It’s often said that for a film to become a cult classic, all it needs is some time and just one person who is endlessly passionate about it, since at some point, there will be some overlap. Surprisingly, despite being released nearly forty years ago, Starstruck remains relatively obscure, despite meeting every criterion needed for minor phenomenon. One of the first entries into the now popular genre of the high-camp Australian musical comedy, the film has all the components to be a true classic – not to mention it is the sophomore effort from Gillian Armstrong, who chose to take a sharp turn from her debut feature film, the quiet period drama My Brilliant Career, to tell a very different kind of coming-of-age story through her distinctly feminist perspective. However, for what it lacks in worldwide recognition it more than makes up for in sheer charm, since every moment of this film is brimming with a peculiar energy that keeps us engaged and enthralled, and thoroughly riveted from beginning to end. The kind of film that captures your heart from the very first moment, without ever promising to be something that it knows it can’t deliver on (as is often the case with high-concept musicals that tend to falter when their style and substance don’t quite interweave in the way they should), and keeps us captivated throughout the entire running time, which is quite an accomplishment for something as straightforward as this – and just proof that a solid story, great music and an incredible sense of heartfulness is more than enough to justify the ninety minutes of unhinged pleasure that this film inspires, making it an instantly endearing work that deserves to rise to the status of a true classic on its soulfulness alone.

The story focuses on Jackie Mullens (Jo Kennedy), a young woman who works in a pub run by her single mother, Pearl (Margo Lee), who has been taking care of their family and business single-handedly after her deadbeat husband absconded from their marriage and disappeared into the ether. Jackie has aspirations far bigger than the quaint Australian suburb, and sets her sights on worldwide stardom, hoping to become a major pop star that will define a generation, helped along by the presence of their backing band, The Wombats, whose lead singer (Ned Lander) is romantically involved with Jackie. Helping her gradually realize this dream is her cousin, Angus (Ross O’Donovan), who may be young, but is a tremendously gifted songwriter, being able to harness the energy of his cousin by giving her songs to perform that showcase her talents. They see an opportunity to rise to stardom when they encounter Terry Lambert (John O’May), a popular television personality who hosts The Wow Show, a weekly music and variety show that is watched by the entire country – and while it is notoriously difficult to get on the programme, Jackie and Angus make sure that they do their best to convince everyone involved to give them a chance. However, the duo soon realize showbusiness isn’t as welcoming as they would expect, and when they start to see the darker side of the entertainment industry, they learn some harsh truths about the world they have coveted for all these years. However, with a solid tune and a good head on their shoulders, they figure it won’t take too much work to conquer the industry and bring it up to speed with their impeccable talents.

Armstrong made films that prioritized female characters, particularly in her native Australia, at a time when these issues weren’t particularly widespread in the country’s cinema culture (there were aspects scattered here and there, but Armstrong was one of the pioneers in terms of portraying the trials and tribulations of Australian women at different time periods). Starstruck may appear to be a radical change of pace for the director – after all, this is a mannered, sophisticated period drama, but rather an exuberant, upbeat musical. Yet, at its core, this is still a film about a woman liberating herself from a patriarchal culture – Jackie Mullens isn’t the kind of pop star we saw at the time. She was determined to follow her own path of success, and refused to play by the patriarchal rules that claimed she had to be the sidekick to other musicians. She was fully involved in her own journey to success, and made sure she was in control, regardless of what would transpire as a result. This film occurred concurrently with the rise of pop stars like Madonna and Kylie Minogue, who found the peak of their success in the subsequent years, with this film almost mirroring not only their own style of performance, but also the effort they put in to gain autonomy over their artform. Armstrong executes this film with an undeniably feminist vision – Jackie is never pushed aside for long, and even when the narrative focuses on the challenges she faced as a young woman in an industry dominated by a preconceived notion of success, it doesn’t last long enough for it to be a major obstacle, with each new situation bring a sense of accomplishment when she overcomes it.

However, what makes Starstruck so wonderful isn’t really anything to do with the underlying cultural commentary or conversations on gender politics, which are present but only minor components of an otherwise exuberant and entertaining film. There is an effervescence to this film, which mainly comes through the music, with a number of notable Australian musicians and composers working on the film in varying capacities. This is entertainment in its purest form – simple and executed with a delightful irreverence, carrying that elusive, magical quality of a world where absolutely anyone is only a few moments away from bursting into song – it might not be entirely plausible, but it’s never anything other than incredibly entertaining. Some of the musical performances are spellbinding, with the staging of certain scenes fooling us into believing that Armstrong actually had some experience in musical theatre, rather than having been brought onto this project as part of its development. There’s a mystical energy to this film, a deeply sentimental enthusiasm that allows it to inhabit an illogical world, and appear to be so incredibly thrilled to be a part of it. There’s an earnestness to this film that simply can’t be constructed, and instead comes through as a result of a cast and crew of like-minded entertainers coming together to produce something that leaves a lasting impression through daring to offer the viewer nothing but a good time – and you’d struggle to find someone cynical enough to not be somewhat entertained by the rhythmic, delightfully cheerful madness embedded deep within this film.

Films like Starstruck don’t come around all that often, even if we see similarly-themed stories told quite regularly. The difference between this film, and some of the others that it has been compared to (often in discussions of how this is an unexpected inspiration for many Australian musicals and comedies that would rise in popularity in succeeding years), is that this has an earnestness that comes from a purposeful lack of self-awareness – it is going for the jugular in terms of giving the audience something to enjoy, without being too worried about anchoring it in something realistic. We are easily able to lose ourselves in this world, and the experience of seeing how Armstrong weaves together so many disparate narrative threads and presents them in this delightfully off-kilter but rambunctious musical comedy is enough to convince the viewer to its peculiar merits. The film has gradually grown in esteem, but is still so bizarrely underrated, which is a puzzling development, since everything about it should technically indicate broader support, at least in terms of a cult classic – it’s well-made, filled with great music and strong performances, and is built on the foundation of being a film that speaks directly to the audience. It’s a tremendously entertaining film, and yet another entry into a steadily-growing canon of upbeat, unkempt musical comedies that trade in originality for an endless amount of heart – and for that reason alone, Starstruck is absolutely essential for anyone simply seeking a good time.