The Delinquents: 'Anywhere's better than here'

This scene from Kylie Minogue’s feature film debut The Delinquents shows her considerable acting talent, which is what originally introduced her to Australian and international audiences in Neighbours.

Here Melissa Jaffer’s Aunt Westbury doesn’t stand a chance against Kylie’s firebrand Lola. Aching to return to her young lover Brownie (played by Charlie Schlatter) she – literally – doesn’t pull any punches.

Costuming plays a key part in this scene. Lola removing the pale floral dress given to her by her aunt is a dramatic gesture that exemplifies her rejection of everything her older relative stands for. Stripped and with nowhere to go but away, Lola escapes the emotionally stifling house ready for whatever comes next.

The scene has genuine intensity and is a good example of the unobtrusive direction of Chris Thomson, which affords his actors the space to build emotion. The scene actually has a high degree of complexity, with varying camera angles and tight editing.

Lola is sassy, much like Kylie’s iconic character Charlene in Neighbours. However, despite playing strong characters, Kylie herself was still seen as a good, girl-next-door type in the late 1980s and caused a stir when she came to the premiere of the film with a new image and rock star boyfriend, Michael Hutchence – lead singer of INXS.

A key difference between her role in the film and her stint on Neighbours is the presence of sex scenes. She talks about filming them in an interview from a DVD extra for the film.

The film received mixed reviews but performed well with audiences in Australia and the UK.

Notes by Beth Taylor