The film examines four periods in the life of (the fictitious) doctor Edward Trenbow: Director Michael Thornhill was good friends with writer Frank Moorhouse and they had worked together on several short films.
[1][4] Filming took place over six weeks in February and March 1974 with interiors at the former studios of Cinesound Productions at Bondi and locations in Gulgong and Melbourne.
Initial reviews were good but the box office performance was not strong and distribution was taken over by the Vincent Library.
[1] The movie did not return its cost;[3] a bigger "flop" than The Cars that Ate Paris.
[2] The Canberra Times critic considered this an important Australian film, as distinct from the "pot-boilers" of the time — the "Australian New Wave" — Petersen, Stork, Stone and even Wake in Fright.