An already-unstable household becomes a virtual battle zone when the son of a risquà (C) comedienne and a has-been singer finds mom meddling in his love life in director Cherie Nowlan's dysfunctional romantic comedy. Twenty-one-year-old Tim Dwight (Khan Chittenden) comes from a peculiar family; his mother, Jean (Brenda Blethyn), is a bawdy stage comic renowned for her scatological sense of humor and his father, John (Frankie J. Holden), is a faded country-music star who now works as a low-rent
security guard. While dad is busy trying to revive his flat-lined career, mom spends most of her time doting on Tim and his developmentally disabled brother, Mark (Richard Wilson). Upon meeting the beautiful Jill (Emma Booth), Tim believes his may have finally found the woman of his dreams. Unfortunately in Jean's eyes there is only room for one woman in Tim's life, and that woman is his mother. As Tim's relationship with Jill grows increasingly serious, the stage is set for a battle royal between the woman who once gave him life and the prospective mother of his future children. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
There's nothing lovely, however, about the movie's bombastic ending, but there are enough small moments until then to make this mixed-up experience vaguely worthwhile.
Sometimes Brenda Blethyn is content merely to nibble the scenery. In Introducing the Dwights, a drippy Australian family comedy caper, she chomps it to a pulp until we long for her straightforward monstrosity as a mother in Little Voice.
Some offbeat humor shines through the clouds of this glum domestic drama, especially when fun friends shift the focus from Jean's grating histrionics. But it never lasts long.
Yes, Introducing the Dwights is a melodrama, but this melodrama handles its emotional manipulation with such subtle honesty that it takes on an impressive degree of realism.
A compassionate and brutally raw portrait of a woman torn apart by an exceedingly bad case of midlife crisis, and destroyed expectations beyond parenthood.
As lively as a slap in the face, this film struggles to connect with us due to an extremely unsympathetic central figure, but still wins us over with strong acting and a sweet romance.
It doesn't quite add up as a convincingly rounded drama, thanks largely to a tepid feelgood ending, but there are many good moments - and the expert acting from Blethyn alone is worth the price of a ticket.
Promising turns from Booth and Chittenden aren't enough to save a slight and sloppy Aussie soap from a poor script, messy direction and Blethyn's overbearing performance.
I enjoyed this movie, perhaps because I identified a bit with Tim. There are a lot of insecure people in this movie. Tim's mom cannot stand to have someone take Tim away from her family. Tim is insecure about dealing with girls - even Jill doesn't know what to do with someone as shy as Tim. I enjoyed the actors -
especially the mom who is a comedienne who borders on being funny. The part of Mark was a little confusing as there are times he seems quite delayed and others when there is little wrong with him.By the way, this movie was called Clubland in Australia, but Introducing the Dwights in North America.
Introducing the Dwights is a good comedy starring the very delightful Brenda Blethyn. The Dwights are a family lead by the single and divorced mother (Blethyn). This family with two children live in Australia. This movie centers on a mother whom is a comedian and is noticing her son is getting old enough to have his
attentions be on a young lady. The realization that he may not be all her own and live at home is something difficult for her to take. A good and funny movie.
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