Australian film has engaged social issues since its earliest days, often within the genre of comedy. Writers and filmmakers have treated a wide range of issues with varying degrees of success in engaging their audience in a level of social discourse. This success has been independent of the specific issue addressed, the government funding policy, cultural policy, the national and international political climate, and available technologies. Rather it can be attributed to the filmmaker's approach to both characterization and narrative. Of the films chosen for examination it appeared that a positively portrayed protagonist in combination with a narrative that provided a clear but balanced opinion on the issue addressed was more successful in engaging its audience in a level of social discourse. The ability of the films to engage their respective audiences was based on criteria such as box office success, critical reception, and media and public discussion of the film around the time of its release as well as more recently. The findings of this investigation arose from the production of a feature length screenplay, The Last of the Wombats, which dealt with the issue of national security. The screenplay follows the Ruddocks along on their journey from personal insecurity, through issues of perceived threat, to the initial response of increasing the physical security measures around their house. These actions produce more problems than they solve, and this state of imbalance forces the main characters (Amber, Brian and Karen) to address their own insecurities and eventually to move beyond them.

This thesis combines a play, Getting Betterer all the Time, a satire about self-help, and an exegesis examining the possibilities that self-help offers for satire and why. The self-help industry has evolved into a massive social and economical phenomenon. The scope of self-help is constantly expanding, indicating a society of individuals desperate for help in all facets of life. As this movement has become more prevalent, self-help has attracted criticism for the way it thrives on the exploitation of people's insecurities. By playing to people's aspirations, many self-help practitioners have become wealthy, but there is a danger that some self-help products can have a harmful effect on people, and at best give rise to an insufferable hubris. Consequently, we have witnessed a rise in popular texts that spoof the self-help industry. The excesses of the self-help industry make it an easy target for satire. Self-help is well matched to satire's function to provide social commentary by ridicule of targets causing harm to the well-being of society. Self-help is an appropriate subject for satire because of its focus on social behavior such as modern parenting, consumerism and status anxiety. Self-help, in addition to providing these opportunities for social commentary, also offers much comedic potential.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 422-435) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-125). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Université de Rennes. / Includes bibliographical references (p. iv-viii).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1914.

Habilitationsschrift--Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen. / Includes indexes. Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-249).

Inaug.-Diss.--Bonn. / Lebenslauf. "Verzeichnis der benutzten Literatur": 3d and 4th prelim. leaf.

Inaug.-diss.--Kiel. / Vita. "Die arbeit erscheint, vermehrt durch einen Index verborum, gleichneitig als heft 135 der Kleinen texte für vorlesungen und übungen (herausgegeben von Hans Lietzmann)."

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Detroit, 1936. / "June, 1936." Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-99).