The Hostages is a 1997 Australian TV film shown on Channel Nine. It was the first of a group of three movies produced by JNP Productions and written by Peter Yeldham. It was inspired by two 1994 kidnapping incidents in Cambodia.
Contents
Premise
Tourists are taken hostage by a group of Cambodian rebels.
Cast
Sophie Lee as Kate
Ann Burbrook as Louise
Jason Chong as Du Van Hoc
Jeremy Callaghan as Steve
Jennifer Jarman as Anne
John Gregg as Masters
Nick Pelomis as Pierre Marchand
Linda Cropper as Wendy
Russell Kiefel as Jim
Production
The Hostages was partly shot in Sri Lanka.
Reception
The Hostages was the highest rated show in its timeslot.
Robin Oliver in the Sydney Morning Herald calls it "Adequate — no more than that - undemanding and relenting in its fictional rewriting of two ghastly incidents in the recent history of Australians and their companions travelling overseas". Simon Hughes of The Age says "Not only does a telemovie such as The Hostages (Nine, 8.30pm) insult the viewer's intelligence, it does a disservice to those connected to the David Wilson case on which it is clearly based."