KATH AND KIMDERELLA

Australia, 2012, 85 minutes, Colour.
Jane Turner, Gina Riley, Magda Szubanski, Glenn Robbins, Peter Rowsthorn, Rob Sitch, Richard E. Grant, Barry Humphries, Jessica De Gouw, Erin Mullally, Marg Downey.
Directed by Ted Emery.

‘Kath and Kim’ (first screened on TV ten years ago) is an acquired taste. Australian audiences by and large embraced this mother and daughter whose suburban lives, attitudes and prejudices, parody so many of us, accent, vocabulary, fashions (and non-fashions) and all. A tribute to creators and performers, Jane Riley and Gina Riley (who made their TV marks two decades ago with the hilarious series, Fast Forward and Full Frontal). And, of course, there is Magda Szubanski as large, sporty and frustrated in romance, Sharon, victim number one of Kim’s barbs (though poor hen-pecked husband, Brett, gets it all the time as well).

This feature film answers one question I have had for a while: is Kim in her extraordinary self-centredness (and, as Age reviewer, Philippa Hawker, noted, her ‘iron whim’) the successor to Edna Everage? Then, suddenly, towards the end of the film, I could scarcely believe it, Kath does a magic trick with her wand (after all she had done a TAFE Wica course) and who should Kim turn into but Dame Edna? So, there you are!

The advantage of the 30 minute episode is that the makers can give quick vignettes of the main characters, Kath and Kim, with respective husbands, Glenn Robbins as the genial Kel, so positive in outlook as is Kath, and Peter Rowsthorne as the browbeaten, Brett. There could be guests like Shane Warne or Eric Bana or even Kylie Minogue doing a variation on Kim as the grown-up version of daughter, Ebony. There can be a plot, but that is not the point. Satire, spoof and comedy are the point.

Well, the feature film has a plot. It is, of course, preposterous – it would be strange if it weren’t. It is a fairy tale (much more by the end than we might have thought). After some Fountain Lakes sequences (with the strangulated pronunciation of shop attendants, Prue and Trude, who also turn up in Italy, reminding us of the versatility of Jane Turner and Gina Riley), the film moves to a small kingdom (Spanish-oriented) on the beautiful Amalfi coast, where the bankrupt king (a pleasure to see Rob Sitch) is on the lookout for a rich wife. He assumes Kath fills the bill. In the meantime, the crown prince who wears a Phantom of the Opera mask, sees ‘Princess’ on Kim’s t-shirt and makes the worst assumptions. Oh, Sharon has tagged along and has set her cap for the majordomo, a superciliously entertaining performance from Richard E. Grant.

Variations on a lot of ingredients from old stories (especially Jane Eyre) and from European royal intrigue movies.

It’s not as hilarious as hoped for. I wish Kim had been sharper and more viciously outspoken than she is. There is a bonus with Marg Downey reprising her smooth, emotionless and unctuous voice as Marion, the counselor.

But it is better to have a Kath and Kim movie than not having it.

1. The popularity of Kath and Kim? The television series? Their becoming Australian icons? To a feature film?

2. The spoof on Australia, satire, parody? The look, the accent, vocabulary, pretensions of the middle classes, preoccupations, family, jobs, fashion, trends, health, exercise, money? Kath and her goodness? Kim and her self-absorption?

3. Kim, nasty, her whims, selfish, the irony of the appearance of Dame Edna instead of Kim?

4. The audience, response to the characters, the introduction and explanations, Fountain Lakes, suburban life, Poole? Kath and her marriage, pregnancy, the birth of Kim, growing up, her marrying Kel, his being a purveyor of fine meats, Brett and his marriage to Kim, his being browbeaten, Epponnee-Rae? and her growing up – and being a clone of her mother? Life at Fountain Lakes? The mall and the shops? The presentation of Prue and Trude and the other pretensions?

5. The plot, establishing it as a fairy tale – and the fairytale ending?

6. Melbourne, ordinary, the contrast with Italy, the Amalfi Coast, the town, the castle?

7. The range of songs as background, popular music, lyrics?

8. In Melbourne, Kath and her going to the chemist, winning the trip, Kel and his feeling down, Kim and her wanting to go, Sharon and her tagging along? The men going to ltaly later?

9. The travel jokes, the airport, the weariness, walking the town, the people hostile, the hotel closed, going to the palace?

10. Prue and Trude, their style, accent, snobbery, at the shop, going on holidays, in Italy, the hotel, going to the wedding? Giving Brett a lift?

11. The kingdom, the Spanish background, Javier and Rob Sitch, his appearance, his son and the mask, the expectations and the bankruptcy? Alain and his job as major-domo? Isabella as the maid? The setting up of the characters – and the familiarity of themes from old-fashioned royalty stories from Europe?

12. Kath, her character, seeing goodness everywhere, her fashion-consciousness, her malapropisms? Her being welcomed, the discussion with the king about money, his hopes, the son seeing ‘princess’ on Kim’s T-shirt?

13. Isabella, her character, her work, hostility to Kim, the murder attempts? The revelation of the truth? As a princess? Marrying Juleo?

14. The people of the kingdom, the tour, the hostility towards the king, throwing tomatoes, people taken to prison, the club, the dancing, the gay couple, their arrest? Alain and his sending people to prison – but looking after them? Kath and her freeing all the prisoners?

15. The prince, Kim, taking off his mask, being perfectly normal? His proposal, the preparation for the marriage?

16. Sharon, her character, size, forlorn, sport, setting her cap at Alain, her pursuing him – and his being gay?

17. Kim, going to the dance, the costumes, Sharon and her cowardly lion?

18. Kel, the therapy with Marion, the hypnotism, her approach to him? Brett, with Epponnee, Kim’s orders? Brett watching the football with Kel, seeing the news, the decision to travel to Italy, the hypnotism, Kel naked in the plane, landing?

19. Kel, arriving at the palace, the confrontation with Javier, the swordfight, his butcher’s knives?

20. Kath, the episode with Edna Everage – and her wicker TAFE course – and the jokes about all the TAFE diplomas that she had?

21. The wedding preparations, the dress, Isabella, Sharon and Kim in the hole, the claustrophobia?

22. Brett, Prue and Trude, the lift, interrupting the wedding – and the prince’s dismay at hearing about Epponnee, the marriage, the divorce?

23. The range of explanations, Poole as the rightful king, marrying Kath, therefore Kath as the queen? The impotence of the king? The role of Alain, looking after Isabella?

24. Kath, rule, the marriage of the two clergy, the kingdom, the happy release, everybody happy ever after?

25. The impact for an Australian audience, parody and laughs? For non-Australian audiences?