Gorgeous

1994, 10 Minutes

Why do women and girls feel insecure about body image, and what thoughts tempt them towards eating disorders and other strange beauty rituals? An animated film by Kaz Cooke.

Gorgeous follows the perils of cartoon character Hermoine the Modern Girl as she tackles plastic surgery, beauty therapy and bulimia in a feral fit of inadequacy. Undermined by her evil inner voice, otherwise known as Deirdre the Weird Fairy, Hermoine journeys from heavy chocolate biscuit abuse to tortuous treatment at the beauty salon, the boutique and the gym.

After narrowly escaping the clutches of an out-of-control plastic surgeon, Hermoine finally rebels against Deidre’s obsession with eating behaviour and ‘beauty’ and proves that modern girls can stop feeling inadequate and regain their self-esteem.

Kaz Cooke is a well-known Australian author and cartoonist. Her cartoon character Hermoine, the Modern Girl first in The Sydney Morning Herald in 1984. Hermoine has become a popular character through her appearance in Kaz’s bestselling books, which include The Modern Girl’s Guide to Safe Sex, The Modern Girl’s Guide To Everything and the annual Modern Girl’s Diary. Kaz Cooke is also the author of a book Real Gorgeous: The Truth About Body and Beauty, which explores the same themes as this film.

A Film Australia National Interest Program. © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

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