IMDb > Trainspotting (1996)
Trainspotting
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany credits
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotes
Did You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Trainspotting (1996) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 64 | slideshow) Videos (see all 6)
Trainspotting -- Trailer for Trainspotting
Trainspotting -- HV
Trainspotting -- Trainspotting delivers a wild mix of rebellious action and wicked humor in a story of four friends who try to make it in the world on their own terms, but struggle with deep-seated addiction.

Overview

User Rating:
Top 250: #147  (login to vote)
8.2/10   282,811 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Danny Boyle
Writers:
Irvine Welsh (novel)
John Hodge (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Trainspotting on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 July 1996 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Crime | Drama See more »
Tagline:
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a starter home. Choose dental insurance, leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose your future. But why would anyone want to do a thing like that? See more »
Plot:
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. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 19 wins & 15 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(1118 articles)
Ewan McGregor looks unrecognisable as he leaves salon on motorbike
 (From Digital Spy - Movie News. 22 May 2013, 5:12 AM, PDT)
News Shorts: May 20th 2013
 (From Dark Horizons. 20 May 2013, 11:16 AM, PDT)
Close up: It's all kicking off at Cannes
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 16 May 2013, 8:57 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Amazing See more (461 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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

Keith Allen ... Dealer

Kevin Allen ... Andreas
Annie Louise Ross ... Gail's Mother (as Ann-Louise Ross)
Billy Riddoch ... Gail's Father
Fiona Bell ... Diane's Mother
Vincent Friell ... Diane's Father

Hugh Ross ... Man
Victor Eadie ... Man
Kate Donnelly ... Woman
Finlay Welsh ... Sheriff
Eddie Nestor ... Estate Agent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Tom Delmar ... Pub Heavy (uncredited)
Rachael Fleming ... Renton's Nurse (uncredited)
John Hodge ... Store Security Officer (plain clothes) (uncredited)
Andrew Macdonald ... Flat Buyer (uncredited)
Archie MacPherson ... Sports Commentator (voice) (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Danny Boyle 
 
Writing credits
Irvine Welsh (novel)

John Hodge (screenplay)

Produced by
Andrew Macdonald .... producer
 
Cinematography by
Brian Tufano (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Masahiro Hirakubo 
 
Casting by
Andy Pryor 
Gail Stevens 
 
Production Design by
Kave Quinn 
 
Art Direction by
Tracey Gallacher 
 
Costume Design by
Rachael Fleming 
 
Makeup Department
Graham Johnston .... makeup designer
Robert McCann .... hair stylist
Robert McCann .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Lesley Stewart .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Gilchrist .... first assistant director
Claire Hughes .... second assistant director
Ben Johnson .... third assistant director
 
Art Department
Brian Adams .... carpenter
Mat Bergel .... dressing props
Michelle Bowker .... props trainee
Brian Boyne .... stand-by stagehand
Stuart Clarke .... scenic artist
Frances Connell .... draughtsperson
Penny Crawford .... set dresser
Stewart Cunningham .... stand-by props
Paul Curren .... painter
John Donnelly .... stagehand
Gordon Fitzgerald .... prop master
Colin H. Fraser .... construction manager
Derek Fraser .... construction chargehand
Bobby Gee .... painter
Irene Harris .... art department assistant
Richard Hassall .... carpenter
Piero Jamieson .... dressing props
Scott Keery .... stand-by props
Jean Kerr .... draughtsperson
Peter Knotts .... carpenter
Patterson Lindsay .... plasterer (as Paterson Lindsay)
Niki Longmuir .... assistant art director
Paul McNamara .... props trainee
James Patrick .... painter
Alan Payne .... art department runner
Bert Ross .... stand-by carpenter
Miguel Sapochnik .... art department runner (as Miguel Rosenberg-Sapochnik)
Lorna Stewart .... art department assistant (as Lorna J. Stewart)
John Watt .... carpenter
Stephen Wong .... art department trainee
 
Sound Department
Martin Cantwell .... footsteps editor
Tony Cook .... boom operator
Richard Fettes .... dialogue editor
Ray Merrin .... sound re-recording mixer
Jonathan Miller .... sound effects editor
Colin Nicolson .... sound recordist
Brian Saunders .... sound re-recording mixer
Mark Taylor .... sound re-recording mixer
Noel Thompson .... sound maintenance engineer
James Boyle .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Iain Eyre .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Perry Costello .... rigging supplier (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Grant Mason .... special visual effects
Tony Steers .... special visual effects
 
Stunts
Tom Delmar .... stunt performer
Nrinder Dhudwar .... stunt performer
Terry Forrestal .... stunt arranger
Richard Hammatt .... stunt performer
Paul Heasman .... stunt performer
Tom Lucy .... stunt performer
Andreas Petrides .... stunt performer
Scott Cowan .... utility stunts (uncredited)
Bill Little .... utility stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Bray .... Steadicam operator
Lewis Buchan .... clapper loader
Willie Cadden .... gaffer
Neil Davidson .... camera trainee
Arthur Donnelly .... electrician
Jimmy Dorigan .... electrician
John Duncan .... generator operator
Jim Kerr .... underwater assistant camera
Liam Longman .... still photographer
Adrian McCarthy .... grip
Mark Ritchie .... best boy
Bob Shipsey .... focus puller (as Robert Shipsey)
Mike Valentine .... underwater camera operator
Liam Daniel .... still photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephen Noble .... wardrobe supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Denton Brown .... assistant editor
Anuree De Silva .... assembly editor
Neil Williams .... assistant editor
Rab Wilson .... editor trainee: FT2
 
Transportation Department
Robbie Ryan .... action vehicles
Eric Smith .... driver: camera car
Gregor Telfer .... driver: props
 
Other crew
William Adams .... security officer
Andrew Bainbridge .... location manager: London
Lene Bausager .... contact: London
Allan Bell .... caterer
Jonathan Berger .... production solicitor
Jenifer Booth .... production accountant
Anne Coulter .... script supervisor
Fiona Cowan .... caterer
Guy Cowan .... caterer
Mischon De Reya .... production solicitor
Eamon Doherty .... special technical advisor
Jackie Douglas .... caterer
James Dunsmuir .... security officer
Isabel Graham .... caterer
Charlie Hiscott .... location assistant: London
Robert How .... location manager
Andy Irvine .... caterer
Kirstin McDougall .... production runner
Dennis McFadden .... security officer
John McVeigh .... caterer
Saul Metzstein .... location assistant
Ian Miller .... security officer
Michael Queen .... floor runner
Aidan Quinn .... floor runner
Jill Robertson .... assistant to producer
Shellie Smith .... production coordinator
David Stewart .... animal handler
Colin Bishop .... post-production script (uncredited)
Tom Delmar .... fight director (uncredited)
Christopher Gambale .... assistant to Harvey Weinstein (uncredited)
Amanda Street .... international sales: FilmFour (uncredited)
 
Thanks
David Aukin .... thanks
David Bryce .... special thanks
Jonathan Channon .... thanks
Carol Anne Docherty .... thanks
Eamon Doherty .... special thanks
Richard Findlay .... thanks
Sara Geater .... thanks
Nicole Jacob .... thanks
Archie MacPherson .... thanks (as Archie Macpherson)
Allon Reich .... thanks
Kay Sheridan .... thanks
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
MPAA:
Rated R for graphic heroin use and resulting depravity, strong language, sex, nudity and some violence
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
Australia:R | Brazil:18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (DVD rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Israel:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/18 (Qualidade) | Singapore:R(A) | South Africa:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Argentina:18 | Iceland:16 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating)
Filming Locations:
78A Talgarth Road, West Kensington, London, England, UKSee more »
Company:
Channel Four FilmsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Ewen Bremner (Spud) had previously played Renton in a stage adaptation of the novel.See more »
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Begbie strikes the seated man with the pool cue, he clearly hits the seat. The back of the chair is covered by the man's jacket and the cue hits the chair underneath the jacket.See more »
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 you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Goodnight Sweetheart: Come Fly with Me (#4.8)" (1997)See more »
Soundtrack:
TemptationSee more »

FAQ

Why is it called "Trainspotting"?
What is Sick Boy's actual name?
What exactly is Sickboy's "unifying theory of life"?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
78 out of 112 people found the following review useful.
Amazing, 25 January 2005
Author: newt2small from United Kingdom

I may only be young but not many films can effect me like 'Trainspotting'.It is able to pull you into the lives of the characters and makes you empathetic to their feelings while still in-keeping with Boyles contemporary look and style of film making.Its give you a different look about being Scottish which many of my friends have pointed out.Ewan Mc Gregor shows his best acting skills he shows that he has an amazing way of keeping you watching.He has proved himself a skilled actor and has contributed greatly to the British film industry.We are thankful.Its a film i can watch over and over again and still smile at the end.NOt one to miss.A must see!!

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (461 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Trainspotting (1996)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Spud's penis bass47
Robert Carlyle - Robbed of an Oscar Nom for his performance of Begbie Marsha_CutiePie
Honestly is this movie... belladonnasalvatore
Why did Diane's parents not react to a strange man being in their house? nicotineprincess
Sequel...really??? GiricNS
Heroin use emmaclarke781
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Candy Little Fish The Basketball Diaries Freeway Requiem for a Dream
IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb top 250 movies IMDb Crime section
IMDb UK section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.