# Jessica (miniseries)

Jessica is an Australian television miniseries based on the historical novel by Bryce Courtenay. Originally broadcast by Australia's Network Ten in 2004 and set in the Australian outback at the turn of the twentieth century, this family based drama follows a young woman who is unjustly institutionalised. Jessica won a 2005 Logie award for best mini-series or telemovie, plus two awards at the 2004 Chicago International Film Festival - one of them for the direction of Australian Peter Andrikidis.

## Plot

The Bergman sisters could not be more different. Jessica (Leeanna Walsman) is a feisty tomboy who loves to help her father work their farmland. Her beautiful sister Meg (Megan Dorman) is eagerly being groomed by her mother Hester (Lisa Harrow) to be the perfect wife, so that she can marry her way out of poverty. However, when the man, Jack Thomas (Oliver Ackland), who Meg has set her sights on falls in love with Jessica and gets her pregnant, Hester schemes to wrench the couple apart to claim Jessica's son, Joey for Meg. Later she commits Jessica to a mental asylum. It is here that Jessica receives news of her lover's death and almost loses hope, but after enlisting the help of Mr. Runche (Sam Neill), a down and out lawyer battling alcoholism, she is eventually released.
Years later, it is the reformed Runche who gives Jessica the courage to fight for the return of her child. Eventually Meg and Hester call an uneasy truce with Jessica, and allow her to play a role in Joey's life as his aunt. Jessica later dies from a snake bite and the film ends with Joey (aged 16) visiting Jessica's grave.

## Cast

* Leeanna Walsman as Jessica Bergman
* Megan Dorman as Meg Bergman
* Lisa Harrow as Hester Bergman
* Tony Martin as Joe Bergman
* Sam Neill as Richard Runche
* John Howard as George Thomas
* Oliver Ackland as Jack Thomas
* Heather Mitchell as Ada Thomas
* Nikki Osborne as Gwen Thomas
* Natasha Wanganeen as Mary Simpson
* Huw Higginson as Prosecutor
* John Gregg as Justice Wall
* Edmund Pegge as Sneddon
* Peter Sumner as Rennie
* Mark Furze as Joey, age 16
* Wil Traval as Billy Simple
* Jack Finsterer as Michael Malloy

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2004 | Australian Film Institute | Young Actor's Award | Natasha Wanganeen for Jessica | Won |
| 2004 | Australian Film Institute | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy | Sam Neill for Jessica | Nominated |
| 2004 | Australian Film Institute | Open Craft Award for Television (Musical Composition) | Paul Graboswky for Jessica | Nominated |
| 2004 | Chicago International Film Festival | Silver Plaque - Best Miniseries | Peter Andrikidis for Jessica | Won |
| 2004 | Chicago International Film Festival | Silver Hugo - Special Achievement in Direction | Peter Andrikidis for Jessica | Won |
| 2005 | TV Week Logie Awards | Silver Logie - Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Sam Neill for Jessica | Won |
| 2005 | TV Week Logie Awards | Silver Logie - Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Tony Martin for Jessica | Nominated |
| 2005 | TV Week Logie Awards | Silver Logie - Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Leeanna Walsman | Nominated |
| 2005 | TV Week Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Miniseries/Telemovie | Jessica | Won |