...Maybe This Time (1981) Online

...Maybe This Time (1981) Online

Fran, the assistant to university professor Paddy, is about to turn 30. She is having an affair with a married minister's aide, Stephen. She returns home to the country town she grew up in and has a fling with an old flame, Alan. She also begins sleeping with Paddy.

This Australian movie is set during the Australian Labor Party's "Whitlam Era" of Australian National Federal Government which was between 1972 and 1975. Gough Whitlam was Prime Minister of Australia during this period. Prior to principal photography, the so called "Whitlam Sequence" and all other references to Whitlam had to be removed from the picture's first act. Staunch Australian Labor Party advocate and co-writer of this film, Bob Ellis, said in Australian film magazine 'Cinema Papers' that "...this was so that the NSWFC [New South Wales Film Corporation] could pose as though it hadn't been appointed by a Labor Government and was not approving of Whitlam...Losing Whitlam wasn't all that serious, but losing references to him destroyed the structure of all the scenes in which those references occurred - and that may have been five or six. As a result, the first ten minutes of the film was wrecked...".

Judy Morris received top / first billing, Bill Hunter received second billing, Michael Preston received third billing, Jill Perryman received fourth billing, Ken Shorter received fifth billing, Michele Fawdon received sixth billing.

The quotation said to Fran (Judy Morris) by The Minister (Leonard Teale) on the plane was from J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' and this is listed in the closing credits.

This is one of few Australian theatrical feature films that has been filmed in the Australian nation's capital city of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.

This 1980 Australian film was nominated for six Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards including Best Film, Best Actress (Judy Morris) and Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted. Three actresses performing in this film were nominated for Best Supporting Actress: Jude Kuring, Michele Fawdon and Jill Perryman, the latter winning, and her award was the only AFI Award that this film won.

This is the only film directed by Chris McGill.

Penultimate theatrical feature film for well known Australian actor Leonard Teale. His final feature film appearance would be in Stanley: Every Home Should Have One (1984).

The film has a uniquely spelled title, its specific and correct spelling as per this film's opening credits is '...maybe this Time', only the final word is capitalized and the title is prefixed by an ellipsis. Further, the film's title was displayed inside vertical line designs on either side of the title logo. The film's title is frequently spelled incorrectly, the first word(s) often being capitalized and the ellipsis left out altogether.

According to an interview in Australian film magazine 'Cinema Papers', co-writer Bob Ellis states that it took five years for this movie to get made.

This film at script stage was offered to a number of Australian film producers and directors who turned it down. These included Gillian Armstrong, Stephen Wallace, Tony Buckley, Donald Crombie, David Stevens and Brian Bell.

According to Australian film magazine 'Cinema Papers'director Ken Hannam agreed to do the picture but arrangements fell through with his selected producer Tom Haydon.

Third theatrical feature film written by Bob Ellis. The first was Newsfront (1978) whilst the second was Fatty Finn (1980). Ellis had also previously written additional dialogue for the "Judy" segment of the feature film Three to Go (1971) as well as for television.

First theatrical feature film co-written by real life couple Anne Brooksbank and Bob Ellis.

This film won the 1979 AWGIE (Australian Writers' Guild) Award for Best Original Screenplay.

The part of Paddy was written for actor Jack Thompson.

Mike Preston [Michael Preston] replaced Jack Thompson in the lead male part of Paddy.

Debut theatrical feature film of Australian actor Hugo Weaving.

Chris Haywood: As a salesman.

Hugo Weaving: As Student 2.