Never Too Late
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMark Lamprell
Screenplay byLuke Preston
Story by
  • Grant Carter
  • Luke Preston
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPeter Falk
Edited byMarc van Buuren
Music byAngela Little
Production
companies
Distributed byR&R Films[1]
Release dates
  • 19 February 2020 (2020-02-19) (Young at Heart Festival)
  • 10 July 2020 (2020-07-10) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes[2]
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Box office$844,581[3]

Never Too Late is a 2020 Australian comedy film directed by Mark Lamprell and starring James Cromwell and Jacki Weaver. The film also features Dennis Waterman, Roy Billing, Jack Thompson and Shane Jacobson.

Plot

Four former prisoners of war, members of an elite squad "the Chainbreakers", who broke out of their prison in Vietnam, are now residents of "Hogan Hills", a retirement home for returned veterans. Each has some unfinished business "outside", but they are not allowed to leave as they are under the Mental Health Act.

Bronson, an American, was their leader and has feigned symptoms to be near Norma, once an Army nurse with whom he fell in love, but is now a widow suffering Alzheimer's disease. His leadership is blamed by the others for their incarceration in Vietnam. Caine would love to go sailing on his yacht but is restrained for his own safety. Wendell is a wheelchair-bound former bikie and bank robber: he still wears gloves, flannelette shirt and badged vest. Between jail and the "home", he has not been "outside" since 1975. Alienated from his son Bruce, his letters are always returned unopened. He regrets never taking Bruce to a football game. Angus is an ex-VFL footballer for Collingwood, "the mighty Magpies", and winner of the 1973 Brownlow medal[lower-alpha 1] but was disqualified for punching an opponent, so never received it. They enlist the aid of Elliot, a young orderly who is son of Lin the Vietnam-born matron in charge. Unknown to the four, she is the daughter of a prison guard who refrained from shooting the escapees and was executed for his failure.

After several foiled attempts, they escape in a hearse, pick up Bruce and while Wendell and his son are watching the game at Adelaide Oval (Adelaide Crows v. Port Power); Angus steals the medal from its display case. They escape in the Glenelg tram, and manage to persuade the police that they are innocent tourists. Bronson meets Norma on the jetty; she accepts his proposal. They proceed to the marina where Caine's yacht is moored; he sails off for the horizon. In the final scene Bronson tells Lin about her father and offers his thanks, Norma returns to the retirement home but fails to recognise Bronson, Angus is still wearing his medal and Bruce has become his father's carer.

Cast

Production

Never Too Late was directed by Mark Lamprell, written by Grant Carter and Luke Preston, produced by Antony I. Ginnane and David Lightfoot, with executive producers Jack Christian and Kirk D'Amico.[4]

The film was shot in Adelaide, South Australia throughout March and April 2019.[6][7][8] Some of the scenes were shot at the Adelaide Oval where dozens of extras were needed to appear in the movie as supporters of local AFL teams Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide.[9]

Soundtrack

The film features original music by Angela Little,[10] also songs from the 1960s and 1979s performed by Lior: House of the Rising Sun (Traditional), Catch the Wind (Donovan), Mad World (Orzabal), and I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash). These are not included on the soundtrack album.[11]

Release

The film premiered at Adelaide's Young at Heart Festival on 19 February 2020.[12][13] It was scheduled to be released digitally in the United States on 10 July 2020.

It was distributed by R&R Films.[1]

Critical reception

Never Too Late received mixed reviews, earning an approval rating of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 24 reviews.

  • "With this line-up, Lamprell should have turned the film into a celebration of some great screen careers. Instead, it winds up as a sad waste of talent."[14]
  • Standard and sentimental. You can see where it's going, but it's fun and benign anyway to see how they work this out.[15]

Notes

  1. ↑ The real-life winner of the 1973 Brownlow Medal was Keith Greig; he won it again in 1974.

References

  1. 1 2 "Never Too Late". R&R FILMS. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "NEVER TOO LATE". www.classification.gov.au. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Never Too Late (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 Screen Guide: Never Too Late, Screen Australia. Accessed 17 February 2020.
  5. ↑ Maddox, Garry (16 April 2019) Life still busy over 70 for stars of new 'triumph over ageing' comedy, The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. ↑ Groves, Don (6 March 2019) Geezer comedy 'Never Too Late' set to roll in South Australia, If Magazine. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Debelle, Penelope (6 March 2019) Stellar cast in Adelaide for shooting of war vets breakout comedy, The Advertiser. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Debelle, Penelope (20 April 2019) Stellar cast finish filming in Adelaide for Vietnam war comedy movie Never Too Late, Sunday Mail. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Iannella, Antimo (12 April 2019) Why Port and Crows fans are sitting together at Adelaide Oval, The Advertiser. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "Angela Little — Hitting the Right Notes". FilmInk. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  11. ↑ ""Never Too Late" Soundtrack announced". Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Groves, Don (11 February 2020) US deal for Mark Lamprell's 'Never Too Late', If Magazine. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  13. ↑ Korsten, Tracey (18 February 2020). "Young at Heart Film Festival Opens Tomorrow". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  14. ↑ Sandra Hall. "'Sad waste': Even Jacki Weaver and Jack Thompson can't save this film". Sydney Morning Herald.
  15. ↑ Peter Rainer. "Never Too Late". Film Week.
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