In this inspiring documentary, Australians Jonathan Duffy and Dr. Vincent Cornelisse move from Brisbane to the small town of Mundubbera. They find surprising acceptance as they immerse themselves in the community.
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Two gay men fall in love and share a home in Brisbane, Australia. One of them, Dr. Vincent Cornelisse, wants to accept a position that will help pay off his bills from medical school. The complication? It means practicing medicine in the small Queensland town of Mundubbera.
His partner, Jonathan Duffy, is an actor who not only agrees with the life-changing decision but also decides to direct a film about the adventure. Despite warnings from his best friend about closed-mindedness in rural locations, Duffy looks forward to new challenges.
Once there, Cornelisse works around the clock, while Duffy becomes increasingly bored and lonely. Eventually, Duffy decides to become just as involved in the local community as his doctor partner.
The more both men give to Mundubbera, the more they find it embracing them. Despite any fears of a backwards and homophobic town, they quickly become irreplaceable.
Throughout the film, Duffy reflects on how becoming so involved turns being gay into a nonissue. Everyone just sees them as people, with Duffy filling the traditional role of “The Doctor’s Wife” much better than anyone could expect. Even the closeted gays in the area begin seeing their openness as a model.
In a few places, The Doctor’s Wife looks more like a music video than a documentary, because of some experimental filming techniques. However, those moments help Duffy communicate his feelings and the film’s themes.
More importantly, he treats the other subjects of his documentary with the same respect he asks of them. Instead of portraying them as rednecks or country bumpkins, he sees them as the interesting people he would never have met if not for the unlikely opportunity of moving to Mundubbera. That positive tone comes through in this inspiring and often funny story.
The site and the DVD extras also reveal Duffy’s task of promoting an independent film without an advertising budget.
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