The Delinquents 1989
Directed by
Chris Thomson
Made by
Village Roadshow Entertainment
The Delinquents Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Delinquents (1989). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
In 1950s Bundaberg, Australia, Lola Lovell and Brownie Hansen fall in love as teenagers, a romance that faces strong resistance from their families and welfare authorities because of their ages. When Lola discovers she is pregnant, the couple runs away to protect their baby, but Lola’s mother Mrs. Lovell and the police quickly locate them and bring Lola home.
Brownie signs on with a ship that sails the coast, hoping to keep Lola in his life, and he befriends a sailor known as Bosun, who offers him work and a place aboard the crew. Back on land, Lola is pressured to have an abortion by her mother in Brisbane, and later moves to Melbourne where she works as a waitress and even bleaches her hair. The lovers are briefly reunited when Brownie visits the bar where Lola works during shore leave, and they spend the night together. The next day, Bosun finds Lola in Brownie’s cabin and urges her to leave; after a tense exchange, he agrees she can stay aboard, on the condition that she is kept “out of sight” from the other sailors.
When the ship docks, Lola and Brownie attend a party hosted by Lyle and Mavis, who live in a squat with their daughter Sharon. The two couples quickly become friends, and Lola and Brownie move into the spare room. One night, they are arrested for underage drinking and vagrancy after a night out at a pub.
Lola is sent to Aunt Westbury, a countryside caretaker, for a fixed term of 12 months, and she and Brownie are told they are not allowed to see or contact each other for a year. Brownie is fined. During Lola’s stay in the community placement, a former charge visits Aunt Westbury’s house; Lola collects the mail and, after a brief conversation with the Postman, realises Aunt Westbury has disposed of Brownie’s letters. An argument follows, and Lola runs away.
Finding her mother drunk and unsympathetic, Lola heads to Lyle and Mavis’s house, only to be arrested and sent to a reform school to restart and complete her sentence. During this time, a riot is started by the other inmates. After her eighteenth birthday, Lola completes her sentence and is immediately reunited with Brownie. Upon returning to the house, Lola discovers Mavis is heavily pregnant with her second child.
Lola wants Brownie to quit his job as a sailor and stay with her. However, Brownie faces a dilemma and confides in Bosun about his options. Meanwhile, Mavis goes into labor; the birth does not go well and both Mavis and the baby die. Although Lola and Brownie offer to adopt Sharon, they cannot do so while they are unmarried, and Lyle leaves the child with Lola to place with social services as he travels the world.
Lola eventually plans to take Sharon to the welfare office before heading back to Bundaberg, but Brownie sees Lola and Sharon in a taxi and runs after them. He catches up with the taxi, and the trio—Lola, Brownie, and Sharon—are eventually reunited. The film closes on their wedding, celebrated with family and friends and a hopeful sense of a future together.
The Delinquents Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of The Delinquents (1989) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Lola and Brownie fall in love
Lola and Brownie, teenagers in Bundaberg, Queensland, fall head over heels for each other despite their youth. They face persistent disapproval from their families and welfare officials who warn them about the consequences of their romance. Their feelings promise a future together, even as many external pressures loom.
Pregnancy forces them to act
Lola becomes pregnant and the couple resolve to run away to keep the baby. They secretly plan a future together away from prying eyes. The looming challenge of parenthood tests their commitment from the start.
Found by Lola's mother; Lola returns home
Lola and Brownie are discovered by Lola's mother and the police, forcing Lola to be taken back home. Brownie is left with uncertainty about their future. The authorities' involvement marks a harsh interruption to their romance.
Brownie joins a ship to search for Lola
To pursue Lola and secure a life together, Brownie signs on with a ship along the Australian coast. He quickly befriends Bosun, who offers him a job and a foothold at sea. The sea life pulls him further from Lola's immediate world while keeping hope alive.
Lola's abortion and relocation
Lola is forced to have an abortion by her mother in Brisbane. After the argument, she moves to Melbourne, works as a waitress, and bleaches her hair to reinvent herself. She aims to build a new life away from family pressures.
Reunion on shore leave and Bosun's demands
Brownie visits the bar where Lola works and they reunite. They return to the ship and spend the night together. Bosun later insists Lola stay out of sight from the other sailors.
Move into Lyle and Mavis's place
After the ship docks, Lola and Brownie attend a party hosted by Lyle and Mavis and move into their spare room. The two couples form a close friendship and begin building a life together ashore. Lola and Brownie’s bond deepens amidst their improvised new family.
Arrest for underage drinking and vagrancy
Lola and Brownie are arrested while socialising in a local pub. The authorities take action against them, and Lola faces further consequences as she is remanded. Brownie receives a fine, underscoring the constant legal pressure on their relationship.
Lola placed with Aunt Westbury
Lola is sent to Aunt Westbury's countryside care for a fixed term of 12 months, and the couple is forbidden to see or contact each other. Brownie is fined for the incident, intensifying the separation between them. The distance strains their love and tests their resolve.
Lola runs away after letters go missing
While staying with Aunt Westbury, Lola learns that Brownie's letters have been disposed of. After a heated exchange, she runs away to Lyle and Mavis's house to escape the crushing restrictions. Her act marks a renewed fight to be with Brownie against the system.
Reform school and riot
Lola is arrested again and sent to reform school to restart her sentence, where a riot erupts among the inmates. The harsh environment tests her endurance and resilience. This chapter hardens her resolve to fight for a future with Brownie.
Release, reunion, and Mavis's pregnancy
After her 18th birthday, Lola completes her sentence and is reunited with Brownie. They return to Lyle and Mavis's house, where Lola discovers Mavis is heavily pregnant with a second child. The fragile balance of their life on the edge of stability is tested.
Tragic labour and its impact
Mavis goes into labour; the birth does not go well and both Mavis and the baby die. Brownie wrestles with whether to quit sailing to be with Lola. The losses tighten the couple's dependence on each other as they face an uncertain future.
Sharon's fate and the welfare question
Lola and Brownie offer to adopt Sharon, Lyle and Mavis's surviving daughter, but they are unable to do so because they are unmarried. Lyle leaves Sharon with Lola and plans to travel the world, leaving behind his child. The couple confronts the social barriers that stand in the way of their growing family.
Taxi reunion and wedding
Lola packs a suitcase to take Sharon to the welfare office, believing her future may be uncertain. Brownie spots the taxi carrying Lola and Sharon, runs after it, and they are briefly reunited. The film closes with their wedding, surrounded by family and friends, signaling a hopeful future together.
The Delinquents Characters
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Lola Lovell (Kylie Minogue)
A headstrong teenager whose romance with Brownie sets the plot in motion. She endures parental control, a forced separation, and a journey from Brisbane to Melbourne, all while seeking a future with Brownie. Her resilience and longing for stability drive the narrative.
Brownie Hansen (Charlie Schlatter)
A loyal, hopeful young man torn between a shipbound future and a settled life with Lola. He searches the coast for Lola and wrestles with responsibilities that threaten their chance at a shared future. His choices illuminate the tension between romance and duty.
Bosun (Bruno Lawrence)
A seasoned sailor who befriends Brownie and offers him work at sea. He shapes Lola’s access to the sailor world, adding tension but also practical support for Brownie’s quest. His presence frames the crew’s social dynamics.
Aunt Westbury (Melissa Jaffer)
A countryside caretaker who houses Lola for a fixed term, enforcing distance from Brownie and disciplining her return home. She represents the formal side of the welfare system Lola confronts.
Lyle (Todd Boyce)
The easygoing partner who shelters Lola and Brownie and opens up a window to family life. His actions reflect the complexities of helping others while preserving his own path.
Mavis (Desirée Smith)
Lyle’s partner and the couple with a daughter Sharon, whose pregnancy and subsequent tragedy underscore the fragility of life within their community.
Maxine (Rachel Szalay)
The daughter of Lyle and Mavis, a minor but pivotal presence illustrating the consequences and costs of adult decisions around Lola and Brownie’s circle.
The Delinquents Settings
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Time period
1950s
The events unfold in postwar 1950s Australia, a era of strict social mores and evolving youth culture. Teen pregnancy, welfare scrutiny, and reform facilities reveal how quickly young lives were navigated by institutions. The narrative moves between bustling cities, rural settings, and the open sea, highlighting a transitional period in Australian society.
Location
Bundaberg, Brisbane, Melbourne, Queensland coast
Set in 1950s Australia, the story centers on the coastal town of Bundaberg and follows Lola and Brownie as their romance spills from small towns to big cities. The voyage at sea and life around pubs and ships provide the main backdrop, while Aunt Westbury’s countryside home anchors Lola’s period of separation. The varied locations reflect a society wrestling with traditional norms and the push for independence.
The Delinquents Themes
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Forbidden Love
Lola and Brownie’s romance challenges parental and welfare authority at a time when premarital relationships could ruin reputations. Their pregnancy and attempts to stay together test the limits of social acceptability. The couple’s perseverance underscores the pull of love against rigid norms.
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Social Constraints
The story shows how families, schools, and welfare systems regulate young lives. Lola’s abortion pressure, her time in care, and the social stigma surrounding unmarried mothers reveal the heavy hand of institutions. Choices are framed by rules, not desires, shaping futures in profound ways.
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Coming of Age
Both Lola and Brownie confront the responsibilities of adulthood while clinging to youthful dreams. Their journeys from rebellion to commitment test their readiness for partnership and parenthood. The arc emphasizes growth, resilience, and the cost of growing up too soon.
The Delinquents Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the quiet streets of 1950s Bundaberg, Australia, the world seems to turn at a measured, almost reverent pace. Sun‑kissed suburbs sit beneath a sky heavy with the promises of post‑war optimism, yet the town’s close‑knit routines cling stubbornly to tradition. Every corner of the community feels watched, and the unspoken rules that govern families and neighbours are as palpable as the salty breeze that rolls in from the nearby coast.
Amid this measured backdrop, Brownie Hansen and Lola Lovell carve out a devotion that feels both inevitable and daring. Their teenage romance blossoms with the intensity of first love, a secret language spoken through glances across schoolyards and whispered plans in back‑rooms. The pair’s connection is unmistakable, a bright flare that draws both admiration and consternation from those around them, hinting at the inevitable clash between youthful yearning and a generation set on preserving its way of life.
Their families, especially the stern presence of Mrs. Lovell, watch with worry as the couple’s affection threatens to unsettle the established order. The community’s guardians—parents, teachers, and local officials—are quick to enforce a vision of propriety that leaves little room for deviation. Within this pressure cooker, a handful of peripheral figures—like Bosun, a weathered sailor who drifts through the town’s ports—offer glimpses of alternative paths, suggesting that elsewhere, different choices might be possible. Even the modest homes of neighbours Lyle and Mavis provide a quieter, more permissive space where the young lovers can glimpse a world beyond strict expectations.
The film swirls with a tone that is both tender and edged with restless anticipation. Its muted palette captures the era’s nostalgia while the soundtrack ripples with the lingering pulse of rebellion. As Brownie and Lola navigate the delicate balance between passion and duty, the story becomes a portrait of a generation poised on the brink of change—where love may become the quiet catalyst that reshapes a community’s future.
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