Paul Kelly's How To Make Gravy is an iconic Aussie Christmas song. But is it a true story?

'How To Make Gravy' by Paul Kelly is the iconic Australian Christmas anthem heard blasting through the halls of homes, pubs and supermarkets across the nation come the festive season. 

It's so well-loved, that local streaming service Binge decided to create their first-ever original film centred around the song's iconic story. 

However… as an Irish-Australian, I can't say I was familiar with the tune until very recently. Sure, my family adopted the whole pavlova moment and quickly became used to enjoying trips to the beach over Christmas breaks. We even got on board with summery Santa, surfing waves with his presents or whatever is going on there. But I had genuinely never heard How To Make Gravy until it started doing the rounds on social media last Christmas.

When I did eventually learn that pretty much all my peers were singing a song I knew nothing about, I did what I do best: I dove deep into the lore on a fact-finding expedition. 

So, here's what I now know about How To Make Gravy: the song that's inspired a new festive film.

Is Paul Kelly's 'How To Make Gravy' based on a true story?

Short answer, nope! Paul Kelly's song is not based on a true story, though he does believe it's based on true and relatable feelings.

Paul Kelly's song How to Make Gravy tells the story of Joe, a prisoner longing to spend Christmas with his family. In a heartfelt letter to his brother Dan, Joe shares a recipe for gravy (featuring flour, salt, red wine, and a dollop of tomato sauce) to help prepare the family's festive dinner.

Joe asks Dan to care for his children in his absence and confesses his regret over his mistakes, expressing how much he wishes he could be there. He also pleads with Dan to support his wife, Rita, but warns him not to get too close, saying, "Oh brother, please don't stab me in the back."

While Joe is hopeful about an early release for good behavior, he knows he won't make it home in time for this year's Christmas celebration.

Why did Paul Kelly write 'How To Make Gravy'?

Kelly was invited to record a Christmas song for a charity album in 1996, by fellow musician Lindsay Field. The cover he wanted to perform was already taken, so Field encouraged Kelly to write his own track. 

"I started thinking ... maybe I'll write it from the point of view of somebody who is missing Christmas, who can't get to Christmas," he told ABC. "Why can't they get there? Maybe they're overseas and they can't get home. Then I thought, oh, he's in prison. The song wrote itself from there."

As for whether poor Joe ever made it home from prison, Kelly said "I think he got out."

What is Gravy Day?

December 21 — the date of Joe's letter — has become known as 'Gravy Day' and it's routinely joked about in pop culture (and in convos with friends, who never once in your life told you there was a whole day about celebrating gravy). 

Watch the trailer for How To Make Gravy. Story continues below.

How did they turn the song into a movie?

"We made the decision really early on to be as faithful as we could be to the song for as much of the film as possible," says Megan Washington, the musician who helped transform the song to a screen production. "We wanted to invent as little as possible and sort of treat the lyrics like Shakespeare, and extract everything from them."

According to Washington, the idea to turn the song into a film came in 2019 when she and her partner, Nick Waterman, were at Christmas drinks with friends. Someone suggested the song would be a good idea for a script and the rest, as they say, is history.

The story expands on Kelly's song — following a newly imprisoned father, Joe (played by Daniel Henshall), as his family prepares for their first Christmas without him.

The film will introduce new characters led by Hugo Weaving (Love Me, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix), as veteran prisoner Noel, who throws Joe a lifeline to help him evade the prison's resident troublemaker, Red, played by Kieran Darcy-Smith (Wish You Were Here, Mr Inbetween).

Who is in the How To Make Gravy cast?

The cast is rounded out by a number of local favourites (with some international star power in the mix!). 

Joe's brother Dan is played by Brenton Thwaites (Pirates of the Caribbean, Titans), flying in from the coast is Joe's sister Stella played by Kate Mulvany (The Twelve, Hunters) and Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mr Inbetween, The Bikeriders) as Stella's husband Roger.

Making her English-language film debut, celebrated French actress Agathe Rousselle (Titane) as Joe's wife Rita, Jonah Wren Phillips as Joe's son Angus, Rose Statham and Izzy Westlake as Joe's twin daughters Frank & Dolly.

Playing the part of Dan's daughter Mary is Eloise Rothfield (Boy Swallows Universe) and driving down from Queensland are the brothers Gary, played by Eugene Gilfedder (Babyteeth, Fat Cow Motel), and Murray, played by Kym Gyngell (The Artful Dodger, Love Me).

Where to watch How To Make Gravy in Australia…

How To Make Gravy is now streaming on Binge.

Keen for more Christmas movies? Here's our guide to the best Christmas films of all time.