Local Hero (1983)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Bill Forsyth

Writer:

Bill Forsyth (written by)

Release Date:

17 February 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Oil | Beach | Scotland | Village | Webbed Toes

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

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

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Denmark:15 | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Company:

Celandine Films

Trivia:

After the movie came out, many people went in search of the village with the phone booth. Since it didn't exist, they were always disappointed. The village where the movie was filmed finally decided to put up a phone booth for the sake of the visitors.

Goofs:

Continuity: During scenes on the beach, snow appears and disappears on the mountains of Rhum in the background between shots.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Happer: Keep watching the sky, MacIntyre.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tayna chyornykh drozdov (1983)

Soundtrack:

Wild Theme

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!