The Last of the Ryans

The Last of the Ryans is a 1997 Australian biopic TV film about Ronald Ryan.

Plot
A biopic following the escape, re capture and hanging of Ronald Ryan for the murder of prison guard George Hodson.

Cast

 * Richard Roxburgh - Ronald Ryan
 * Zoe Bertram - Dorothy Ryan
 * Ian Mune - Henry Bolte
 * Paul Sonkkila - Governor Ian Grindlay
 * Tony Barry - Father Brosnan
 * Douglas Hedge - Philip Opas
 * Tom Long - Peter Walker
 * Julie Herbert - Cecilia Ryan
 * Maxie Rickard - Jan Ryan
 * Ashleigh McInnes - Pip Ryan
 * Ebonnie Masini - Wendy Ryan
 * Matthew Quartermaine - Ipana
 * Humphrey Bower - Bolte's Secretary
 * Ian Smith - Sir Arthur Rylah
 * Gerald Lepkowski - Patterson
 * Mark Pegler - Helmut Lange
 * Philip Reilley - George Hodson
 * Dennis Miller – Harold
 * Samuel Johnson – Young journalist

Production
The film came about through the research of Janne Dennehy, in part looking at the family Ryan left behind. It was picked up by Crawfords and the Nine Network who produced and screened the telemovie. It went into production at the end of 1996.

Controversy
Hodson's daughter criticised the movie for its portrayal of her father, "I don't think my father was portrayed in the correct light at all. They've made him look a bit silly." She said it was disappointing and disrespectful to show him as "a bit of a clown".

Reception
The Last of the Ryans did poorly in the ratings where it lost over 100,00 viewers after the first 15 minutes.

Peter Weiniger of The Age chose it as his pick of the week, concluding "'The Last of the Ryans' takes a while to get its rhythm, but once it outlines the various aspects - legal, political and personal - to the Ryan case, it becomes a moving and tense drama that provides a fresh perspective on a traumatic episode from our not-too-distant past." Also in the Age Simon Hughes was not as positive, saying "there is something lifeless about the whole production. Like a room that has had the air sucked from it, there is an atmosphere here antithetical to the senses."

Awards

 * 1997 AFI Awards
 * Best Mini-Series or Telefeature - Richard Brennan - nominated