FILM · 1995 · AUSTRALIA
Hotel Sorrento
20 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (20)
- #001
British Dame Joan Plowright travelled to Australia to take a role in this film.
- #002
The title "Hotel Sorrento", used for both this film and the source stage play, is not actually a hotel but the nickname of the Moynihan sisters' modest home.
- #003
This was the penultimate cinema film of legendary Australian actor John Hargreaves, whose last cinema film was Lust and Revenge (1996).
- #004
According to an article titled "Returning Home", published in the June 1995 issue of the Australian film magazine Cinema Papers and quoted on the Writer, Producer and Director website, "Richard Franklin, despite having lived in Australia since 1985, had worked in the US for several years. He had begun to tire of Hollywood and decided to make a film for the 'art house market'. He made contact with his brother-in-law Peter Fitzpatrick. He had written a number of books on Australian theatre and asked him to suggest an Australian play that could make a good film, and Fitzpatrick put forward 'Hotel Sorrento' and Franklin loved it."
- #005
The novel written by Meg Moynihan (Caroline Goodall) was titled "Melancholy".
- #006
Caroline Gillmer was the only actor to appear in a production of the source stage play of this film. In this film, however, she played the elder sister rather than the novelist sister she had played on stage.
- #007
This film was nominated for ten AFI (Australian Film Institute) awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Richard Franklin, Best Original Music Score, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Ben Thomas and Best Original Music Score, as well as two nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role, one each for Caroline Goodall and Caroline Gillmer. In the end the film won two AFI Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Ray Barrett and Best Adapted Screenplay for Richard Franklin and Peter Fitzgerald.
- #008
For its release in the US, the film's title was changed from "Hotel Sorrento" to "Sorrento Beach".
- #009
This was the first cinema film scored by Nerida Tyson-Chew.
- #010
According to Luke Buckmaster in an article published by Film Australia (1999), "one of the film's many passing reflections is the discovery of the word 'melancholy', a word that fits the tone and pace of Hotel Sorrento perfectly." "Melancholy" is the title of the novel written by one of the three sisters, which causes upheaval in their hometown of Sorrento because of its real-life origins.
- #011
Director Richard Franklin's official director's statement about the film reads: "The appeal to me of Hannie's play lies in its distinct reflection of Australia's questions about cultural identity. This is a play that deals with a series of issues that have long been important in national life: the traditional deference to Britain, the more recent preoccupation with things American, and the place of a distinctive local culture between these powerful influences. These issues are extremely topical, and the play approaches them through dialogue full of humour and clever analysis and through images of the ways these forces clash and coexist. But Hotel Sorrento is more than an issue play, and the most important element in its popularity is the way it places these large questions within the intensely private world of a family. The emotions involved are painfully strong, highly recognisable and of universal significance. This is the story of three sisters, one of whom stays at home with her father, her memories and some painful and unresolved conflicts in the still waters of Sorrento's beautiful seaside. The other sisters have taken their memories of successful careers in London and New York with them. When the family returns to Sorrento, it must face old wounds and a tragedy, which means their lives can never be the same again."
- #012
Writer, Producer and Director Richard Franklin reportedly made this film without seeing any production of the source play.
- #013
This film was released five years after the first staging of Hannie Rayson's source stage play of the same name.
- #014
This is one of two Australian theatre films made in the 1990s, both adaptations of Australian stage plays, directed by Richard Franklin. The other is David Williamson's Brilliant Lies (1996).
- #015
This was Richard Franklin's first Australian cinema film in fourteen years. His previous film was Road Games (1981).
- #016
Writer, Producer and Director Richard Franklin performed three roles on this film.
- #017
This was the first cinema film Richard Franklin had directed in nineteen years that was not in the thriller-suspense genre. His previous film was Fantasm (1976), on which he was billed under the pseudonym "Richard Bruce".
- #018
Screenwriters Richard Franklin and Peter Fitzpatrick were brothers-in-law. Both won an AFI (Australian Film Institute) Award for their screenplay.
- #019
Two actresses both named "Caroline" appeared in this film: Caroline Gillmer and Caroline Goodall.
- #020
Hotel Sorrento is one of three Australian films to feature both legendary Australian actors Ray Barrett and John Hargreaves. The others are Don's Party (1976) and No Worries (1993).
Continue through the archive
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb kaydı
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work