In memoriam: 7 of our favorite Sam Neill films

Sybylla finds herself courted by a local jackaroo and by the eminently respectable and wealthy Harry (Neill). She eventually falls for Harry and finds herself torn between marrying him—which would delight both families—or holding out for her creative dreams. Neill is at his most handsome, charming heartthrob best here, and the film received an Oscar nod for its period costume design. It’s an understated, lovely gem of a film that deserves to be more well-known than it is. Credit: Universal Pictures Credit: Universal Pictures Lilli flees her home to escape Claudia’s revenge (and her descent into madness) and is befriended by a group of social outcasts rather than dwarves. Once again, Neill knocks it out of the park in a crucial supporting role: a loving, well-meaning, kind-hearted widower trying to keep the two women in his life happy. Weaver is equally spectacular as Claudia, the costumes are gorgeous, and on the whole, it’s a good, bloody reinvention of Snow White that stands in stark contrast to the sanitized Disney version. Meanwhile, a nationwide manhunt is brewing, as foster agent Paula Hall (Rachel House) mistakenly assumes Hector has kidnapped Ricky and has been molesting him. It’s part road movie, part comedy of errors, and of course the antagonism between Hector and Ricky gradually thaws into grudging friendship—and maybe, if they can get out of their predicament, “found family.” Credit: Roadshow Films Credit: Roadshow Films