Absolute Beginners (1986)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Julien Temple

Writers:

Richard Burridge (writer)
Michael Hamlyn (developer)

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The music, the movement, the romance, the passion . . . all explodes on the BIG SCREEN.

Plot:

A musical adaptation of Colin MacInnes' novel about life in late 1950s London. Nineteen-year-old photographer...

Plot Keywords:

Model | Photographer | Fashion | 1950s | Teenage Girl

Cast

Patsy Kensit	...	Suzette
Eddie O'Connell	...	Colin, Photographer / Narrator
David Bowie	...	Vendice Partners
James Fox	...	Henley of Mayfair, Dressmaker to the Queen
Ray Davies	...	Arthur, Colin's Dad
Mandy Rice-Davies	...	Flora
Eve Ferret	...	Big Jill
Tony Hippolyte	...	Mr. Cool
Graham Fletcher-Cook	...	Wizard
Joe McKenna	...	Fabulous Hoplite
Steven Berkoff	...	The Fanatic
Sade	...	Athene Duncannon (as Sade Adu)
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Ed the Ted (as Tenpole Tudor)
Bruce Payne	...	Flikker
Alan Freeman	...	Call-Me-Cobber

Also Known As:

Absolute Beginners - The Musical (International: English title) (poster title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #27931) | Australia:PG | Canada:14A | Finland:K-14 | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Albert Bridge, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Goldcrest Films International

Trivia:

After submitting the film for a 15 certificate producer Stephen Woolley was contacted by the BBFC and told that Patsy Kensit had revealed a nipple in one of the film's scenes. Despite Woolley's assurance that this was not the case because Kensit had been insistent during filming about not revealing her body, UK censor James Ferman painstakingly trawled through the movie using a BBFC "freeze frame" machine until he was finally convinced that the original information was incorrect. Only then did he grant the film an uncut certificate.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Harry Charms is auditioning young singers with Colin, there is a boom mic visible when Harry and Colin first enter the studio.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Colin: [narrating] I remember that hot, wonderful summer. When the teenage miracle reached full bloom and everyone in England stopped what they were doing to stare at what had happened. The Soho nights were cool in the heat, with light and music in the streets. And we couldn't believe that this was really coming to us at last...

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

HAVING IT ALL

I like this one!

First, I must respectfully disagree with the other reviewer who hated this movie. It has a complex set of plot lines that deal with a number of issues revolving around the lives of a young up-and-coming "pop photographer", and his love interest -- played by Patsy Kensit. Then, there is the "old queen" (also an unscrupulous real estate developer) who marries Patsy. Now, add to that the ad agency aspect (David Bowie's song and dance routine to "Selling Out" is a classic), plus the racial tensions in 1950's or 1960's London, and you have a multi-layered plot tapestry.

Personally, I don't mind that David Bowie is only in the movie for ten minutes -- I am a fan of Bowie, but this is really not "his movie".