The Nugget

The story concerns a group of three road workers who stumble upon the world's biggest nugget of gold, and become instant millionaires — or so they think. The road workers are mates from way back, and each weekend they go out to an old goldmining site hoping to strike it rich. Each weekend they come back with nothing but a hangover. But then everything changes when they discover the world's biggest nugget — worth many millions of dollars.

{{cast listing|

• Eric Bana as Lotto
• Stephen Curry as Wookiee
• Dave O'Neil as Sue
• Belinda Emmett as Cheryl
• Peter Moon as Ratner
• Vince Colosimo as Dimitri
• Max Cullen as Wally
• Karen Pang as Moon Choo
• Sallyanne Ryan as Darlene
• Alan Brough as Jurgen
• Jeff Truman as George
• Chris Haywood as Doug
• Jean Kittson as Joyce
• Glenda Linscott as Bunny
• Jane Hall as Lucy
• Grace Tosh as Elderly Lady
• Scott McGregor as Derek McLeod
• Jennifer Cluff as Coco

}}

Bill Bennett had long wanted to make a film based on the John Steinbeck story The Pearl but was unable to get the rights. Instead he decided to write a version of it set in Australia about a nugget. Bennett said the wrote it "just to have a bit of a laugh. I didn't think it would get financed. I'd been writing a lot of dark material and had a gap in my schedule so I thought it'd be nice to cleanse myself as it were. "{{cite web|url=https://australiancinema.info/db/2003/nugget.html|website=Australian Cinema|title=The Nugget}}

The film was shot in Mudgee. Eric Bana made it after Black Hawk Down.{{cite news|title=Eric's far from idle|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2 August 2001|page=13}}

Macquarie Film Corporation invested $2,112,800 and received $223,477 causing a write down of $1,817,800.{{cite news|newspaper=Australian Financial Review|first=Michaela|last= Boland|date=12 October 2006|title=The end: lights out on Macquarie's film adventure|page=1}}

According to Variety the film "comes off as a too-obvious giftwrap of trademarked beer-scarfin’, back-slappin’ Aussie charm for the tourist trade. Wearing “heart” on its sleeve like a sailor’s tattoo, poking at dumb-and-dumber formulae without braving full-blown Farrelly Brothers-type yocks, this slick mediocrity looks to be a mild B.O. performer at home, minor rental fare elsewhere."{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/the-nugget-1200545871/|magazine=Variety|title=The Nugget|date=26 September 2002}}

The Nugget grossed $1,920,993 at the box office in Australia.[http://film.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office]

• Cinema of Australia

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|id=0278597|title=The Nugget}}
• [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-nugget/ The Nugget] at Letterbox DVD
• [https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-nugget-2002/16087/ The Nugget] at Screen Australia
• [https://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/nugget The Nugget] at Oz Movies
• [http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A551002;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 The Nugget at the National Film and Sound Archive]

{{Bill Bennett}}

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Category:APRA Award winners

Category:2002 films

Category:Australian buddy comedy films

Category:2000s buddy comedy films

Category:2000s English-language films

Category:2002 comedy films

Category:Films directed by Bill Bennett

Category:Films scored by Nigel Westlake

Category:Films about gold rushes

Category:2000s Australian films

Category:English-language buddy comedy films

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