Return Home is a 1990 Australian drama film directed by Ray Argall. Argall won the AFI Award for Best Director in 1990 and Frankie J. Holden was nominated for Best Actor in a Lead Role.[2]

Return Home
Directed byRay Argall
Written byRay Argall
Produced byCristina Pozzan
StarringDennis Coard
Frankie J. Holden
Ben Mendelsohn
CinematographyMandy Walker
Edited byKen Sallows
Release dates
  • 2 August 1990 (1990-08-02) (Australia)
  • 3 August 1990 (1990-08-03) (United States)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
BudgetA$350,000[1]
Box officeA$236,252[1]

The story edit

Noel McKenzie is a successful but divorced insurance broker in Melbourne. He returns briefly to hometown Adelaide where his brother Steve operates a traditional service station and workshop. Steve has a happy family life but is struggling to compete with more modern servos with convenience store and self-service bowsers. Over time the brothers reconcile to each other’s life choices and recognise value in the suburb they grew up in.

Cast edit

Joe Camilleri appears as a busking friend of Noel.

Production edit

The film was funded by the Australian Film Commission and Film Victoria with no private investment. It was shot in Adelaide over six weeks in February–March 1989 on 16mm but the AFC agreed to blow it up to 35mm.[1]

Argall and the cast rehearsed for four weeks prior to filming.[3] He said he worked on the script for seven years prior to the shoot.[4]

Box office edit

Return Home grossed $236,252 at the box office in Australia.[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p121
  2. ^ IMDb awards
  3. ^ Scott Murray, "Ray Argall: Return Home", Cinema Papers, March 1990 p26-32
  4. ^ "Interview with Ray Argall", Signet, 13 March 1998 Archived 22 February 2013 at archive.today Retrieved 17 November 2012
  5. ^ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office

Further reading edit

  • Murray, Scott, ed. (1994). Australian Cinema. St.Leonards, NSW.: Allen & Unwin/AFC. p. 289. ISBN 1-86373-311-6.

External links edit