Little Voice (1998)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Mark Herman

Writers:

Jim Cartwright (play)
Mark Herman (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 December 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Music

Tagline:

Finding your own voice can be magic.

Plot:

The pathetically shy LV lives the life of a recluse listening to her late fathers old records in her room and in the process driving her abusive...

Plot Keywords:

Shy | Singer | Ghost | Manager | Singing

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Brenda Blethyn	...	Mari Hoff
Jane Horrocks	...	LV
Ewan McGregor	...	Billy
Philip Jackson	...	George
Annette Badland	...	Sadie
Michael Caine	...	Ray Say
Jim Broadbent	...	Mr. Boo
Adam Fogerty	...	Bouncer
James Welsh	...	Bouncer
Karen Gregory	...	Stripper
Fred Feast	...	Arthur
Graham Turner	...	LV's Dad
George Oliver	...	Pawnbroker
Virgil Tracy	...	Loan Advisor
Dick Van Winkle	...	Money Lender

Also Known As:

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:MG6 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L | USA:R (certificate #35929) | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

The building that was used for the exterior shots of Hoff's Record Shop was on Barwick Terrace in Scarborough. It had been derelict for many years, and was restored specifically for filming of this movie. It was demolished shortly after the film was shot. The 'Night Club' scenes were filmed at Wallis's Cayton Bay Holiday Centre, about three miles south of Scarborough, sadly like the record shop, it too has been demolished.

Quotes:

Ray Say: You're a star.
LV: You're a nutter.

Movie Connections:

Features "The Judy Garland Show" (1963)

Soundtrack:

The Dicky Bird Hop

Extremely Touching

At the risk of sounding overly sentimental, this is perhaps one of the most touching films I have ever seen, and also one of the most surprising.

Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine and Ewan McGregor all turn in superb performances, with Brenda Blethyn being a tad melodramatic but remaining within the bounds of believability. It's a real pleasure to see Michael Caine in particular, in a role of a shoddy, second-rate agent who believes he's found his passport to 'the big time' in LV. That man is such a great actor.

Bypassing Jane Horrocks' astounding ability to mimic people, it's also a pleasure to see her on the big screen again: she does a heck of a lot of voice work, but to be honest I haven't seen her in a major role since 'Life Is Sweet'. She's a real star and can play demented, disordered, deranged or simply different people with such style...

As for 'Little Voice', the story is a fairly standard setup: unbearably shy LV has a talent, is discovered by the local agent, the road to riches and stardom opens... but love is in the offing, so which will she choose? That summary, however, is where the similarity to virtually any other 'standard' setup stops: LV does not want stardom. She doesn't even really know she has her talent, which is completely passive. Her choice is not between stardom or love.

Virtually nothing beyond the basic storyline is 'standard' here. There's no "*gasp* Wow!" surprises, but events turn in quite unexpected directions at all times. Many folks even complain at the end because "it isn't an end" or "it isn't what we want". That's another reason to love the film: it doesn't give the viewer a Hollywood (yawn) ending. It doesn't tie up all the loose strings.

It's like life: there's no tidy endings. Look past the obvious images and look at what's underneath. See the film for what it is, and enjoy.