Introducing the Dwights (2007) User Reviews

Authentic drama

[Philby-3 · 7/10 · 22 July 2007]

This movie is fast disappearing from cinemas, which is a pity, as it is an authentic Australian drama of some substance. Show biz personalities are notoriously lacking in self-confidence, unsuccessful ones even more so. Yet like the lead player here, they still tenaciously cherish the dream of making the big time against all the indications. Jean (Brenda Blethyn) is a British comedienne of the "nudge nudge, wink wink" variety who once appeared with the likes of Benny Hill, but who gave up her career to marry John (Frankie J Holden) an Australian crooner of country music. The marriage produces the brain damaged Mark (Richard Wilson) and shy younger son Tim (Khan Chittenden). John, reduced to being a security guard at a supermarket, moves out and Jean puts in long days at a works canteen to support her family while still trying to resuscitate her stage career with the aid of her sleazy manager Shane. These distractions do not prevent her from being very possessive of her babies and when 20 year old Tim becomes involved with the uninhibited Jill (Emma Booth) Jean's hackles rise.

Perhaps if Jean displayed some real talent as a comedienne it would make up for the fact that she is actually not a very nice person. As it is, it's hard to feel sorry for her. Brenda Blethyn plays her all stops out, which is what the part requires, but it does verge on caricature. The rest of the cast are OK, with Emma Booth very appealing as the free-spirited Jill, but rather overshadowed by Brenda's Queen Lear (or perhaps it should be Queen Leer) act.

The western suburbs of Sydney setting is well realised and one can almost smell those smoky leagues clubs where clapped-out British entertainers go to die. One reviewer has perceptively remarked that the movie is about letting go – of your impossible dreams, of your children now they no longer depend on you. In Jean's case her personality and circumstances have combined to make this exceptionally difficult, and it is this that provides the drama. Keith Thompson is a veteran TV writer with a good ear for the Aussie vernacular and he draws his characters from life. The romance between the shy Tim and bold Jill is a pleasant contrast to Jean's fulminations, but Khan Chittenden under-acts a bit. Rebecca Gibney, usually a glamour-puss, is amusing as one of Jean's permanently sloshed friends.

If this was a made for TV piece, the critics would praise it to the skies, but as it is, it's just a decent drama. Watching it I wondered how Julie Walters or Anne Reid would have gone as Jean. Brenda Blethyn is a fine actress, but on this occasion the volume was turned up too loud.

So-so film with a few good performances

[ozladbulgakov · 6/10 · 24 June 2007]

Well, Blethyn delivers an reliably entertaining performance, if a little derivative of both her "Secrets and Lies" and "Little Voice" characters. Khan Chittenden's boy is endearing with his very real, but barely articulate tenderness for both family and new girlfriend - very Australian male. I thought Emma Booth's character quite unsympathetically written, and some gratuitously drooling shots of her arse in panties added to the general feel of soap-teen-bitch for her. For me, she exhibited very little natural charm with which to overcome these disadvantages.

But for me the most enjoyable aspect of this film was watching Rebecca Gibney, the real "lady" of Australian television, playing a sozzled best-friend tramp... She did it REALLY well, deglamourising herself in the way the Liz Taylor and Bette Davis did mid-way through their careers, and I wish someone would give her a juicy film role...

Overall, this was more a character study than a narrative film, but the characterisations and interactions were not always plausible. See it for Gibney's slumming and Blethyn's rendition of Nutbush City Limits at the end...

Almost, but not quite

[DSfilmreviewer · 6/10 · 11 July 2007]

This is a very annoying film. It could have been excellent but instead it is just adequate. There's a lot to like about it, the major plus being Brenda Blethyn's performance. Always a joy to watch as the woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she steals the show once again with her quivering bottom lip and comic timing, but we have seen a very similar performance from her in Secrets & Lies, albeit with less variation. Be careful Brenda! You're at risk of getting typecast. The biggest problems with the film relate to the script (underdeveloped, meandering, loose ends) and the two young leads whose performances are uneven, and that's being especially kind to Khan Chittenden who is no leading man. The other problem is this is formulaic in the Sundance way - family drama, quirky characters, conflict, joy, sadness and humor - not traits that are in themselves bad at all, but in this cinematic combination they come together and make it seem contrived, overly constructed and quite predictable. Is it still a decent film? Yes, if you can get past the first half hour which is very unpromising, but it's a wasted opportunity too.

I was not disappointed, I was just plain bored.

[Gordon-11 · 11 May 2008]

This film is about a middle aged woman, who goes through life changes in her career and her family structure.

"Clubland" can hardly be described as a comedy. I did not find it a tiny bit funny. Not even the deliberate and contrived plot of Jeannie being a comedian could save it. It's simply not fun to watch Jeannie making everyone's lives miserable. The ending is rather bad, as Jeannie makes a complete change of heart for no apparent reason.

I must say Brenda Blethyn is good, and Emma Booth is really beautiful. However, these strengths are not enough to save "Clubland" from being a complete bore.

Down to earth and touching Aussie drama

[carolineggordon · 7/10 · 29 February 2008]

Brenda Blenthyn and Khan Chittenden stole the show in this touching and down to earth drama. It's so great to see movies set in everyday Australian suburbs, just a shame we had to import the main character, I would have loved to see an Australian in that role. A few points in the plot were a little stretched, the wedding scene is so nice but are real people actually so deconstructed and aware of themselves to make such insightful comments at weddings - I've never seen it really happen. If you're scratching your head I'm talking about where she declares Emma Booth to be her always longed for daughter, after what has passed between them and her issues with Khan.

Uneven but rewarding

[tclark-5 · 7/10 · 30 June 2007]

There is much to admire in Cherie Nowlan's film. Keith Thompson's script is generally well developed, exploring interesting ideas about mother-son relationships and unrealised dreams. The film ultimately ends up feeling more impressionistic than narrative-driven, building up to a cathartic, Secrets & Lies-esquire gathering of all the characters, where Nowlan deftly captures the exhausting qualities of a large-scale airing of dirty laundry. It's an outstanding sequence, but her direction throughout is similarly assured, lending believability to the offbeat world these characters inhabit.

Most of the actors milk their roles for all they're worth: Blethyn, at times evoking the miserable Cynthia from Secrets & Lies, is typically brilliant, as are Emma Booth as Jill, Richard Wilson as Mark and Frankie J. Holden as John.

But the movie is nearly sunk by the inadequate performance of Khan Chittenden, who offers a wooden and uncertain interpretation of his character. There are many instances where he's simply unsure of how to deliver his lines, and few instances where his face does any of the talking for him. I actually thought he may have been trying to suggest through his performance that Tim was afflicted (as his brother is) with some degree of mental retardation. When it's revealed, however, that Mark's retardation is not the result of a genetic defect, I spent the rest of the movie feeling simply embarrassed for the poor guy. He is clearly out of his depth among these other superlative actors.

I was also disappointed by Russell Dykstra's performance as Jeannie's camp manager. The role requires better comic timing than Dykstra is able to bring to it. I should say, though, that he isn't always aided by the sometimes stilted dialogue offered to him by Keith Thompson's script.

This is going to be a difficult movie for some viewers, especially if approached with any degree of cynicism. The resolution of Jeannie's misgivings about staying in Australia is a little too easy and the final musical number will be viewed as either grossly misjudged or hopeful and uplifting. Fortunately, I erred towards the latter.

It's a refreshing Australian film because, while it's not wrapped up in its Australian-ness, it's unafraid to show us as we really are. Despite the sometimes overwhelming influence of other cultures (especially British and American), and the apparent dreariness of the Australian suburbs, we still have much to celebrate.

The Dwight Stuff

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 23 September 2007]

This snuck into London this week virtually unheralded and playing at only one cinema. By chance I stumbled on a paragraph that mentioned the star was Brenda Blethyn so on that basis I checked it out. It's yet another of those 'indie' productions that is fine to see once but probably won't stand repeat viewings. Blethyn plays a stand-up comedian who apparently made a minor name for herself in seventies Britain prior to emigrating and is now trying to reestablish herself in Sydney. For good measure she is divorced - from a Country singer who moonlights as a Security Guard, just as Blethyn moonlights as a canteen worker - and struggling to retain control of her two sons, one of whom is brain-damaged and the other a virgin. One of the problems is that the film can't decide whether to concentrate on Blethyn's attempts to make a living on the club scene, though the material that we actually hear - incredibly and unbelievably credited to Jo Brand - makes this highly unlikely, or the burgeoning love affair between the non brain-damaged son and a new girlfriend, played well by Emma Booth. Basically this one has 'feelgood' written all over it and it that's what you like then you'll like Clubland aka Introducing The Dwights.

Too long and poor timing

[thesien · 4/10 · 15 May 2007]

This film meanders around for too long. It isn't funny enough or moving enough to overcome it's clichéd nature. It's a standard coming of age affair with some romance thrown in. There are a few laughs, but not enough to keep the film afloat. The leads are all reasonable, but in the end the banal material and predictable climax overcomes the qualities of the actors. Surely the Australian Film Finance Corporation can do better than this? Perhaps it looked better on paper. On the plus side Richard Wilson does a stand out job as a retarded young man. The two young romantic leads are both very attractive and have a few good moments together, but again, not enough to bring the mediocre script to life.

Comedy-Drama hits the right note

[rayclister · 8/10 · 28 June 2007]

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!

has its charms

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 11 February 2018]

In Australia, Jeannie Dwight (Brenda Blethyn) is a cafeteria worker by day and a struggling comedian by night. Her quiet son Tim Maitland (Khan Chittenden) tries to keep everything together. They have his mildy mentally handicap brother Mark. Then he meets Jill (Emma Booth) on one of his moving jobs.

Jill and Tim has a charming awkward romance despite the unreal insecurities of the supermodel. If anything, I want more Blethyn. She's the big name and holds the potential to blow up this movie. The family dysfunction isn't that well prepared and the pretty couple manufactures some fake conflicts. Blethyn isn't really a standup comedian. Nevertheless, this has its moments and the characters have their charms.

Booed off. Quickly.

[ptb-8 · 2/10 · 18 July 2007]

CLUBLAND to me is a very poor film: it asks audiences to accept a truly irritating leading character, played by Brit stalwart Brenda Blethyn yet again playing her overbearing mother role. Released in Oz with great hope only drawn from a big US sale and not from the realities of this weak and annoying film, CLUBLAND left cinemas for good almost immediately. It grossed less than $1.5m when overexcited local industry execs misread the tone of the film and the annoyed audience... so who actually likes this film? Some crits keen to associate with an overseas sale and 'friends of the production'..NOT the general public who vote with their bottoms in another chair (at home). Friends of the cast crew and local distributor might rake through these negative comments and seek to have them removed (my previous on was) but the reality for CLUBLAND is simple: it is boring and it is dull... suburban drone characters are always just that, and sadly nice leading male, the young Khan Chittenden also seen in the equally tedious suburban drivel WEST just released in Sydney will see two performances erased by a yawning public who will not leave their homes to pay $16 a ticket for this very ordinary stuff. Producer Rosemary Blight is a talented humorous professional whose previous gem was FRESH AIR - her charming little film that is genuinely good and interesting and yes, suburban.

A major leap forward for Australian film

[taylorsqr · 9/10 · 9 April 2007]

Thank God somebody has made a film here that deals with something other than drug-ravaged Westie kids or face-pulling outback clowns. This is a lovely, intelligent, and thought-provoking examination of dreams big and small, and the dignity of aspirations, no matter what they might be. Brenda Blethyn and her ex husband Frankie J Holden are both wonderful in depicting the bittersweet lives of the never-quite-made-it entertainers. Their lives consist of fading theatre posters and anecdotes of past triumphs, as they now lead lives of unimaginable drudgery, she working in a canteen, and he as a security guard in a K Mart. That's the setup. Emma Booth appears, a life force of sexual energy and optimism, which fascinates their son and turns all their lives upside down. Without telling any more about the actual story, suffice it to say this is a film that works on every level. Emma Booth is a great new talent--at times beautiful and drop dead sexy, at other times as plain and unremarkable as any checkout chick--in other words, like a real girl from that background. Highly recommended.

Laughed and cried, but mostly laughed

[unachela · 8/10 · 5 April 2007]

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.

Warmhearted Tear-fest

[a-papke · 9/10 · 31 January 2007]

"Clubland" is a wonderful laugh-out-loud "dramedic" tearfest sporting an amazing tour de force performance by Brenda Blethyn who received a standing ovation at Sundance '07 for her remarkable portrayal of the aging mother desperately clinging to her handsome virginal son as he strives to build a romantic relationship of his own away from her controlling maternal influence. To reveal much more would be a disservice to this charming little film, but suffice to say that Blethyn turns in a performance that is transformative. She hits every note and takes the audience through every emotion in the human experience as we watch her arc from a cute upbeat "fun-mother" at the beginning to a mean, controlling, jealous, self-pitying witch - yet all the while, we love her dearly. This film continues the emerging tradition of strong Australian performances with solid acting from the entire cast. The "coming of age" element is likewise sweet and adeptly handled by the two gorgeous young stars. Brendan Clearkin gives a passionate and artfully understated performance as the alienated and powerless father who still chases his dreams of musical stardom. Finally, Richard Wilson issues yet another barn-busting standout supporting role, this time as the retarded brother who alone in the family has the intelligence to recognize the white elephant in the family room. Wilson is the comedic relief, the bittersweet soul, the character foil and the dramatic precipitant of the entire story; and he carries it off masterfully. Wilson is certainly destined to be a major star, and I cannot wait for him to appear in a leading role. Every character has a dream, and watching them strive towards it as reality comes crashing against them makes for one hundred ten minutes of warm and deeply moving entertainment.

A truly nice indie film!

[GOWBTW · 9/10 · 29 November 2008]

I've seen quite a few indie films in my times. This one, "Introducing the Dwights" is a remarkable piece of work. Here you have a woman who's divorced, raising two sons: One is painfully shy around girls, the other who has special needs. The shy one named Tim, drives a moving van in Austrailia meets two lovely ladies: Kelly and Jill. Jill(Emma Booth) takes notice of Tim(Khan Chittenden) who clumsily approaches her. The sexual advances are making him awkward, and he later realizes he needs to put his past experience behind him. His mother works for a canteen during the day, but at night, she's a big hit at a local comedy club. She happens to be in a slump, because she's stuck in the day, and in serious need of reinventing herself. Both of her son have a certain someone. Tim's brother knows about Jill, and he's happy for him. Jill and Tim intimacy grows deeper and deeper by the minute. Looks like he's got him a soul-mate he can feel good about. A very good movie, great cast, and a great assortment of soundtracks to make it worthwhile. Don't care what the title is, I just love it!

4 out of 5 stars!

Very Best Honest Film seen this year ! Loved it !

[relate099 · 10/10 · 22 June 2007]

This is an unashamedly free promotion I am writing here JUST because I loved this film so much... it is one of the best one's I've seen this year, so in case you wanted a good referral for excellent entertainment that catches you where you 'live' , here it is.

It's Australian film "INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS it is a feminist charmer (yes this is what makes it so great too ! ) , about a woman who raises 2 sons by herself with 2 jobs ...duh... but does so with such deep dedication good humor, honest caring and ingenuity...it's also about one of these sons finding his first true love...

sounds corny ? yep. but the acting is so sincere & genuine that my cynical heart filled with empathy and laughter as well, recognizing the Reality of this show (not like stupid TV phony set ups).

Reviewers (obviously male) refer to the film as a son's coming of age, male version of his sexual awakening INSTEAD OF focusing on the true hero which is the overworked dedicated Mother that never gives up on anybody! That is the strength and value (moral value) of this art piece.

the script is well written, funny, totally believable, and rides along on pure whimsy and is smooth, with lilting talk that is haunting and enchanting, and each actor is one I would give $100 to spend a week with myself, that's how much I liked each separate one...each actor was 'real' and a decent human being....how hard is that to find, even in films ? they are a family we might envy, like the one we never had a chance of even knowing as a neighbor...much less our own...we might even want to trade into this one...for a while anyhow.

If you see it ...well ..I guarantee it is so much more than it seems to be... if possible, take a chance. Go see it for yourself.

I am choosing on my own to tell everyone I see in next few days about it, because when something is Good, I want to be part of having it seen, known, & experienced ... and I really want this film to succeed. Independent films have a hard time, but deserve a better than paid-for-commercial chance. This is one. I bet I chose a winner ! You will regret it later when it 'disappears' in our over-commercialized USA if you do not see it soon.

Another great Sundance festival film...

[jonathanbray-1 · 10/10 · 22 January 2007]

...with a great Sundance festival story. While attending the 2007 Sundance Film Festival (living in Utah means easy access to the Festival) I had the opportunity to meet the Australian agent for Emma Booth. Random seating at the restaurant for lunch placed my brother and myself next to a charming woman and as we began to converse she spoke of her work at the festival (at Sundance everyone is promoting something). Of course, this person was representing "the next big star" and encouraged us to check out the movie Clubland. When you hear that kind of thing one must always take it with a grain of salt and just smile and nod... Well, this woman was so utterly charming and genuinely friendly that we decided to make the effort and spend our Sunday afternoon committed to the "wait list" for this film. Clubland delivered... great performances, a great story and a wonderful cast of future stars. I actually felt invested in the characters within the first 5-10 minutes. It is rare that a chance recommendation turns out to be true but this is one of those moments when our time spent to see this film was worth every minute. Thanks for recommending such a wonderful film and watch for Emma Booth, after viewing this performance she really is "the next big star".

Not Perfect, But Well-Done and Enjoyable

[Dave-137 · 8/10 · 27 July 2007]

I think Philby-3's earlier comment sets up the film well from a factual standpoint. However, I would be less harsh on Brenda Blethyn's performance. What Philby-3 takes as over-acting, I consider to be her playing the part as written. It's her character who "over-acts." I also think Philby-3 might misjudge Blethyn's character, Jean Dwight. What Philby-3 takes as indications that Jean is "not a very nice person," I think is a pretty good effort to show a middle-aged mom with grown sons, under stress from several directions.

The story suffers (slightly) by too much time spent with the relationship between Chittenden and Booth's characters, Tim and Jill. Some of the time spent in the film on Tim and Jill's relationship could have been put to better use in setting up the credibility of the ending sequences ... reference anchors could have been better developed. This is not intended as a harsh criticism ... rather, the film, nicely done, could have been more more powerful. Likewise, the film does a very nice job in development of multiple characters, but a few of the minutes spent on Tim and Jill's time together would have been used better to develop some of the characters even more fully.

Perhaps the film's strongest performance comes from Richard Wilson, who portrays Mark Dwight, Jean's brain-damaged son. The role of Mark also is critical to the chemistry of both the Dwight family and the film itself.

This is NOT a comedy, but a dramatic film with comedic elements. Some of the lovemaking scenes and nudity might be offensive to some viewers. Overall, this is a low-key, well-done, enjoyable film.

Nice blend of pathos and humor

[btm1 · 9/10 · 3 March 2009]

I saw the film on TV with the title "Introducing the Dwights." I guess that is because the film is about the Dwight family. I think the original Clubland title is more descriptive, because the story involves entertainers who work the club circuit for little money.

The family members that share a home are a divorced mother, Jean (Brenda Blethyn), and two sons. The boys father has his own home. The mother works as a cook at a diner but also has a career as a stand up comic. Before her marriage she had been something of a rising star in England, but moving with her husband to Australia and the birth of her children killed her career, which she is trying to resurrect. One son, Tim (Khan Chittenden), has a job as a mover, is still a virgin. Jean leans on him for support and is fearful that he is at an age when some girl will take him away from her. The other son, Mark (Richard Wilson) is slightly brain damaged but treated by Jean as if he is severely retarded. The father works as a security guard but is a singer who a long time ago had a single hit record.

Although the parent's efforts to resurrect their careers is one thread, a second is Tim's "coming of age" problems. A third thread is spastic Mark, who also leans on Tim for support and is sort of bounced around like a cork floating in water. These threads are skillfully interwoven, with the major conflict being Tim's effort to get free from the mother he doesn't want to hurt.

There are no dull moments in this movie. There is humor and pathos. I thought the acting is terrific, especially Brenda Blethyn and Richard Wilson.

My only quibble is that I thought Tim's girlfriend and her room mate were too hip and too hot to be interested in the shy Tim. Perhaps Australian girls have a hard time finding decent young men.

Australian film at its best!

[diane-34 · 10/10 · 10 July 2007]

Diane and I watched this fabulous, loving film as a double today and we both loved every minute of all that we saw. We see a reasonable number of films but neither of us have see such a feeling glimpse into the lives of people such as we saw today. As a country we should be so proud of the manner in which we can deal, through film and in reality, with the more difficult parts of human existence; we seem to have a gift unlike, if I can be permitted this generalisation, other countries and their approaches to cinema with the "pieces unexamined". There seems to be a rare acceptance of the breadth of human experience and our conditions; a breadth that passes beyond mere acceptance while the ear and the eye are absently directed away from the focus of interest and here I am dealing with Tim's multiply challenged brother Mark. Mark is allowed to be an integral character in this film rather than a challenged vision in the background. The scene where the girls take him onto the ice in a Sydney rink is priceless, as well as the last scene of the film at the wedding where he and his Downs girlfriend lead the dancing; again, priceless film with scripting, directing and acting at its magical best.

Little can be added to the outstandingly sensitive portrayal of Tim's mum by Brenda Blethyn, an actor who deserves every accolade that has been given her for this portrayal that is ridden with pathos. I know, I know, already I can read viewer comments that I have not looked at yet who will damn this film for its "formulaic" script and its accompanying acting where characters are "cardboad" and not sufficiently drawn and I say Rubbish! Let us look at ourselves in situations where the actors fit perfectly into life's costume as if that costume were custom made such as this wonderful film.

Go out of your way to see this fabulous viewing experience.