Meantime (TV 1984)

An odd film, primarily looking at how the dole affects the underclass in Britain. Tim Roth stars as Colin, a slow and possibly retarded man living with his parents and brother in a housing ... See full summary »

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh (deviser)

Stars:

Marion Bailey, Phil Daniels, Tim Roth

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marion Bailey	...	Barbara
Phil Daniels	...	Mark
Tim Roth	...	Colin
Pam Ferris	...	Mavis
Jeffrey Robert	...	Frank (as Jeff Robert)
Alfred Molina	...	John
Gary Oldman	...	Coxy
Tilly Vosburgh	...	Hayley
Paul Daly	...	Rusty
Leila Bertrand	...	Hayley's Friend
Hepburn Graham	...	Boyfriend
Peter Wight	...	Estate Manager
Eileen Davies	...	Unemployment Benefit Clerk
Herbert Norville	...	Man in Pub
Brian Hoskin	...	Barman

Storyline

An odd film, primarily looking at how the dole affects the underclass in Britain. Tim Roth stars as Colin, a slow and possibly retarded man living with his parents and brother in a housing project. He and his sarcastic manipulative brother still behave like teenagers, living with their parents, harassing each other. The problem is that they are in their late teens or twenties. Neighborhood characters include Hayley, a young woman with a crush on Colin, and Coxy (Gary Oldman) a violent local skinhead who befriends Colin. Trouble ensues when their wealthy aunt gives Colin a job and his brother becomes jealous.

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Plot Keywords:

skinhead | friendship | husband wife relationship | pregnancy | eavesdropping | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Időközben

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Central Production, Mostpoint, Channel 4 Television Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gary Oldman suffered an eye injury on the set after one day at the rehearsal space (a factory) he and Tim Roth were throwing milk bottles around and suddenly Roth threw it up and it hit a fluorescent lighting strip which hit Gary.

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Quotes

Mark: Muppet.
Colin: I am not a Muppet.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike Leigh and Meantime (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Star Journey"
(uncredited)
Music by Christopher Evans Ironside
De Wolfe Music Ltd

User Reviews

work in progess?

Having watched this now after his latest film "All or nothing", I'm struck on how similar they are to each other. You could say "Meantime" was a early version "All or Nothing". There's far less light and shade, the drama and dialogue are quite relentless in "Meantime", which makes watching far harder. Notable for debut performances by Tim Roth and Gary Oldman, they along with the rest of the cast portray their characters with amazing believability. This is a minor work compared to some of his early works and all of his later ones, but it's still a major accomplishment and deserves to be seen by those who appreciate challenging drama. (6/10)