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 Clubland had its World Premiere in January 2007 at Robert Redford's 2007 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where it met great critical acclaim.
The movie has subsequently been nominated for 10 AFI Awards (Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design). Actress Emma Booth received three awards for her role of Jill:
2007 AFI Awards for Best Supporting Actress, 2008 Film Critics' Circle of Australia for Best Supporting Actress and
2008 Movie Extra Filmink Awards for Best Australian Newcomer.
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INTRODUCTION
Clubland is the new feature for AFI Best Director Cherie Nowlan (Marking Time, Thank God He Met Lizzie) about a stand-up comedienne and single mother of two (Brenda Blethyn) trying to revive her entertainment career on the Western Suburbs comedy circuit in Sydney. When 21-yo Tim (Khan Chittenden) falls for the blunt and gorgeous Jill (Emma Booth), Mum fears this girl could break up the act. Accustomed to being the centre of attention, she delivers award-winning performances in an attempt to keep control of her beloved son.
Clubland is a moving and humorous exploration of human relationships and the colourful world of the Australian comedy circuit.
"Clubland" vs "Introducing the Dwights"
The new, more family-friendly title Introducing the Dwights was chosen for the US market because the Hollywood studio Warner Bros - which bought the rights to distribute the movie in North America - felt the original Australian title would confuse American cinemagoers. The word "Clubland" is indeed related to nightclubs and rave parties in the US and the producers were concerned that their audience could be misled.
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DETAILED SYNOPSIS
Life can be tough when you’re 21 years old, and still a virgin. Just ask Tim. The girl of his dreams has just walked into his life, and things should be looking up, except a few small problems stand between him and the perfect romance: his mum, his dad and the family business… show business.
Tim’s mum, the once legendary English club comedienne Jean Dwight, and his father John, a soulful crooner famous for a country and western ballad that topped the charts in the seventies, are born entertainers, who have, after years in the wilderness and a messy divorce, both suffered their share of lows in the fame game.
These days, John is a supermarket security guard, lamenting the slow sales of his latest CD, and Jean’s only regular gig is working as a canteen supervisor in a factory. In the midst of his mother’s chaotic lifestyle, and his brother Mark’s disability, Tim is the only person capable of keeping the show on the road.
So when Tim falls for Jill, the battle lines are drawn. Fearing Tim’s new girlfriend could break up the act forever, Jean employs every trick in the book to safeguard the future of her family, leaving Tim torn between two passionate and powerful woman intent on fighting it out in the war for his affections.
 PHILIP QUAST plays Ronnie Stubbs, a successful singer full of himself and his accomplishments, who is very fond of Jean.
(Main source: Palace Films)
 
The movie's original soundtrack is a compilation of classics from the 50’s and 60’s performed by various artists, including one track performed by Brenda Blethyn and Frankie J. Holden. The CD is available in Australia through Sanity.com and in the US through Amazon.com. |
PHOTOS
Brenda Blethyn (Jean) and Philip Quast (Ronnie) in a scene from the movie.
Photo by Daniel Smith © 2007 Goalpost Film Ltd.
Brenda Blethyn (Jean), Philip Quast (Ronnie) and Richard Wilson (Mark).
Photo by Daniel Smith © 2007 Warner Independent Pictures
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 Watch a videoclip (from YouTube) featuring Brenda Blethyn and Frankie J. Holden singing 'Nutbush City Limits', with glimpses of Philip Quast's character. (Note: Il matrimonio è un affare di famiglia is the Italian title of the movie.)
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Clubland has now been released on DVD worldwide (see our Shopping Page for details). The Australian release (Region 4) has been marketed as "uncut version", and also contains Special Features such as interviews with the cast and crew and deleted scenes.
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When I read the script I was quite touched by it, it is a wonderful exploration of the difficulties of young love (...) To watch the two of them take their time to build a relationship is wonderful.
Philip Quast
 Watch a delightful short videoclip where Philip Quast replies to the question: "Can you describe your character Ronnie Stubbs?"
Click the photo above to start the video |
I loved the fact that the characters are not perfect, are flawed.
I don't respond to scripts where everyone is nice in the beginning and remain nice at the end. It seems to me not such an interesting journey.
The film may be universal but it does feel rooted in the world in which it was made - it's an Australian production, with its own subtle sensibility.
Cherie Nowlan, Director
Read the full interview (BBC World) |
British-born Keith Thompson wrote Clubland with Brenda Blethyn in mind. Thompson had never met Blethyn but they were both born in Ramsgate, Kent and her voice always reminded him of his childhood. He started writing the movie's screenplay more than a decade ago, several years after immigrating to Australia.
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