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 & 22 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:

The only remedy for love is to love more

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

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

Baby
Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter
Performed by Mahalia Barnes

User Reviews

Comedy-Drama hits the right note

I have to say that I have not been entertained as much by an Australian movie since the early 1990's when Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the desert hit our screens. A very human drama of a working class family in Sydney's western suburbs that strikes the right note between comedy and drama which is often difficult to pull off. Brenda Blethlyn, playing the domineering Mother does so very well with the result that perhaps her character tends to grate a little by the end of the film but that was only after approximately two hours spending with her and not a life time that the characters around her have had to endure. She is perfectly cast in this role but for me the real stars were Emma Booth who plays the love interest of her son and Khan Chittenden her boyfriend and young man experiencing his sexual awakening. Also worthy of mention is Frankie J Holden as the father and ex-partner of the Blethlyn character. An entirely believable human drama that will have you totally engrossed in the characters until the final reel. How good it is to see that the Australian film industry can still put out such quality cinema with a universal appeal. Go see it you won't be disappointed!

Details

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 USA:

$27,734, 8 July 2007

Gross USA:

$379,408

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,003,304

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