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Return Home

  • 1990
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
149
YOUR RATING
Return Home (1990)
Drama

A man and his wife are partners in a small business, a service station, that is stuggling to survive financially. They are visited by his brother, a divorced middle-aged man, who has taken a... Read allA man and his wife are partners in a small business, a service station, that is stuggling to survive financially. They are visited by his brother, a divorced middle-aged man, who has taken a break from his stressful career in a big business corporation.A man and his wife are partners in a small business, a service station, that is stuggling to survive financially. They are visited by his brother, a divorced middle-aged man, who has taken a break from his stressful career in a big business corporation.

  • Director
    • Ray Argall
  • Writer
    • Ray Argall
  • Stars
    • Dennis Coard
    • Frankie J. Holden
    • Ben Mendelsohn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    149
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ray Argall
    • Writer
      • Ray Argall
    • Stars
      • Dennis Coard
      • Frankie J. Holden
      • Ben Mendelsohn
    • 5User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos4

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    Top cast21

    Edit
    Dennis Coard
    • Noel
    Frankie J. Holden
    Frankie J. Holden
    • Steve
    Ben Mendelsohn
    Ben Mendelsohn
    • Gary
    Mickey Camilleri
    • Judy
    Rachel Rains
    • Wendy
    Gypsy Lukewood
    • Clare
    Ryan Rawlings
    • Wally
    Paul Nestor
    • Brian
    Alan Fletcher
    Alan Fletcher
    • Barry
    Adrian Shirley
    • Newsagent
    Michael Coard
    • Paperboy
    Michael Evans
    • Pieman
    John Crouch
    • Angry customer
    Rory Walker
    • Hire purchase man
    Liz Windsor
    • Mrs. Walker
    Joe Camilleri
    • Busker
    Andy McPhee
    Andy McPhee
    • Spanner
    • (as Max Miller)
    Joshua White
    • Surfie
    • Director
      • Ray Argall
    • Writer
      • Ray Argall
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews5

    6.6149
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    Featured reviews

    10mauricerw

    Wonderful, humane film

    An understated masterpiece that wonderfully engages with its warm and loving human interactions. It doesn't need any overblown dramatics to tell its deeply affecting story of a family re-unification. Great performances from everyone involved.

    Dennis Cord is terrific as the returning brother, whilst Micki Cammilerri is probably the standout as the compassionate and sympathetic wife and mother. The script is extremely well written and is all the more effective for not being overly dramatic or overblown. The film evokes an Adelaide suburb in transition at a particular point in time that could be anywhere in Australian suburbia at that time.

    Absolutely recommended for anyone seeking a REAL film experience.
    8dsewizzrd-1

    Hey, Adelaide's on the fillum

    A curious soapy film about an insurance agent in Melbourne returning to Adelaide where his brother and family live. They run a garage on Military Road in Adelaide (still there) which is struggling.

    Ben Mendelsohn is an apprentice and Frankie J. Holden his brother. In the first scene set in the past, a contemporary trade van drives past (I bet the clothes they wear in these scenes were bought straight off the rack at Harris Scarfe).

    There is more interest in seeing the old places in Adelaide that have gone ; Magic Mountain and The Wizard's Cavern in Glenelg (replaced with ugly tower blocks owned by Chinese investors), South Road going up to the overpass, the old Colonnades at Noarlunga, Castle Plaza on South Rd just after it was built, Commercial Rd in Port Adelaide, the Marion bowling club, the Cowleys Pie Cart next to the Adelaide Railway station that sold those terrible pie floaters.

    Product placements – South Australia Brewing (Southwark and West End), Modern Motor magazine, Peter Jackson cigarettes, Chiko rolls, Vegemite, and Castrol.
    6DukeEman

    Not a bad effort!

    Big corporate brother returns home to sleepy city and rekindles his lost innocence with struggling motor mechanic brother. Director Argall opts for constructed simple but effective images to tell a repetitive tale that needed more meat in the pie.
    7westpac-1

    Caught this last night on ABC

    Saw the write-up in the guide and decided to record it, Surprised with the great late 80's footage of Adelaide. Magic Mountain, Glenelg, city shots etc. Loved the old cars.

    Actually found the service station: Corner Henley Beach Road and Military Road, Adelaide, South Australia. Now a SAFF service station and across the road the video store is now Video Ezy. Looks like the hair salon is now a TV and Video repair shop.

    Just love watching these old films that I missed out on when I was growing up and seeing all the old cars, locations and seeing what has happened to them.

    The performances are okay, considering the film is a snapshot of 80's Australian life... kids, cars, relationships etc.

    Great film!
    8lilianaoana

    It's short. With a bit of patience you'll come to like it.

    This IS a nice movie that I would've enjoyed much more with proper subs because the background noise it pretty distracting (albeit realistic) and it's Australian English, so that's another challenge. I turned on autogenerated subtitles and that helped a bit. Anyway it took a while for me to get into the thick of it and into these characters, but I got there, I just wish it happened sooner. There's also some reflection on changing times at the turn of the decade maybe, but I lack the knowledge to formulate an idea on that. However it's pretty clear that "progress" is killing old-fashioned small businesses and you have a choice between getting with the times and making a buck, or even a killing or being loyal and nostalgic about the past and proper work and service and barely surviving (who knows for how long), but what will that get you?

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This picture was one of fifty Australian films selected for preservation as part of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's Kodak / Atlab Cinema Collection Restoration Project.
    • Goofs
      Steve, in planning his work, mentions Australia Day and then makes a notation on his calendar in October. Australia Day is in January.
    • Connections
      Featured in Century of Cinema: 40,000 years of dreaming (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Killing Time
      Written by Lovelock, Darroch and Steedman

      Performed by the Celibate Rifles

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 3, 1990 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Victoria Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia(environs: pie floater caravan sequence)
    • Production company
      • Musical Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • A$347,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $494
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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