A gem from down under

    If you saw a mom plant a lingering kiss on her son’s lips, would it strike you as strange?

    You have no idea.

    Today on Fresh Air, I interview veteran Australian actress Jacki Weaver, who talks about playing the sociopathic mother of a pack of criminals in a gritty Australian film called Animal Behavior.

    Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

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    Weaver, who was in the haunting Peter Weir film Picnic at Hanging Rock, has been regular of Australian stage, screen and tabloids for over thirty years. She’s a delight to listen to, a star without an ounce of pretense.

    Also with us on Fresh Air is David Michod, who wrote and directed Animal Behavior. It’s his first feature film, a dark but absorbing story of determined criminals battling ruthless cops in Melbourne.

    In the second half of the show I speak with Siobhan Fallon, a writer and military wife who’s published an extraordinary collection of short stories about families at Fort Hood, Texas. It’s called You Know When the Men Are Gone.

    You can hear the show today on 91FM at 3 and 7 p.m. If you’re outside the Philadelphia area, you can find a station here. The show will be up this afternoon at the Fresh Air website.

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