Aussie music legend Paul Kelly’s iconic Christmas tune How to Make Gravy is stepping out of the radio and onto the screen, and the trailer just dropped, giving us a taste of what’s cooking.
For those not familiar with the 1996 hit (where have you been?), Kelly’s How to Make Gravy tells the heart-wrenching story of Joe, a man locked up over Christmas, who sends a letter to his family lamenting his absence from the holiday dinner table.
Now, after nearly three decades, the beloved characters from the song have come to life in a full-length feature film.
Daniel Henshall, known for his gripping performances in The Snowtown Murders and Mystery Road: Origin, steps into the shoes of Joe, the unlucky bloke behind bars whose family is grappling with their first Christmas without him.
The movie introduces a few new faces, most notably Noel, a fellow inmate portrayed by Australian acting royalty Hugo Weaving (The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert), whose grizzly character adds depth to Joe’s prison stint. It also seems he learns to include the all-important tomato sauce “for sweetness and that extra tang.”
The cast also includes Brenton Thwaites as Joe’s brother Dan, Kate Mulvany portraying his sister Stella, and Damon Herriman as her husband, Roger. French actress Agathe Rousselle (known for Titane) plays Joe’s wife Rita in her first English-language film, while Jona Wren Phillips takes on the role of their son Angus, with Rose Statham and Izzy Westlake appearing as their twin daughters, Frank and Dolly.
Additionally, the trailer offers a glimpse of Adam Briggs, from the hip-hop group A.B. Original, in a cameo as a corrections officer.
How To Make Gravy will stream on Binge from December 1 (not gonna lie, a total missed opportunity for it to be released on Dec 21, otherwise known as ‘Gravy Day’… *shrugs*)
Check out the trailer here:
And of course, the iconic song that inspired it…
