Different for Girls (1996)

Director:

Richard Spence

Writer:

Tony Marchant (writer)

Release Date:

12 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Karl Foyle (Steven Mackintosh) and Paul Prentice (Ropert Graves) were best mates at school in the Seventies...

Plot Keywords:

Coming Out | Courtroom Scene | Gay Interest | Police Brutality | Homosexual Teenager

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Steven Mackintosh	...	Karl / Kim Foyle
Rupert Graves	...	Paul Prentice
Miriam Margolyes	...	Pamela
Saskia Reeves	...	Jean
Charlotte Coleman	...	Alison
Neil Dudgeon	...	Neil Payne
Nisha Nayar	...	Angela (as Nisha K. Nayar)
Lia Williams	...	Defence Solicitor
Ian Dury	...	Recovery Agent
Robert Pugh	...	DS Cole
Philip Davis	...	Taxi Driver
Rick Warden	...	PC Ken
Kevin Allen	...	PC Alan
Gerard Horan	...	Sergeant Harry
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Prosecuting Solicitor

Also Known As:

Crossing the Border

MPAA:

Rated R for nudity, brief graphic sexuality and strong language.

Runtime:

97 min | USA:92 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Exchange House, Primrose Street, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

Paul Prentice: [while making love to "Kim"] It fits! It bloody fits!

Well worth viewing. Quite moving in parts, with slightly uneven mix of Comedy, Drama and Tragedy

Missed this first time round, but unintentionally caught a late night/early hours TV airing in the UK. Steve Mackintosh sustains a serious dramatic presence and role as Kim against the heavily scripted comedic/stereotype 'unreformed male' buffoonery of the friend/partner Paul Prentice played by Rupert Graves. Although at times the dynamic of the two styles gives an uneven feel to the whole narrative, the underlying point of apparent complete contrasts, but underlying and overlapping commonality of involvement and feeling is well made. Some of the scenes are intensely moving, particularly those in the police station when Kim is facing arrest and conviction and is placed alone in a cell, uncertain of whether she will face the immediate unwelcome company of another unknown male cellmate, and/or eventual consignment to a male prison. This is hardly comedy, certainly real life drama, and contains the essence of real tragedy. Other scenes in the film evoke similar high tensions in emotional colour and reading.

Overall delivery was a little uneven, but well worth viewing again. Would be worth a full 'in-line drama' remake of the theme, as other commentators have also hinted. A good attempt at a very difficult subject which manages to hit the right emotional responses without actually falling off the tightrope between banality and exploitation.