Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Buddies

  • 1983
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
154
YOUR RATING
Buddies (1983)
ComedyDrama

Young miners Mike and Johnny (Colin Friels and Harold Hopkins) work in the gem fields of central Queensland around Emerald. Conflict arises when their pick-and-shovel operation is threatened... Read allYoung miners Mike and Johnny (Colin Friels and Harold Hopkins) work in the gem fields of central Queensland around Emerald. Conflict arises when their pick-and-shovel operation is threatened by a large scale bulldozer operator.Young miners Mike and Johnny (Colin Friels and Harold Hopkins) work in the gem fields of central Queensland around Emerald. Conflict arises when their pick-and-shovel operation is threatened by a large scale bulldozer operator.

  • Director
    • Arch Nicholson
  • Writer
    • John Dingwall
  • Stars
    • Colin Friels
    • Harold Hopkins
    • Kris McQuade
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    154
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Arch Nicholson
    • Writer
      • John Dingwall
    • Stars
      • Colin Friels
      • Harold Hopkins
      • Kris McQuade
    • 14User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Photos5

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast29

    Edit
    Colin Friels
    Colin Friels
    • Mike
    Harold Hopkins
    Harold Hopkins
    • Johnny
    Kris McQuade
    Kris McQuade
    • Stella
    Norman Kaye
    Norman Kaye
    • George
    Bruce Spence
    Bruce Spence
    • Ted
    Dennis Miller
    Dennis Miller
    • Andy
    Dinah Shearing
    Dinah Shearing
    • Merl
    Simon Chilvers
    Simon Chilvers
    • Alfred
    Lisa Peers
    Lisa Peers
    • Jennifer
    Andrew Sharp
    Andrew Sharp
    • Peter
    Rob Steele
    Rob Steele
    • Policeman
    Ralph Albring
    • Hans
    Bob Hicks
    • Gorilla
    Hermino De Guzman
    • Thai Buyer
    • (as Hermie de Guzman)
    Michael J. Anderson
    Michael J. Anderson
    • Thai Buyer
    • (as Michael Anderson)
    John Millroy
    • Clerk
    Rhonda Carling-Rogers
    • Andy's Woman
    Michael Terry
    • Nick
    • Director
      • Arch Nicholson
    • Writer
      • John Dingwall
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    6.1154
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8toliver597

    This movie is now on DVD

    I remember watching this years ago and enjoying it. I see a lot of comments here from a few years ago saying it hasn't been released on DVD. The good news is it now does appear to be available - there are copies on ebay for sale. Might be on other sites too.
    6phoenixmotivation

    Buddies movie

    I, too, have been looking for it for my father and my tracking has lead me to discover that an American company now owns the rights to Buddies and it is up to them if they re-release it or not. Try contacting the Australian Film Archives and see what details they can give you. The other way is to track down the director, producer and the company that originally released it, JD Productions. The Australian Archives is a good source as well. I am writing to the production company and hopefully get some answers. When I get the answers I will get back and let you know.

    Phoenix
    7ptb-8

    are doin' it for themselves...

    Boisterous and funny, Buddies is (yet another) widescreen spectacular of larrikin behaviour set in outback Australia. Looking like MAD MAX or Sunday TOO FAR AWAY and in mining territory, this is a blokey comedy with excellent leading pals (Colin Friels and Harold Hopkins). However, like most films released in 1983, it died the death of a brown dog at the box office. Nobody went to the cinemas in Australia in this period as the video boom took away all but the very biggest of releases. So many good films crashed and burned in 83/84. I have never seen it on video, or TVand a DVD release would be good looking for all the intended original reasons. On a big cinema screen it works well and looks great. It is dusty outback buffoonery and well made. If you have seen SIAM SUNSET or PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT you might get an idea of how well BUDDIES looks in cinemascope. Same territory and equally as enjoyable.
    10Darth_Wolverine

    One of the best Aussie films of it's era...

    Set in the sapphire fields of outback Australia, A great story of mate-ship, with a David & Goliath battle, "Trading Places" style, & heavy machinery.

    I Love this film. I remember going to see the premier in Sydney as a child, 3 or 4 of the actors were in attendance, was a great night. Nobody new what to expect, but at the end of the film, I don't think there was a member of the audience that didn't love it!

    It did screen on Australian TV once in the mid to L8 '80s, & I was lucky enough to have taped it to VHS. :)

    I've enjoyed watching it many times in the years since, & it remains one of my many coveted irreplaceable VHS tapes. Hopefully someone like Force entertainment may someday release this Australian Gem to DVD.
    9peter-621-537035

    Great Aussie film, finally available on DVD

    This film is an excellent Aussie comedy, loosely hung on the frame of an outback romance. I hadn't seen it for years, but it was (finally) released on DVD in June of 2009 so I raced out and got a copy. I'm pleased to say that viewing it again it is as good as I remember it. If you have a friend with a big screen, watch it on that, the scenery is to die for .

    I am so glad that this film is finally available on DVD: http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/products/show/3/1188 Harold Hopkins and Colin Freils are great in this, a real showcase of Australia, anyone is bound to enjoy it. There are 3 clips available in the national archives here: http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/buddies/

    More like this

    Buddies
    7.5
    Buddies
    Malcolm
    7.1
    Malcolm
    The Return of Captain Invincible
    5.6
    The Return of Captain Invincible
    Monkey Grip
    6.1
    Monkey Grip
    Molokai
    6.8
    Molokai
    Man of Flowers
    7.1
    Man of Flowers
    Careful, He Might Hear You
    6.9
    Careful, He Might Hear You
    Age of Consent
    6.3
    Age of Consent
    The Picture Show Man
    6.7
    The Picture Show Man
    The Odd Angry Shot
    6.6
    The Odd Angry Shot
    The Club
    6.9
    The Club
    Fortress
    7.0
    Fortress

    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film has been said to be a follow up to Sunday Too Far Away (1975). John Dingwall is the writer of both films and both movies deal with male mateship within industry in the Australian outback: sheep shearing in Sunday Too Far Away (1975) and sapphire mining in Buddies (1983).
    • Connections
      Featured in Buddies: A Gem of a Time (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Buddies
      Written and performed by John Williamson

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 15, 1983 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Official site
      • Umbrella Entertainment (Australia)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Buddies - Zwei knallharte Typen
    • Filming locations
      • Emerald, Rubyvale, Queensland, Australia
    • Production companies
      • JD Productions
      • Queensland Film Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.