How to Make Gravy

The USA has produced a number of movies based on songs to varying degrees of success.

Think White Christmas, Love Me Tender, Convoy, Eye of the Tiger, Earth Girls are Easy, Harper Valley PTA, Copacabana and, to a lesser extent, Mamma Mia (based on a British play).

Australia has barely ever done this, unless you count The Seekers’ Georgy Girl, written by UK songwriters and produced as a British film.

So it’s a huge leap of faith to adapt loose lyrics into a cohesive, satisfying story -which is exactly what Meg Washington and Nick Waterman (who also directs) have done, together with Warner Bros. Int, TV Production Australia and Speech & Drama.

How to Make Gravy is a remarkable first feature for the duo, following from Waterman’s short films, and Washington’s music career.

Music is the DNA of this film based on Paul Kelly’s iconic 1996 song. That told the story of a prisoner writing home to his brother Dan, lamenting that he would not be home for Christmas, and to please look out for those near to him. Many of the names are just that, names. Their relationship to the author is ambiguous. But there are fears for partner Rita that Dan make may a move on her…

In broadening out a four and a half minute song into a two-hour, three act narrative, we learn (in this version, anyway), why our anti-hero went behind bars, what happened inside, and how making gravy serves as a metaphor for his rehabilitation.

Daniel Henshall portrays Joe, who is separated from family following an incident and finds himself incarcerated for 12 months. But inside he keeps making mistakes which sees his sentence extended to 18 months.

Giving him grief is prison thug Red (Kieran Darcy-Smith) in a typical power game that gets the best of Joe’s temper. But veteran lifer Noel (Hugo Weaving) wields even greater power in the prisoner hierarchy, seemingly without ever raising a finger. Noel also runs the prison kitchen where Joe quickly learns they are hopeless at making gravy for muster. His family recipe could be a way into protection if only he is smart enough to see it…

The film also brings to life Joe’s working class family. While there’s very little confirmation of either time or place, you recognise it as quintessentially Australian nonetheless. There’s the heat, the cars, the tank tops and thongs and the arguments around the family Christmas lunch.

Agathe Rousselle plays wife Rita, trying to keep her family together without Joe, while handsome brother-in-law Dan (Brenton Thwaites) is helping out and resisting his growing attraction. Young Jonah Wren Phillips plays troubled child Angus, who misses his father terribly and resents Dan’s presence -his is another stellar performance from a child actor this year.

Crowded family members also include sister Stella (Kate Mulvany) and her awkward partner Roger (Damon Herriman) plus Kim Gyngell and Eugene Gilfedder as the “brothers” who drive down from Queensland, as the song suggests.

Much of the film takes place inside the prison -all of which is created by Washington and Waterman inspired by Kelly’s lyrics- and it works a treat. The relationship between Joe and Noel (a newly-created character) is part of the beating heart of the story. Weaving’s gravitas adds such convincing truth to personal growth sessions which might have otherwise elicited humour. Henshall navigates it all with sensitivity, in the lead up to penning his letter home.

There is also a prison choir, which includes cameos from Electric Fields’ Zaachariaha Fielding and singer songwriter Brendan Maclean. Waterman weaves together song and story into beautiful, uplifting moments. Grab the tissues for the moment Kelly’s voice rolls over the credits. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll think ‘how damn good is this?’

Debut features from first-time writer / directors really shouldn’t be this good. It has to be said, if the year began with Boy Swallows Universe, it is finishing with How to Make Gravy.

How to Make Gravy screens Sunday December 1 on Binge / 8:30pm Movies Premiere.