Introducing the Dwights (2007)

The shy son of an aging comedienne tries to find a balance between his demanding home life, his new girlfriend, and his mother's second chance at fame.

Director:

Cherie Nowlan

Writers:

Keith Thompson, Jo Brand

Stars:

Brenda Blethyn, Khan Chittenden, Emma Booth

5 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brenda Blethyn	...	Jean 'Jeannie' Dwight
Rebecca Gibney	...	Lana
Khan Chittenden	...	Tim
Richard Wilson	...	Mark
Russell Dykstra	...	Shane
Emma Booth	...	Jill
Katie Wall	...	Kelly
Philip Quast	...	Ronnie Stubbs
Frankie J. Holden	...	John
Tracie Sammut	...	Tori
Justin Martin	...	Brett
David Webb	...	Colin
Susan Kennedy	...	Sharon
Paul Barry	...	The Nest Manager #1
Brendan Clearkin	...	The Nest Manager

Storyline

Tim, in his early 20s, is quiet, dependable, and held close by his mother, Jean, who works long hours at a Sydney canteen and then does stand-up at night, talking constantly about what might have been (if she'd stayed in England, if she'd had no children, if her younger son Mark weren't mildly disabled). She gets enough club work to keep hope alive. They've bought a moving van, and Tim meets Jill, falling for her but finding the challenges of sex, his mother's prying, and his brother's needs more than he can handle. The family - as well as Tim and Jill's relationship - is on the edge of crisis, accident, or, in Jane's case, self-destruction. Are family dynamics set in stone?

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Plot Keywords:

organ | watching tv | comedienne | canteen | moving van | 

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Taglines:

In this house, letting go is never easy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Warner Independent Pictures (us)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 July 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Introducing the Dwights

Filming Locations:

Bankstown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

AUD 89,585 (Australia), 24 June 2007, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,734, 8 July 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$378,921, 19 August 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Goalpost Pictures,Film Finance,New South Wales Film & Television Office

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Glenn Robbins, Russell Gilbert, Peter Rowsthorn, Terry Serio, Stefan Dennis and Erik Thompson were considered for the role of John.

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Quotes

Jean 'Jeannie' Dwight: I don't want you coming to the funeral, Tim. And I certainly don't want a stranger in a miniskirt there, flasher her ass in the chapel.

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Connections

Features The Tommy Cooper Hour (1978)

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Soundtracks

Mockin' Bird Hill
Written by Vaughn Horton
Performed by Ronnie Ronalde

User Reviews

Laughed and cried, but mostly laughed

I recently saw a screening of this film under the title 'Introducing the Dwights'. Who knows what name it will have when it finally gets released in the US?

This film is a charmer. The characters are all very authentic, and entirely believable, and the story is told with so much love and emotional depth. As a comedy there were many genuinely hysterical moments, particularly the awkward teen romance scenes, which could have easily veered into bad 'American Pie'-style territory, but instead managed to hit the mark. The story is one of family relationships and broken dreams, set in Sydney's Western suburbs. I laughed and cried, but mostly laughed.

It's the type of film I could take my friends, boyfriend, little brother or mum to see, and I think they would all enjoy it.