THE DELINQUENTS
Australia, 1989, 101 minutes, Colour.
Kylie Minogue, Charlie Schlatter, Angela Punch Mc Gregor, Bruno Lawrence, Melissa Jaffer.
Directed by Chris Thomson.
The Delinquents is set in Bundaberg and Melbourne in the late '50s. It is a story of teenagers, tense relationship with parents, running away, tentative relationships, accepting responsibilities.
The film is a star vehicle for Kylie Minogue after her success in Neighbours and her international success as a recording artist. Australian Ben Mendelssohn was to be the leading man but producers changed this in favour of American Charlie Schlatter for the international audience. (Schlatter had appeared in 18 Again, Heartbreak Hotel, Bright Lights Big City). There is a very good supporting cast led by Angela Punch Mc Gregor and Bruno Lawrence.
The film captures something of the atmosphere of the late '50s in Australian towns and cities. However, the focus is on the central couple and the story turns into a star vehicle rather than a study of alienated youth.
However, the film is interesting and enjoyable, better perhaps than the reviews at the time, which focused on the status of Kylie Minogue. Direction is by Chris Thomson (Waterfront, The Empty Beach). There is a contemporary musical score and some songs sung by Kylie Minogue.
1. A portrait of youth? The '50s? Australia?
2. The Queensland background, Bundaberg? Melbourne and Brisbane? The atmosphere of the '50s, the country and the city, the sea? The musical score and the range of songs?
3. The title and its tone, expectations?
4. The realism of the plot and characterisations? As remembered? Audience sympathies for the delinquents?
5. Kylie Minogue as Lola: her age, at school, her friends? Music? Her relationship with her mother, drinking, arguments? The absence of her father? Going to see The Wild One, the meeting with Brownie? Outing with him, dancing? The friendship, her mother's prohibitions after the kiss? Helping Brownie, the meeting, fumbling sex, in love, her pregnancy? Her mother's decision, talking with her mother? Brownie and the bashings? The possibilities of running away - and the overtones of Romeo and Juliet?
6. Brownie and his age, American background, absent father, his mother and her homesickness? Her lodger? The telegrams? The bashings? Brownie's anger? Meeting Lola, the outing with her, love, fumbling, pregnancy? His embarrassment with his wounds? The decision to go?
7. On the train, together, naivety, hopes, love? The police and their being found? Their attempts to escape? Lola's mother and the separation? The search, the hotels? His stowing away? Friendship with the bosun, life on board the ship, support? Meeting Lola at the hotel? Locked out? The abortion and the effect on him?
8. Lola leaving, the job, the flat, pain, sick, the implied prostitution? Friends? Meeting Brownie, the sadness? His setting sail, the effect on her, leaving? Their finding each other again? True love? The doubts, the return to the boat? Questions of the future?
9. Mavis and Lyle, their friendship, looking after Lola, their style at home? Friends? Lola with them, the search, going out, enjoyment? His age, the police taking Brownie, the courts - for each of them? Brownie being bashed?
10. Lola and her going to the `auntie'? Stern treatment, manners, sexuality, talk, her letters being taken, Lola angry, juvenile penalties? Tough, the riot, warnings, eventually getting out?
11. Brownie and his sailing away, the money and the letters not reaching Lola, his return?
12. Mavis as a character, pregnancy, the difficulty of the birth, her death, the funeral? The baby, orphaned? Lyle's choices and his leaving?
13. The character of the bosun, friendliness with Brownie, helping him to stand on his own feet, the options? Lyle, hurt, leaving?
14. Brownie's decision to leave, the farewell, the taxi, the chase? His final decision to stay, marriage, the adoption of the baby?
15. Sympathetic treatment of issues? Adolescents? Adults? Relationships and responsibilities?
