John Farnham: Finding The Voice

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on May 25, 2023.

(M) ★★★★★

Director: Poppy Stockell.

"Bring forth the mollusk, cast unto me...."

No matter how popular John Farnham got - and he got about as popular as you can get in Australia in the '80s - he always seemed to retain his humility and his humour. In a country renowned for cutting down its tall poppies, the best we could muster against Whispering Jack himself was to poke fun at how many farewell tours he did. And even when his music became old-fashioned and out-of-touch, hearing You're The Voice on the radio could still send tingles up your Southern Cross. We, as a nation, love John Farnham, and this doco reminds us why that love is such a worthwhile one.

Finding Your Voice gives us the story of John Farnham the Underdog - the popstar who had it and lost it before he even realised he had it, and who then had to claw his way back. It's the story of a singer who had to wait until he was almost 40 to finally take control of his career and make the record he really wanted to make, which in turn became a smash hit beyond all other smash hits in this country. 

But it's also a beautiful love story about two mates. Farnham's tale is impossible to tell without a significant amount of the spotlight also being shone on his best friend/manager Glenn Wheatley - the man who mortgaged his house so his friend could make that long-awaited career-defining record.

These stories are told in an unassuming fashion befitting an Aussie idol who never lost his working class roots. There is no pretence here - the doco walks us through his life some start to present. We get the early highs of Sadie and Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, followed by the crushing lows of the '70s and his stint with Little River Band.

Naturally the film peaks with You're The Voice and spends a lot of time with that song, positioning it as the triumphant comeback many people forget that it was. It means Farnham's career after that gets shorter shrift here, but that's ok - Stockell has structured Farnham's story beautifully for full dramatic impact.

We don't see present-day Farnham in the film - we only hear him - and coupled with its sad final moments makes the whole thing feel like an obituary. And that's ok - too often we don't fully appreciate our great talents until they're gone, so why not pay powerful tearful tribute while they're still around. 

For those of us who have forgotten the power, influence and place Farnham's music has had in our culture, Finding Your Voice is a timely reminder of his greatness, talent and his remarkable triumph. For everyone else, sit back and enjoy one of the great Aussie success stories, writ large on the big screen, as befits a man with a big voice.