How to Make Gravy (film)

Last updated

How to Make Gravy
Another image of a pre-release poster for How to Make Gravy.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNick Waterman
Screenplay by
Based on"How to Make Gravy"
by Paul Kelly
Produced by
  • Schuyler Weiss
  • Nick Waterman
  • Meg Washington
  • Hamish Lewis
Starring
CinematographyEdward Goldner
Edited byAhmad Halimi
Music by Samuel Dixon
Production
companies
Distributed by Binge
Release date
  • 1 December 2024 (2024-12-01)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

How to Make Gravy is a 2024 Australian drama film directed by Nick Waterman from a screenplay he co-wrote with Megan Washington, based on the 1996 song of the same name by Paul Kelly. It was produced by Warner Bros. International Australia. This will also be the first original film to be released by the Australian streaming service Binge. [1] [2]

Contents

Synopsis

The film expands on the characters and stories detailed within the song's lyrics, which take the form of a letter from Joe writing from prison, four days before Christmas. [3]

Production

The film was produced on the Gold Coast, Queensland, with filming commencing in October 2023. [4]

Cast

Release

The film was originally set for release as a Christmas movie by Warner Bros in December 2023. That was delayed, and it was then scheduled to be released, by the Binge streaming service, on 1 December 2024. [3] [5]

A trailer for the film was released on 9 October 2024. [6]

Reception

Garry Maddox, of the The Sydney Morning Herald , praised the film, saying that it was an impressive expansion of the original song, with Henshall, Weaving and Herriman all providing moving performances. Maddox rated the film four out of five stars. [7]

In his review, Luke Buckmaster of the The Guardian said that the film veered towards sentimentalism, and that it was a well-intentioned misfire. He rated the film two out of five stars. [8] Jenny Valentish, also of The Guardian, praised the production design, noting that it was almost impossible to pin the film down to a specific era, with its use of an earthy 70s colour palette, and the fashion and cars being 90s shabby. [9]

Soundtrack

How to Make Gravy
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
Released13 December 2024 (2024-12-13)
Label Suitcase Records
Singles from How to Make Gravy
  1. "The Hook"
    Released: 26 September 2024 [10]

A limited edition soundtrack was released on vinyl in December 2024. [11]

How to Make Gravy
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."My Little Drum" (performed by Vince Guaraldi)Vince Guaraldi 
2."Red Hot Chrissy" (performed by Beddy Rays)Jackson Van Issum, Lewis McKenna, Bradley O'Connor, Benjamin Wade, Matthew Cochran2:20
3."Christmas Time Is Here" (performed by Vince Guaraldi)Vince Guaraldi, Lee Mendelson  
4."Take Care of Business" (performed by Nina Simone)Andrew Benjamin Stround 
5."The Hook" (performed by Meg Washington)Meg Washington, Mehdi Benjelloun 3:05
6."Dream On" (performed by Electric Fields & The Prison Choir)Meg Washington3:51
7."Isolationism" (performed by Ben Salter)Ben Salter, C MacDonald3:37
8."Fine" (performed by Brendan Maclean & The Prison Choir)Washington3:36
9."Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (performed by Vince Guaraldi)  
10."How to Make Gravy" (performed by Paul Kelly)Paul Kelly 

See also

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Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five. Kelly's music style has ranged from bluegrass to studio-oriented dub reggae, but his core output straddles folk, rock and country. His lyrics capture the vastness of the culture and landscape of Australia by chronicling life about him for over 30 years. David Fricke from Rolling Stone calls Kelly "one of the finest songwriters I have ever heard, Australian or otherwise". Kelly has said, "Song writing is mysterious to me. I still feel like a total beginner. I don't feel like I have got it nailed yet."

<i>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</i> (2000 film) 2000 Christmas film by Ron Howard

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How to Make Gravy is a four-track EP by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and was originally released on 4 November 1996 on White Label Records in Australia. The title track was written by Kelly and earned him a 'Song of the Year' nomination at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Music Awards of 1998. It tells the story of a newly imprisoned man writing a letter to his brother, in which the prisoner laments that he will be missing the family's Christmas celebrations. The same character appears in two of Kelly's earlier songs, "To Her Door" (1987) and "Love Never Runs on Time" (1994). The gravy recipe is genuine – Kelly learnt it from his first father-in-law. It was covered by James Reyne on a 2003 tribute album Stories of Me: A Songwriter's Tribute to Paul Kelly, and on Reyne's 2005 acoustic album And the Horse You Rode in On.

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References

  1. "BINGE Announces First Original Feature Film "How to Make Gravy"". BINGE. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  2. "Official Trailer and Characters Revealed for BINGE Original Feature Film How to Make Gravy". BINGE. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  3. 1 2 Cain, Sian (9 October 2024). "How to Make Gravy: first trailer for film based on Paul Kelly song released". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  4. Dalagarno, Paul (26 October 2023). "How to Make Gravy: cast named for Paul Kelly-inspired Binge film". Screenhub. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  5. Hassett, Kate (10 October 2024). "'How To Make Gravy' Is About To Become Your New Favourite Christmas Movie". Marie Claire Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. Binge (9 October 2024). "How To Make Gravy — Official Trailer" . Retrieved 10 October 2024 via YouTube.
  7. Maddox, Garry (1 December 2024). "If Paul Kelly's classic Christmas song makes you tear up, this film will too". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  8. Buckmaster, Luke (30 November 2024). "How to Make Gravy review – a well-intentioned, mawkish misfire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  9. Valentish, Jenny (29 November 2024). "'Inside the Kellyverse': how Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy became a Christmas film". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  10. "Soundtrack To 'How To Make Gravy' Movie Revealed, Meg Washington Performs The First Single 'The Hook'". noise11. 26 September 2024. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  11. "Electric Fields, Beddy Rays & Brendan Maclean Drop New Songs From 'How To Make Gravy' Film". The Music. 29 November 2024. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.