The Delinquents is a 1989 Australian coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by Chris Thomson from a screenplay by Clayton Frohman and Mac Gudgeon, based on Criena Rohan's 1962 book of the same name. It stars Kylie Minogue (in her feature film debut) and Charlie Schlatter as the main characters Lola and Brownie, and was filmed in Brisbane, Maryborough and Bundaberg, Queensland.
The film was released in Australia on 21 December 1989 to mixed reviews from critics. It grossed $3,370,650 at the box office in Australia. An accompanying soundtrack was also released.
Plot
Lola and Brownie are teenagers in 1950s Bundaberg, Australia. They fall in love, but because of their age they must fight their parents and welfare, who try to keep them apart. Lola falls pregnant and the couple run away so they can keep their baby. However, Lola's mother and the police find them and take Lola home.
Brownie joins the crew of a ship so he can sail the coast and look for Lola. He befriends a sailor called Bosun, who offers him a job.
Meanwhile, Lola is forced to have an abortion by her mother in Brisbane. After an argument with her mother, Lola moves to Melbourne, becomes a waitress and bleaches her hair. Lola is reunited with Brownie after he visits the bar where she works whilst on shore leave. They return to his ship and they spend the night together. The next day, Bosun discovers Lola in Brownie's cabin and asks her to leave. After an argument between Brownie and Bosun, the latter agrees to Lola staying, on the condition that she is kept "out of sight" from the other sailors.
After the ship docks, Lola and Brownie attend a party held by a young couple, Lyle and Mavis. They are squatting in the property with their daughter, Sharon. Both couples quickly become friends and Lola and Brownie move into their spare room.
One night, both couples are socialising in a local pub when Lola and Brownie are arrested for underage drinking and vagrancy.
Lola is sent to stay with Aunt Westbury, a caretaker in the countryside for a fixed-term of 12 months. She and Brownie are told that they are not allowed to see or contact each other for one year. Brownie was also issued with a fine.
During Lola's stay in the community placement, a former charge of Aunt's visits the house. Lola collects the mail and, after a brief conversation with the postman, realises that Aunt Westbury has disposed of Brownie's letters. An argument follows, and Lola runs away.
Finding her mother drunk and unsympathetic, Lola heads to Lyle and Mavis's house, only to be arrested and taken to a reform school to restart and complete her sentence. During this time, a riot is started by the other inmates.
After her 18th birthday, Lola has completed her sentence and is immediately reunited with Brownie. Upon returning to the house, Lola discovers Mavis is heavily pregnant with her second child.
Lola wants Brownie to quit his job as a sailor, and stay with her. However, Brownie is in a quandary and confides in Bosun about his dilemma. Meanwhile, Mavis goes into labour; the birth does not go well and both Mavis and the baby die.
Although Lola and Brownie offer to adopt Sharon (Lyle & Mavis' surviving daughter), they are unable to as they are unmarried. Lyle leaves the child with Lola to give to social services as she will be placed into foster care and Lyle is unable to bear the thought of giving up his only child. Lyle subsequently leaves after telling Lola he plans to travel the world, taking on odd jobs to make ends meet.
Lola leaves the house, suitcase packed, ready to take Sharon to the welfare office before heading back to Bundaberg. Brownie sees Lola and Sharon in the taxi and runs after them. Eventually, Brownie catches up with the taxi and he is reunited with Lola and Sharon. The film ends with their wedding with their families and friends in attendance.
Cast
Kylie Minogue as Lola Lovell
Charlie Schlatter as Brownie Hansen
Bruno Lawrence as Bosun
Todd Boyce as Lyle
Desirée Smith as Mavis
Angela Punch McGregor as Mrs. Lovell
Melissa Jaffer as Aunt Westbury
Lynette Curran as Mrs. Hansen
Duncan Wass as Bert
Lyn Treadgold as Prison matron
Rosemary Harris as Isobel
Original novel
The novel was published in 1962. It had been written in a TB hospital, and subsequently submitted for the Miles Franklin Award. Author Rohan died in 1963, having only published one other book in her lifetime. The novel was re-published in 1986, and again in 1989 to tie-in with the release of the film.