole time and there's something about being low to the ground with go karts - you get a great sense of the speed and, the danger of it. The go kart racing is not something that we've seen necessarily in a movie before. It's been exciting to visualise it from the script stage and then to see it come to fruition on film is wonderful - it's actually even more exciting than I could have ever hoped."

Better As A Team: The Casting Of Go!
Jack, Mandy And Colin

The three characters of Jack, Mandy and Colin and their journey and companionship, represented the heart of the film for Director Owen Trevor.

"The three kids as a group, is one of the things that we wanted to do in the film from the very beginning." said Trevor. "I grew up loving movies like The Goonies, like a lot of people making films now; we are children of the 80s. I was obsessed with that and the likes of Stand by Me and various other films where you get a collection of kids and they form a real team. "The notion that we could create this threesome of very different characters who all play a different role but bounce off each other quite well, was really one of the core things which we wanted from the beginning. Steve really brought that into the script and then we got very lucky, I guess with a little skill involved, in assembling the three actors to create the kinetic relationship between the three of them."

Those three actors were to be Will Lodder as Jack, Anastasia Bampos as Mandy and Darius Amarfio-Jefferson as Colin. For Lodder and Bampos it was their first feature film roles, however their effect on the film was significant. Originally the roles of the three actors were to be slightly younger, but through getting the attention of filmmakers, both Lodder and Bampos sparked the move toward slightly older characters.

Producer Hilton explains, "Will Lodder took this role. We didn't give it to him. You just stuck a camera on him and from his first test we were unable to find somebody as good as Will. We were really lucky that Anastasia then came along because we weren't going to cast Will because we thought he was a little bit too old; and then we discovered Anastasia and she was a real movie star. So, I feel like they forced themselves upon the movie rather than us casting them. As a result, I think the movie became a little more sophisticated from casting the characters a couple of years older."

Jack – William Lodder

Reflecting on the character that Lodder plays, Worland says "Jack has got a real twinkle in his eyes. He's funny and sort of a bit cheeky and he's got a little bit of an edge as well. He's sort of a bit impetuous, lives on the edge a little bit and that is something that concerns his mum.

"He has these little moments where he is fed up with the world and prone to nicking her car, taking it out to a car park and doing donuts. He's lost his father a couple of years before and he hasn't quite come to grips with that yet, a fact we're introduced to very early on and so those moments where he lashes out are a view into his psyche."

Not just a cut and dry story of a rebellious teen however, Trevor also gives insight into the characters' motivation, manifested in the way Jack interacts with others.

"The character line we always talked about on set, was that he wants to fix everything."

Trevor explains "He's trying to make everyone else happy and comfortable and so it's a lot about him learning to become better at dealing with his own issues rather than just other peoples."

Trevor describes how it wasn't just Lodder's age that inspired the character, but also his own innate warmth. "Ultimately Jack, the character, is a great kid." said Trevor "He has his issues, is dealing with his own anger and pain but at the end of the day he is a lovely boy. Will is a lovely boy in real life, so it was a very easy marriage.

"I think, probably on the page, Jack was a lot cheekier – a lot more of a smart ass. Will brings a lot more of the warmth and empathy that perhaps wasn't quite as much on the page."

Lodder describes the film as "funny and exciting, with lots of heart", citing that it was both the humour in the script but also the vision described to him by Trevor that got him most excited. He sees the character of Jack as channelling his grief through his recklessness. "I think he does get some kind of release by racing and speed, especially when he does do donuts (with his mum's car), which he used to do with his father." says Lodder. "He does this to try and get back the memory of his father."

Pointing out that he feels you have to be emotionally invested in a character to play them, Lodder notes that Jack is of course the character he most relates to.

Trevor describes observing this and how it was shooting with Lodder, "He's got an extraordinary natural presence and he struck me from the very beginning in his casting tapes. He is a 16 year-old kid finding his way in the world naturally, and that's what the character was doing, so there was a natural affinity there and he's very unpolished which I liked.

"He's a really lovely person to be around and he's got a really generous soul and spirit, I think he's oddly mature. I think back to what I was like at that age and I don't know what I was doing, but I certainly wasn't that balanced. It's a big ask to get on set and shoot for 30- odd days in a row, when you've never had a job in your life and turn up and deliver every day - and he did it. The camera loves him. It's one of those funny things when you put a camera on someone and they don't even have to do anything. It's not just that he is a goodlooking kid – there's something quite compelling about him."

Lodder's scene partner was very often the experienced and acclaimed actor Richard Roxburgh who played Patrick, and who couldn't praise Lodder more highly.

"William has a fantastic screen presence." says Roxburgh. "He has a remarkable stillness, and is obviously still very green, but when he's there it's fantastic to see somebody who has that, who can locate that quality of great stillness. He's a lovely boy – a very good fella." Trevor's favourite scene in the film is when Patrick and Jack meet for the first time, citing that Lodder stepped up on the day in what Trevor sees as the embodiment of what the film is about – facing challenges and pushing through them.

"Going toe to toe with Richard Roxburgh isn't an easy thing as an adult but going toe to toe with Richard Roxburgh as a 16 year-old kid in your first movie is even harder." says Trevor.

"There's a beautiful kinetic energy about the two of them and I like how we staged it as well. There's a constant in the narrative too. Patrick is constantly walking away from him and Jack's constantly chasing him. Patrick throws down the gauntlet to Jack and says if you want this, you have to take it with both hands, and there's just something remarkable going on there."

With Bampos and Lodder being cast early on, they were fortunate enough to have each other through pre-production, doing workshops and trips from their home city of Sydney up to Western Australia, a collaboration which continued throughout the two month shoot. "He was really helpful with me developing Mandy because I'd have this idea about her and sometimes I'd really struggle to express it to someone" says Bampos of working together. "He'd be like OK let's talk it through and the same would happen with him and his character. We were just constantly bouncing our characters off each other and it's been fun because I think we've seen each other grow so much through this process.

"I'm glad I've gone through this journey with him because I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Jack."

Mandy – Anastasia Bampos

For Producer Sonia Borella, it's Bampos' character Mandy that is her favourite, explaining her aspirational pull "Mandy is a role model for my daughter and for other girls - she's the girl I wanted to be when I was young. She's strong, determined and talented and she also has the ability to speak her mind. Through the course of the movie she really finds her own voice and realises she can do and be anything she wants to be."

Worland describes the character he penned as "the smartest person in the room." It's Mandy that identifies the opportunity to build a kart faster than her brother's, something she knows she is capable of but has been stymied by a father that doesn't recognise her potential.

Trevor describes her steadfast nature "She's constantly challenging Jack to do better and saying that's not good enough, or forcing him to try harder to win her affections, or convincing her to help him. There are a lot of female characters and 'girlfriend' characters in movies that can be a bit one note, but Mandy is constantly saying to Jack, no not good enough, try harder. In all regards, whether it's the motor racing or in their personal relationship."

In the film Jack notes her cleverness and they find common ground in their standing as 'outsiders.'

"He's drawn to her in this really cool way because she's this teenage girl who knows more about the mechanical parts in motor sports than any other person in the film does" says costar Lodder. "After a while he starts to get more interested in her and is very intrigued."

Echoing Borella's previous sentiments and touching on perhaps how parents today will see Mandy, Trevor Says "Mandy in many ways is my favourite character and I think what's happening in the world at the moment is part of that too. Being a father of a young daughter, who even has the same haircut as Mandy, I see her as an extraordinary character to aspire to. I think she's beautifully written as well and I don't think that's an accident. "Her journey is a really beautiful one – daughter of a wealthy, successful family, passionate about motor racing but is not really being given the time of day by her family or given the level of respect that say her brother is, but she doesn't give up. She's strong-willed and she's passionate and she cares, so I think she is a very compelling character.

"The second half of the film very much becomes a lot to do with her journey and her emergence as someone who people actually pay attention to and Anastasia and I talked a lot about the idea that she just wants people to listen to her and to see her for what she is. Not just as the sister of the brother or the daughter of the father. I think she's an extraordinary character and she's got a real swagger to her as well which I think is beautiful."

'Movie star' is the description of Bampos oft cited by the filmmakers, something that was clear from the get go.

"Anastasia had the role like from her three seconds of her first audition tape in my mind." said Trevor. "She's got her own unique look and style and way of going about life and I'd love my daughter to be like that at her age. She has this extraordinary presence of just being who she is and not caring if you like it or not. And, that's of course Mandy too."

Bampos was excited by the prospect of playing Mandy, noting that she related strongly to the character and that it was Mandy flourishing in a male dominated environment, which attracted her to the script.

"Mandy has to prove everyone wrong to make her point and which is similar to acting, and with life in general." says Bampos "I think her working against this patriarchy, but also working with the boys as well, is really important. I identify with Mandy because she is passionate about what she loves doing and she's really got her mind on her job. Plus, she just doesn't take any crap."

Bampos certainly sees Mandy's character as being a positive influence on others, particularly through her determination, strength and resolve.

"She's a very independent person and there are a lot of young girls out there who have to fight to prove a point a lot of the time whether they're chasing their dream, following their ambitions or just living their day to day life." notes Bampos "She's risking everything to prove a point – that she can do it. In order for others to believe Mandy she had to believe herself - I hope others can learn from that."

Bampos notes as well that the motivation for this determination is so Mandy can do what she loves and enjoys – working with go karts. "She's quick to know what to do, and very analytical but I also think she has fun with it, because if she didn't have fun working with go karts, she wouldn't do it"

Trevor saw an incredible work ethic in Bampos, noting that she is one of the most disciplined, prepared and organised actors he has come across. Prior to filming, BAMPOS spent time with mechanics that worked on go karts, learning what all the parts were and how they fit together. Perhaps identifying her aptitude for preparation, lead Trevor to challenge her when shooting a key scene in the film.

Bampos explains, "It was the first scene I've ever filmed, and I walk in and everything is spread out across the ground. I'm already slightly nervous and freaking out, just a little bit, and I'm looking down and Owen walks up to me and says, "You know what a break disc looks like?" and I'm like yeah, yeah, that's a break disc and then he says "what's a carburetor look like?" and I'm like that's a carburetor and he was like "OK, what about a brake caliper?" and I said that's it and he said "cool, you're pointing it all out in the scene""

Unsurprisingly, the scene went by without a hitch.

Colin – Darius Amarfio-Jefferson

Completing this motley trio, is Colin, played by Darius Amarfio-Jefferson. This trio has Mandy's determined spirit and Jack's warm charisma; Colin brings a crucial element to the gang - his humour.

Producer Jamie Hilton notes, "Steve writes the hammy, uncomfortable comedy really well. The gags really land, Colin is the humour, and the light relief in the movie and Darius did a really beautiful job with the material."

It is this humour that is in a way masking something else – Colin's character experiences bullying and his humour is his shield. This perhaps goes unnoticed by many, but Jack sees something special in Colin. The overcoming of one's fears was something Amarfio-Jefferson noted as an issue that affects us all – he himself sought work at a rock-climbing centre, overcoming his own fear of heights.

"When I first read the script for GO!, I got really excited because not only is my character a major part of the film, it's also a story about coming of age and making new friends." Says Amarfio-Jefferson. "For Colin, this means getting over your fears, so I got really excited to play this character and give my little take on it.

"Before Jack came along Colin was a bit of an introvert. He didn't really talk to many people. He didn't really have many friends and then through Jack's friendship, Colin slowly starts to mature as a person and he comes out of his shell. He makes himself open to receiving new friends and through doing that he gets to learn about go karting and have awesome adventures with Mandy and Jack."

Trevor noted a maturity in Amarfio-Jefferson, that came along with his natural sense of humour "Darius again was one of those kids that I saw in the first tapes and I was like OK, this kid's fascinating, funny and interesting and yet he's just an absolute gentleman. He's like this old man in this kid's body. He looks you in the eye when he shakes your hand as an adult, so as a human he is an incredibly balanced and present kid and then on set he is one of the funniest guys."

Dean – Cooper Van Grootel

The bullying that Colin's character encounters comes from Mandy's brother, Dean, and his two cohorts, Ted (Rhys Lander) and Ralph (Jack Connell). It is this character that also becomes Jack's primary nemesis on the racetrack, and he represents the adversity that Jack, Mandy and Colin have to challenge.

Van Grootel describes his character and hints at why Dean acts the way he does "My character Dean is this incredible go karter, a very cocky and seemingly obnoxious 15 year old. He has come from a very wealthy family. His dad has put a lot of time and effort into Dean, almost as though Dean is a trophy for him to display."

Trevor further extends on this sentiment and talks about how the audience will learn that there is more to the character than just being 'the bad guy' "You realise by the end of the film that he's only a bad guy from our perspective and he's never treated as a one note bad guy. We soon learn that there is more to him and I think that you actually end up feeling quite a lot for Dean, I think.

"We could have just made him this mean guy who's constantly picking on Jack, when in reality he's actually just a kid who's trying to prove himself to his father at the end of the day."

Indeed, there was a nuance and depth that Van Grootel brought to his character, that served to further the dialogue and scenes written by Worland.

"Cooper brought a real, quite an extraordinary empathy to some of those scenes, because a lot of that is not actually written on the page, it's very much in his performance." Notes Trevor. "He would bring the depth to what this kid's going through."

Like the other three younger cast, Van Grootel's work ethic and natural ability struck the filmmakers instantly. He had been brought to Producer Jamie Hilton's attention during the casting of the Simon Baker directed Breath and the team leapt at the chance to bring him into the fold. It was a scene between Van Grootel and Damian De Montemas, who plays Dean's father, that really stood out to Trevor.

"One of my favourite scenes in the film is right toward the end, when he realises in his father's eyes that perhaps he's not going to achieve what he set out to do." explains Trevor "They had two takes and two minutes to get that scene and Cooper just nailed it. You could really see he was thinking deeply about what his character was doing in that moment. He goes from being a villain to showing how he is just struggling like the rest of us.

"There's a moment there, which I won't spoil for the viewers, but it kind of raised the hairs on the back of my neck – in particular, Cooper's performance in that moment – because on the page it wasn't as good as that. He is one of those ones that is destined for stardom."

At the core of where these characters intersect, was that they were all in the end better together as a team, something which writer Worland hopes audiences will embrace.

"There's something different about each of the journeys' of the kids which is quite exciting." WORLAND explains. "Mandy being able to show how wonderful she is at her job and to be showing her father that she can do what he didn't think she could do. Jack being able to overcome his own impetuosity and rashness and to understand that he needs to reign himself in sometimes if he wants to get to the next step. Colin to learn to stand up to these bullies and not to be pushed around, which he learns through the combination of Jack and Mandy's influence. So, when that tribe comes together, they're stronger for it and I think they're all better for it by the end of the film."

Unsurprisingly, life imitated art, with all the young actors expressing that they are good friends and found support in one another, something that Trevor counts as a major highlight for him.

"I think one of the things I'm most proud of about the experience, not even just the film but the experience, is that all of those kids, Cooper included and then the two goons Ted and Ralph – Dean's sidekicks – they're all very close friends now." says Trevor. "They all hang out and talk via social media etc. They all live across the country but they are very close and I think that's one of the beautiful things to come out of this."

Christie, Patrick And Barry

Producer Sonia Borella also notes the lessons that all audiences – not just those from the younger ages – will find something in the film to relate to.

"I think our younger audience can certainly relate to and aspire to be like our younger characters. Jack and his confidence and determination, Mandy and her strength and Colin and his embracing of his uniqueness." Borella notes "But as well, our older audience will look to the younger characters with nostalgia as well as our adult characters and how they deal with their own adversity and learn that, or be reminded that, it's never too late to have a new lease on life or make a turn."

Christie, Jack's mother is played by Frances O'connor, and Barry, the well-meaning local policeman vying for her affection brought to the screen by Dan Wyllie, with Patrick, the seasoned but wary go kart track owner portrayed by Richard Roxburgh.

"We are so blessed to have such world-class performers in Australia and to have Frances, Richard and Dan join our cast was just amazing." says Borella "They're all such professionals and gave a lot to their characters, adding so much in their performance but also being very generous with our younger cast. Whether it be Frances taking them all zip lining before the first day of our shoot, Dan's comedy in-between takes, or Richard mentoring Will both in character and out of character on set."

Patrick – Richard Roxburgh

Like Trevor, Lodder counts his favourite scene in the film to be where Jack and Patrick first meet each other, his reason being the working relationship he had with Roxburgh. "There is some really good dialogue from Steve in that scene and then Rox and I had a lot of fun that day just messing around with it and seeing how some words could be changed and how that could change the tone of the scene." Lodder explains. "Richard and I were in a way the same as Patrick and Jack in their relationship. He was definitely such a mentor to me - this being my first film especially. He was just so open and genuine, and I felt very comfortable around him but it was also fun because we could always play around with scenes."

Roxburgh was drawn to the project by the script's ability to transcend different generations, and it's potential to appeal to people of all ages.

"Reading the script of GO!, I was excited by how thoroughly enjoyable the writing was." says Roxburgh "Sometimes you read a story that is intended for children and it can be really tilted that way, but what I loved about GO! was that it was one of those fabulous scripts that operated on two levels. It's a beautiful story for its younger audience but it also works in a smart way for adults too."

Roxburgh talks about the tone of his character, who comes across as abrasive and abrupt but as we find out in the film, like many of the younger characters, is dealing with his own issues.

"Patrick says exactly what he thinks and is ostensibly quite a rude chap. He's not used to having to deal with people and so he's kind of grumpy" Roxburgh notes. "His first instinct once he sees that Jack is interested in go kart racing and is actually very good, is to dispel him, to dispel his dreams, to shunt him away. But all the time I suppose you suspect that in there is also a heart and there's probably quite a lot of damage in the character of Patrick which, of course, as it transpires, we go on to find out a little bit about"

Roxburgh's experience not only came in handy in helping the younger cast like Lodder, but also in working through specific scenes in the film. Trevor noted that more than anyone, he felt that Roxburgh was consistently elevating and demanding the film to be better, every step of the way.

"Richard would fight for a scene to be better or a take to be better every single time or he'd interrogate a line and we'd re-write it on set and he'd go, "no hang on a second, what if we drop those eight lines and I do it with a look?" explains Trevor. "That is an incredibly generous thing to do as well because he could just turn up and read the lines and then go home – he's still going to get paid and he's still going to be famous – but the amount that he put in emotionally and professionally I think is an extraordinary testament."

When speaking about Trevor on set, the admiration is mutual, Roxburgh saying "He's all over it – he's a complete control freak about it but he also has a very good presence on set. He's very good fun. He has an infectious enthusiasm and that trickles down – that's very important in a film. Especially a film like this I think."

Roxburgh further ruminates on his character and how it appealed to him as a father and the different ways adults can be there for younger people.

"It's about the things that we give our children. The surprising world that they might end up occupying in terms of what their passions might be – the unexpected nature, the constant sort of revelation of who your children are." He explains. "This film deals with Jack stumbling into this unforeseen world and discovering he's actually brilliant at it. He's a prodigy at racing and so I found that really appealing, exploring how you then foster that. What do you do, what do you have to give a child or a young man to get that person in a right place in this life.

"At times you will find help in this life in really unexpected places and what I really liked is that Jack finds what he needs from the most unexpected gruff, abrasive character. I thought that was a great and really interesting thing to say."

Christie – Frances O'connor

Conversely, Christie's temperament is somewhat different to Patrick's. O'Connor describes her character; "I think Christie is a very life affirming person, she's very positive. She's got a real go get em' attitude, she really loves her son and wants the best for him. I think what is great is that she treats him as an equal in a way, like a friend and someone that she trusts to make the right decisions. She gives him a lot of freedom and even when she's kind of scared for his wellbeing, she still knows that he needs to go out there and take those risks. She just kind of keeps that to herself rather than letting him know that she's super worried about him and I think that's kind of very grown up of her."

Writer Steve Worland expends on the relationship with Jack and Christie and hints at the past "Jack's relationship with his mum is kind of unique in a sense. Yes, they're mother and son but they're also very good friends and we get a sense of that very early on. Their banter and relationship is quite like siblings almost. She is a little worried that he will be reckless and we wonder that when they lived in Sydney there may have been some problems with the law there. Christie is concerned by that, but she also knows Jack's generally a good kid, with a big heart."

We learn of the loss of Jack's father early on in the film, clearly a life changing experience that Jack is still coming to terms with. For O'connor, how he deals with this and the effect it has on his relationship with his mother Christie is at the core of the film.

"I think the film is about how a young boy learns to express himself and be in touch with his feelings," she explains. "Which I think is something that's quite hard for young men to deal with. It's also kind of a passage into becoming a young man, rather than a young boy. In terms of his mother, they're very close in some ways, but in other ways I think there's a bit of a gap in their relationship. Through the course of the film she feels like she'd like him to express himself better and communicate but it's something that she can't really help him with. He kind of does that on his own in a way, with some of the other characters."

Behind the scenes O'Connor's was a tremendous influence on Wiliam Lodder, Trevor says "Frances O'Connor - an extraordinary woman. She got handed a really tough gig because she was at the beginning of the shoot. It was day one, it was her and Will and I'm very thankful to her for helping me a lot with Will because obviously a lot of my energy was going into a kid protagonist in every single scene basically in his first movie for 30 days straight.

"Frances was so generous with him. Staying with him, giving as much when she's on the reverse shot as she would when the camera was on her. It's an amazing gift because I've worked with actors who, the moment they're off camera, switch off and just give you line reads. I'd give her a different read or I'd say to her hey, on this take can you say it like this – we're not going to use it – but it's going to get a different reaction from him. She just was there every day, just really helping me pull something out of Will."

Barry – Dan Wyllie

Dan Wyllie plays local policeman Barry, whom Jack in his innate nature to help others, even assists Barry in wooing his mother, Christie.

When talking about Wyllie, the most frequent comment is his ability to make everyone laugh. With Hilton exclaiming that he can never keep a straight face around him, Trevor calling him the 'single funniest human I have ever met in my life' and Lodder saying he had to stop himself laughing while acting in scenes opposite him, it seems this warmth and humour transpires through to his character.

"I've probably never had more fun shooting on set then I did with Dan, or even Dan in the ADR sound booth, was some of the funniest experiences of my life." said Trevor. "A very gentle generous man, who brings everything he's got. I think Dan is one of those extraordinary fire-balls of energy and every time we'd shoot it'd be different and it'd be new and it'd be funny in a different way. Some of my favourite scenes are him and Will just riffing off each other. Their work together was brilliant and very funny. Dan would look at me and go "Is that funny?" and I'd say yeah look at the crew, the cameraman's not holding the camera straight because he's laughing so much. "

Characteristically humorous, when asked about what the film is about, Wyllie deadpans "It's about relationships and go karts."

On a slightly more serious note he notes the script as being the driving force behind his motivation to do the film "It was a great script - it's a very well-together, thoughtful piece of family entertainment. It's funny without being dumb and it's just genuinely witty and heartfelt."

GO!
Release Date: January 16th, 2020