''Kath & Kimderella'' is a 2012 Australian film. It is a spin-off of the television series ''

Kath & Kim ''Kath & Kim,'' (also written as ''Kath and Kim'') is an Australian sitcom created by Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who portray the title characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her self-indulgent daughter. ...

'', created by

Gina Riley Gina Riley (born 6 May 1961) is an Australian actress, writer, singer and comedian, known for portraying Kim Craig in the television series ''Kath & Kim'', and for her work in musical theatre. Television and film Riley became a popular televisi ...

and

Jane Turner Jane Turner (born 1 December 1960) is an Australian actress, comedian and Logie Award-winning comedy series creator and screnwriter. Career Turner, although best known as a comedy performer, made her acting debut in the internationally ren ...

. It was written by and stars Riley, Turner and

Magda Szubanski Magdalene Mary Therese Szubanski ( ; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian comedy actress, author, singer and LGBT rights advocate. She performed in ''Fast Forward'', '' Kath & Kim'' as Sharon Strzelecki and in the films ''Babe'' (1995) and ' ...

. The film was released theatrically in Australia in September 2012 and on Blu-ray and DVD on 23 May 2013. It premiered on Australian television five days later on the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

Plot

Kath Day-Knight Kathleen "Kath" Darleen Day-Knight is a fictional character featured in the Australian television series ''Kath & Kim'' and is portrayed by Jane Turner. Her character has appeared on multiple Australian comedy series including ''Fast Forward'', ...

(

) is still living in Fountain Lakes,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, however Kel (

Glenn Robbins Glenn Maxwell Robbins (born 30 December 1957) is an Australian comedian, writer, actor, television and radio presenter. Robbins has appeared on '' The Panel'', ''Thank God You're Here'' and ''Have You Been Paying Attention?''. He is best known ...

) has become a bore after their honeymoon period and Kim (

) has moved back in after a divorce from Brett ( Peter Rowsthorn), despite receiving

marriage counselling Couples therapy (also couples' counseling, marriage counseling, or marriage therapy) attempts to improve romantic relationships and resolve interpersonal conflicts. History Marriage counseling originated in Germany in the 1920s as part of the eu ...

from Marion (

Marg Downey Marg Downey (born 5 May 1961) is an Australian comedian and actress best known for her roles in ''The D Generation'', ''Fast Forward'' and '' Full Frontal'' Early life and education Downey grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in the Melbo ...

). While visiting the local pharmacy for

wart Warts are typically small, rough, hard growths that are similar in color to the rest of the skin. They typically do not result in other symptoms, except when on the bottom of the feet, where they may be painful. While they usually occur on the ...

remover, Kath fills out a form for a chance to win a holiday to the (fictional) "Kingdom of Papilloma" on the

heel of Italy it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

(with the real scenes being filmed in

Positano Positano (Campanian: ) is a village and ''comune'' on the Amalfi Coast (Province of Salerno), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast. Climate The climate of Positano is very mild, of the Mediterranean ...

). Initially asking Kel, who refuses to travel because of his

fear of flying Fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane, or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromechanophobia (although ae ...

and his dedication to watching the finals of ''

MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking show television format created by Franc Roddam, which originated with the UK version in July 1990. The format was revived and updated for the BBC in February 2005 by executive producers Roddam and John ...

'', Kath reluctantly decides to take Kim and Sharon (

) along on the trip. Coincidentally, Prue (Jane Turner) and Trude (Gina Riley) are clandestinely embarking on a holiday to Italy at the same time. After a 50-plus hour flight, the three arrive in Italy exhausted. Becoming energised again following a stop at a cheap knock-off fashion shop, they arrive in Papilloma to find that their accommodation has closed down. Deciding to take their complimentary trip to the castle which sits atop the hill, they meet

page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young mal ...

Alain ( Richard E. Grant), who Sharon takes a liking to, and King Javier (

Rob Sitch Robert Ian Sitch (born 17 March 1962) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian. Early life Sitch was born in 1962, the son of Melbourne bus proprietor Charles (Charlie) Sitch. Sitch attended St Kevin's College and ...

), who takes a liking to Kath, and allows all three to stay in the castle, under the impression the three are rich from their imitation-brand clothing and can save him from

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

. Meanwhile, a strange noise can be heard echoing throughout the castle, eyes watch from holes in pictures, and a masked figure, revealed to be the son of Javier, Prince Julio (

Erin Mullally Erin Mullally (born 2 January 1990) is an Australian actor and model best known for playing the role of Declan Napier in '' Neighbours''. Mullally was cast in the role after original actor, James Sorensen, left the show. The character of Declan i ...

), becomes attracted to Kim (thinking that she is royalty from her top bearing the title "Princess"). Javier shows Kath through the town, where it becomes apparent that he is not liked by the poor townspeople, being spat at and having a tomato thrown at him. He later invites the three to an '80s-esque club, where they dance to "

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" is a song by the English duo Wham!, first released as a single in the UK on 14 May 1984. It became their first UK and US number one hit. It was written and produced by George Michael. The single was certified pla ...

" before Javier arrests a gay couple who were dancing, informing Kath that

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

is illegal in Papilloma. At a later date, the three are invited to a royal ball, to which Kim wears a large

gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

-inspired pink dress. The masked figure approaches and proposes to Kim, who initially refuses because she thinks his mask is hiding a disfigurement. Disregarding Javier's protests, Julio unmasks himself, revealing a handsome face, blond hair hidden by a wig and his crooked teeth to be fake. The invited townspeople gasp as it becomes apparent from his appearance he is not the queen's son. Kim then accepts (stating that she has "done worse"), and the imminent royal wedding makes worldwide news. The same night, a fire is noticed on one of the castle's

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * Mi ...

s. Rushing inside, the royals, along with Kath, Kim and Sharon, discover that the queen has appeared and set the castle on fire from Kim and Sharon's bedroom using Kim's

hair straightener A hair iron or hair tong is a tool used to change the arrangement of the hair using heat. There are three general kinds: ''curling irons'', used to make the hair curly hair, curly, ''straightening irons'', commonly called ''straighteners'' or ''f ...

. However, the queen is suddenly killed by a falling chandelier and the fire is put out; Javier puts the girls' minds at ease when he explains that the queen was locked up because she was "crazy", jealous of his attraction to Kath and the source of the noises made around the castle. Back in Australia, Kel is watching ''MasterChef'' with Brett when a news update from Papilloma about the royal wedding interrupts the show, and Brett realises it is Kim getting hitched. Javier is then shown grabbing Kath's backside, and Kel thinks she is having an affair. The pair decide to fly to Papilloma, but not before Kel receives

hypnosis Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

therapy from Marion to combat his fear of flying, which turns strangely sexual and programs him with the phrase "Tray tables up". While on the flight with Brett and Epponnee-Rae (Morghyne de Vries), now a

spoiled brat A spoiled child or spoiled brat is a derogatory term aimed at children who exhibit behavioral problems from being overindulged by their parents or other caregivers. Children and teens who are perceived as spoiled may be described as "overindulged ...

who participates in

child beauty pageant A child beauty pageant is a beauty contest featuring contestants under 18 years of age. Competition categories may include talent, interview, sportswear, casual wear, swim wear, western wear, theme wear, outfit of choice, decade wear, and eveni ...

s, Kel hears the phrase during the announcement that the flight will soon be touching down. In a trance, he makes his way to the toilet, where he undresses before later collecting his luggage, opens the sealed door (with the plane having just pulled into the airport), triggering the

evacuation slide An evacuation slide is an inflatable slide used to evacuate an aircraft quickly. An escape slide is required on all commercial (passenger carrying) aircraft where the door sill height is such that, in the event of an evacuation, passengers wou ...

and leaves. In Papilloma, Kath confronts Javier about being a despot, who rules Papilloma as an

absolute monarch Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism (European history), Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute pow ...

. Kel interrupts Javier attempting to put the moves on Kim, and the two engage in a sword

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

for her affections; Kel wins and Javier flees. Kim and Sharon become lost before the wedding after exploring their shared bedroom's closet, with Kim having been sabotaged and attempted to be killed by maid Isabella (

Jessica De Gouw Jessica Elise De Gouw (born 15 February 1988) is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress in the television series '' Arrow'', as Mina Murray in the NBC TV series '' Dracula'', and as Elizabeth Hawkes ...

), who loves Julio and earlier had been teased by Kim. After Kim and Sharon come across a

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

-like chamber, it is revealed that Alain has kept all of the imprisoned townspeople and homosexuals there, and they are soon freed, as Kath and Kel, making their way to the wedding, discover the lost Kim and Sharon. Kim laments her messy hair, however Kath, in a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

moment, practices her amateur

TAFE Technical and further education or simply TAFE (), is the common name in English-speaking countries in Oceania for vocational education, as a subset of tertiary education. TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational cours ...

-learnt "

wicca Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...

" on Kim, giving her a

makeover A makeover is a radical change in appearance. When the word is used to describe a change in human physical appearance, it may imply a change in clothing, haircut, or cosmetics. A personal makeover might also include weight loss, plastic surgery, ...

(but not before turning her into

Dame Edna Dame Edna Everage, often known simply as Dame Edna, is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured ("wisteria hue") hair and cat eye glasses ("face furniture"); her favourite flower, th ...

). With the four finally arriving at the wedding, Epponnee-Rae and Brett (who made their way to Papilloma with Prue and Trude, who are also in attendance) interrupt Kim and Julio's vows, and set off a heated argument in which it is revealed that Kim is not actually royalty, and that Julio (who had earlier revealed that his mother is

Elle Macpherson Eleanor Nancy Macpherson (; née Gow; born ) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress. She is known for her record five cover appearances for the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' beginning in the 1980s, leading ...

) is not Javier's son, as he fathered no children. Gary Poole (

Mick Molloy Michael Molloy (born 11 July 1966) is an Australian comedian, writer, producer, actor and television and radio presenter who has been active in radio, television, stand-up and film. He currently hosts ''The Front Bar'' on the Seven Network. L ...

, who earlier appeared in a flashback), Kath's ex-husband and Kim's father, is revealed to be an extradited royal descendant, therefore making Kath a queen and Kim a princess. Alain also confesses he was "forced" to make love to the queen, and fathered a daughter, the maid Isabella, who professes her love for Prince Julio. Following the unsuccessful wedding, the royals (including Kath and Kim) along with Kel and Brett appear on a balcony above the town square, where the townspeople chant for food. Javier decides to relinquish some of his power (allowing Papilloma to become a

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

), and a party with plentiful food is later thrown, which the townspeople attend. At the party, Sharon passionately kisses Alain, who tells her he cannot return her affections because she is gay (which had been hinted at throughout the film, referencing Szubanski's real-life

coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

), leaving her confused and disheartened before she meets Stephanie (

Tasneem Roc Tasneem Roc (born 11 December 1978) is an Australian television and film actress born in Sydney. Early life and education Roc's mother, author Margaret Roc, is from Scotland and her father, John Roc, is a Karen from Burma. Her brother is Jam ...

), who shares her interest in golf and netball. Kath and Kim later discuss returning to Australia after their eventful,

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

-like holiday.

Cast

and Prue *

Kim Craig Kimberly Diane "Kim" Craig (née Day) is the moody, immature and accident-prone daughter in the Australian sitcom ''Kath & Kim'', portrayed by Gina Riley. Along with co-star Jane Turner who plays Kim's onscreen mother Kath Day-Knight, Riley is the ...

and

Trude Trude is a Germanic Old Norse feminine given name meaning "strength". The name is now most commonly found in Germany and German-speaking countries and in Norway. It is sometimes used as a diminutive of the given names Gertrude and Gertrud. N ...

Sharon Strzelecki Sharon Karen Strzelecki is an accident-prone fictional character on the Australian comedy series ''Kath & Kim'' and is portrayed by Australian actress Magda Szubanski. The character first appeared in "Big Girl's Blouse" in 1994 alongside the ot ...

Kel Knight Kelvin "Kel" Graham Knight is a fictional character in the Australian television show ''Kath & Kim''. He is the husband of Kath Day-Knight and is a passionate "purveyor of fine meats". He is portrayed by the comic actor Glenn Robbins. John Mi ...

* Peter Rowsthorn as

Brett Craig Brett Dean Craig is a fictional character on the Australian comedy television series, ''Kath & Kim''. He is portrayed by actor, comedian and writer Peter Rowsthorn. Background Brett works at Computa City and is married to Kim Craig (Gina Riley ...

as King Javier of Papilloma * Richard E. Grant as Alain *

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film prod ...

Dame Edna Everage Dame Edna Everage, often known simply as Dame Edna, is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured ("wisteria hue") hair and cat eye glasses ("face furniture"); her favourite flower, th ...

Alex Perry Alexandros Pertsinidis (born on February 14, 1963), known professionally as Alex Perry, is an Australian fashion designer and television presenter, mostly famous for his womenswear. His designs have been worn by celebrities including Jennifer ...

as himself *

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

Nicholas Bell Nicholas Bell (born 15 August 1958) is an English actor who has worked in Australia for more than 20 years. He works regularly with the Melbourne Theatre Company as well as with all the major television broadcasters in Australia, most notably th ...

as Priest *

Glenn Butcher Glenn Donald Butcher (born 1961) is an Australian actor and writer. He first came to prominence as a member of the cult Newcastle-based comedy musical troupe The Castanet Club (1982-1991), in which he played parodic lounge singer Lance Norton. ...

as Sergio *

George Calombaris George Dimitrios Calombaris (born 4 October 1978) is an Australian chef and restaurateur. Calombaris was one of the judges of the Network 10 series '' MasterChef Australia'' from 2009 to 2019. Prior to his role on ''MasterChef Australia'', Calo ...

as himself *

as Isabella *

Julie Forsyth Julie Forsyth is an Australian actress best known for her stage performances, and probably Lotis, the talking lift from '' Lift Off''. In the 1980s and 1990s she was associated with director Jean Pierre Mignon at the Anthill theatre company in ...

as Queen Christina * Bryce Hardy as Bryce Waterhouse (flight attendant) *

as Gary Poole *

as Prince Julio * Robert Ratti as Tony *

as Stephanie Murdoch * Lisa Spurrell as Cloaked Person *

Mark Trevorrow Mark Trevorrow (born 4 February 1959 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian comedian, television host and media personality. In the early 1980s he had two Top 20 hits as part of Globos with Wendy De Waal, and in 1984 he debuted "Bob Downe" ...

as Marko *

Frank Woodley Frank Woodley (born Frank Wood; 29 February 1968) is an Australian comedian, author and musician who is best known for his work alongside Colin Lane as part of the comedic duo Lano and Woodley. The two first performed together for almost 20 yea ...

as Castle Translator

Production

The film was originally titled ''Kath & Kim – The Filum''. The title was later changed with Riley stating that the new title reflects the elements of the storyline of Kath and Kim in a fractured fairytale. The holiday scenes were shot in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and filming took a total of two weeks.

Reception

The film opened at number one at the Australian box office, taking in $2.1 million. It was the second highest opening for an Australian film in 2012, behind '' The Sapphires''. , 26% of the nineteen reviews compiled by

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

are positive, with an average rating of 3.64/10.

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

's film review series '' At the Movies'' rated the film two stars out of five; critic

David Stratton David James Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-Australian award-winning film critic, as both a journalist and interviewer, film historian and lecturer and television personality and producer. Life and career Born in Trowbridge, ...

, who reviewed the film, admitted he was not a fan of the television show that inspired it.

Box office

As of 16 October 2012 the film had grossed $6,150,771 at the Australian box office.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kath and Kimderella 2012 films 2012 comedy films 2012 LGBT-related films Australian comedy films Australian LGBT-related films Films about anti-LGBT sentiment Films about royalty Films based on television series Films shot in Italy Films shot in Melbourne LGBT-related comedy films Screen Australia films Roadshow Entertainment films 2010s English-language films