Trainspotting (1996)

Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.

Director:

Danny Boyle

Writers:

Irvine Welsh (novel), John Hodge (screenplay)

Stars:

Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller

Top 250 #145 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 19 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ewan McGregor	...	Renton
Ewen Bremner	...	Spud
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Sick Boy
Kevin McKidd	...	Tommy
Robert Carlyle	...	Begbie
Kelly Macdonald	...	Diane
Peter Mullan	...	Swanney
James Cosmo	...	Mr. Renton
Eileen Nicholas	...	Mrs. Renton
Susan Vidler	...	Allison
Pauline Lynch	...	Lizzy
Shirley Henderson	...	Gail
Stuart McQuarrie	...	Gavin / US Tourist
Irvine Welsh	...	Mikey Forrester
Dale Winton	...	Game Show Host

Storyline

A wild, freeform, Rabelaisian trip through the darkest recesses of Edinburgh low-life, focusing on Mark Renton and his attempt to give up his heroin habit, and how the latter affects his relationship with family and friends: Sean Connery wannabe Sick Boy, dimbulb Spud, psycho Begbie, 14-year-old girlfriend Diane, and clean-cut athlete Tommy, who's never touched drugs but can't help being curious about them...

---

Plot Keywords:

drugs | heroin | punched in the face | robbery | head twisted backwards | 

---

Taglines:

Never let your friends tie you to the tracks.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic heroin use and resulting depravity, strong language, sex, nudity and some violence

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 July 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ferrovipathes

Filming Locations:

78A Talgarth Road, West Kensington, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

ITL 7,964,777,000 (Italy) (15 November 1996)

Gross:

$16,501,785 (USA) (13 December 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Figment Films, The Noel Gay Motion Picture Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Created much controversy when it was released in the USA for its content. Senator Bob Dole charged the film with glorifying drug use, but later admitted he hadn't seen the film. See also: Priest, Natural Born Killers, and Kids

---

Goofs

The amount of beer on Begbie's shirt after making the heroin deal.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: [narrating] Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck ...

---

Crazy Credits

Profile pictures of the cast are shown during the beginning of the end credits.

---

Connections

References Goodfellas (1990)

---

Soundtracks

"Two Little Boys"
Performed by Ewen Bremner
Words and Music by Edward Madden / Theodore Morse
Published by Herman Darewski Music Publishing Co/EMI Music Publishing Ltd/Redwood Music Ltd (Carlin)

User Reviews

Hilarious, imaginative and very anti-drugs

Renton is a heroin addict. He is one of a group of friends who live their lives day to day and hit to hit. When he tries to kick the habit he manages it for a while but eventually falls back into his old way. Meanwhile his friends are as messed up as he is, whether it be Spud's pathetic addiction, Begbie's violent rages or the fact that he is sleeping with a girl who still goes to school.

When it came out this film was very hyped, the poster became a must-have on every student's bedroom wall and the media went nuts over it's supposed glamorisation of drug use. The plot is very difficult to summarise, as it doesn't really have a narrative flow other than the very disjointed experience of Renton. However it manages to be very funny and imaginative all the way, using many different tricks and touches to be funny. The dialogue is very well written and I must admit I found it a lot funnier than the last few comedies I watched.

The media may have condemned this film as promoting drug use, but I can only imagine that they watched a different film from me. Sure, the film shows drugs as being fun and enjoyable but, like Renton says, `why else would we do it?' However the film clearly shows a massive downside where people's lives are destroyed, people OD and lives go day to day just trying to get high. True, it does show this downside in a stylish and funny way but there is no question that the film is promoting drug use in any sense.

Too often I see films that are style over substance; Trainspotting gets it just perfect, stylish but not at the expense of dialogue, character or film. It is helped by a great cast. McGregor jumped to stardom off the back of this role and he deserved it. He keeps his character both likeable but repulsive at the same time and carries the film with surprising ease. The support cast is excellent, even if they lack the same good character of Renton. Whether it is the comic Bremner, the violent Carlyle or the tragic McKidd. While not all their characters are well developed, they do all give good accounts of themselves, whether it is comic or showing the effects of heroin on their lives.

Overall this is a great film that is refreshing to see now without all the `cult student cool' hype or media feeding frenzy over it's supposed pro-drug approach. It is stylish, funny, depressing and downright sobering.