The return of Hansie

Controversial film ‘Hansie‘ premieres

Janine Oelofse GARDEN ROUTE BUREAU CHIEF

THE long-awaited movie Hansie, which details the life of former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje, premiered in Johannesburg last night and will be released in the Eastern and Southern Cape next Wednesday.

Hansie‘s brother Frans, the man behind the R55-million project, said he believed the media had misrepresented his brother‘s story on many levels. “Someone needed to tell Hansie‘s story in an accurate, well-balanced way,” he said.

He also felt that many people needed closure on Hansie‘s life after the dramatic way in which he was removed from the international cricketing arena after appearing before the King Commission for match-fixing and his untimely death in a plane crash in the Outeniqua Mountains in 2002.

Danielle le Roux, a spokesman for the production company that made the film, Global Creative Studios, said yesterday that Hansie‘s family and his widow had seen screenings last week and although it was hard for them to watch the movie, they enjoyed it.

She said Frans was happy with the movie and felt he had achieved his aim to paint a more balanced picture of his iconic sibling.

“We sent a screening to Hansie‘s parents, Ewie and San- Marie, and his sister Hester, and they really enjoyed it. It was hard for them because they still miss him very much, but they commented especially on Frank Rautenbach‘s performance as Hansie.”

She said his widow, Bertha du Plessis, now remarried, had also seen a screening and had said she was proud of Frans for making the movie.

Bertha, who is portrayed by American actress Sarah Thomson, was not at her home in George and could not be reached for comment.

Le Roux said: “It was difficult for the family, but it‘s nice for them to have this movie about him and to turn a new page and go on.

“Frans really wanted to bring out the truth and make a balanced movie that showed Hansie not only as a hero, but a human being who had made a mistake.”

The movie follows Hansie‘s physical and inner journey in his rise to stardom, his fall from grace after being involved in match-fixing in India, and his journey to redemption before his death, aged 32.

Hansie captained the South African side during their re- emergence into the world sporting arena following the 1994 elections.

Following the match-fixing scandal he was banned for life.

Le Roux said: “Hansie was a hero but we‘re all human and we all make mistakes. It‘s not about how bad the mistake was, but what you do afterwards, how you stand up to it.

“This is a movie about grace. Hansie came clean, he turned a new page and went on, and that makes him even more of a hero in my eyes.”

She said the media response to the film had been positive and the public‘s renewed interest in Hansie‘s life was overwhelming.

However, former Proteas bowler Fanie de Villiers, a close friend to Hansie, hit out at the movie in an interview with Carte Blanche at the weekend.

De Villiers said: “I can‘t think family are happy with the movie. It opens up old wounds, it brings out the negative.”

At a pre-screening he said: “I think there was much more going on behind the scenes – it was obviously portrayed more towards Hansie‘s side.”

South Africans can't seem to put him to bed.

Red wrote:I'm obsessed with South Africans.

Fixeth.

Red wrote:South Africans can't seem to put him to bed.

Red in wanting to bed Hansie shock.

Oh fark...

"Hansie‘s brother Frans, the man behind the R55-million project, said he believed the media had misrepresented his brother‘s story on many levels. “Someone needed to tell Hansie‘s story in an accurate, well-balanced way,” he said.

So I take it he is not portraited as a lying, cheating, thieving, money-hungry shyster who puts cash in front of country then?

FFS.

skully wrote:Oh fark...

"Hansie‘s brother Frans, the man behind the R55-million project, said he believed the media had misrepresented his brother‘s story on many levels. “Someone needed to tell Hansie‘s story in an accurate, well-balanced way,” he said.

So I take it he is not portraited as a lying, cheating, thieving, money-hungry shyster who puts cash in front of country then?

FFS.

No that is Hair.

Ah shut-up, ya filthy Yarpie.

skully wrote:Ah shut-up, ya filthy Yarpie.

skully wrote:Oh fark...

"Hansie‘s brother Frans, the man behind the R55-million project, said he believed the media had misrepresented his brother‘s story on many levels. “Someone needed to tell Hansie‘s story in an accurate, well-balanced way,” he said.

So I take it he is not portraited as a lying, cheating, thieving, money-hungry shyster who puts cash in front of country then?

FFS.

About the same budget as an episode of Sesame Street then?

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:
About the same budget as an episode of Sesame Street then?

Elmo as Hansie?

I hope it's a better film than the awful Bodyline mini-series.

Basil wrote:I hope it's a better film than the awful Bodyline mini-series.

Everyone that I know who has seen this film has panned it

WideWally wrote:

Basil wrote:I hope it's a better film than the awful Bodyline mini-series.

Everyone that I know who has seen this film has panned it

The biggest tragedy was that David Puttnam was planning a movie about Bodyline at the time - the TV series put paid to that.

Actually I only know of one person that has seen the Cronje film. A bloke on another forum got to see the premiere but some of his comments were "Oh. My. God. Too horrible for words. Dire from a cricket perspective"

"As to the actual story - well, there isn't one. Random scenes stuck together for no good reason. I'd get more into it but I can't bear to. If you ever feel like seeing this, rather spend two hours sticking a fork into your eyeball. It'll be more entertaining and you'll gain more from the experience."

I don't think he was impressed.

WideWally wrote:Actually I only know of one person that has seen the Cronje film. A bloke on another forum got to see the premiere but some of his comments were "Oh. My. God. Too horrible for words. Dire from a cricket perspective"

"As to the actual story - well, there isn't one. Random scenes stuck together for no good reason. I'd get more into it but I can't bear to. If you ever feel like seeing this, rather spend two hours sticking a fork into your eyeball. It'll be more entertaining and you'll gain more from the experience."

I don't think he was impressed.

It just lacked credibility - the cricket scenes were laughable

Hopefully one day we'll get a top quality, no-holds barred film on the life of Hansie Cronje.

His story certainly warrants it.

Americans have made countless films about Shoeless Joe Jackson, perhaps the Commonwealth could band together and make a film about the most tragic figure in the sport's history.

Wouldn't mind seeing a fair dinkum Bodyline move either (although the mini-series is a bit of fun from an Aussie perspective - Hugo Weaving is pure evil as Jardine).

Problem with a subject like this is that anyone who can look at it completely objectively probably isn't really interested...