Local Hero (1983)

An American oil company sends a man to Scotland to buy up an entire village where they want to build a refinery. But things don't go as expected.

Director:

Bill Forsyth

Writer:

Bill Forsyth

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Peter Riegert, Fulton Mackay

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Felix Happer
Peter Riegert	...	Mac
Fulton Mackay	...	Ben
Denis Lawson	...	Urquhart
Norman Chancer	...	Moritz
Peter Capaldi	...	Oldsen
Rikki Fulton	...	Geddes
Alex Norton	...	Watt
Jenny Seagrove	...	Marina
Jennifer Black	...	Stella
Christopher Rozycki	...	Victor
Gyearbuor Asante	...	Rev Macpherson (as Christopher Asante)
John M. Jackson	...	Cal (as John Jackson)
Dan Ammerman	...	Donaldson
Tam Dean Burn	...	Roddy

Storyline

Oil billionaire Happer sends Mac to a remote Scotish villiage to secure the property rights for an oil refinery they want to build. Mac teams up with Danny and starts the negotiations, the locals are keen to get their hands on the 'Silver Dollar' and can't believe their luck. However a local hermit and beach scavenger, Ben Knox, lives in a shack on the crucial beach which he also owns. Happer is more interested in the Northern Lights and Danny in a surreal girl with webbed feet, Marina. Mac is used to a Houston office with fax machines but is forced to negotiate on Bens terms.

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Plot Keywords:

oil | beach | shack | village | scotland | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

17 February 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

A kisvárosi hős

Filming Locations:

Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 3,626,858 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enigma Productions, Goldcrest Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The building Happer leaves for Scotland from is the former Texas Commerce Bank Tower (JP Morgan Chase Tower as of 2006). In the background is the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Perfoming Arts.

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Goofs

Just before the first RAF Jaguar flies over the car, raindrops can be seen in the inside of the open door as they are feeding the rabbit. They stand up to look at the jet, and the car's roof has no raindrops on it.

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Quotes

MacIntyre: [staring at the mob nearing Ben's house] Maybe they just want to talk to him?

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Connections

Referenced in Prêt-à-Porter (1994)

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Soundtracks

"The Ceilidh and the Northern Lights"
Written by Mark Knopfler
Performed Alan Clark and the Acetones

User Reviews

Simply the best, perfect little film ever made.

A real sleeper of a movie. I rented it without knowing anything about this film beforhand and was taken prisoner from start to finish. I honestly didn't want the movie to end. Full of interesting and amusing characters, a terrific musical score, wryly satirical without being demeaning of anyone; it invites you into a totally believable world where you begin to care about the fate of everyone and there are no false notes in the script, direction or performances.

If anyone ever doubted the importance of a screenplay in the success of a movie or thought that a big budget, lots of pyrotechnics and loads of special effects could cover up a movie's shortcomings - see this film. It should be required at all film schools as an example of what can be accomplished on a little budget but with good ideas and lots of talent. A perfect 10 - times 2!