Gregory's Two Girls (1999)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Bill Forsyth

Writer:

Bill Forsyth (writer)

Release Date:

15 October 1999 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Torture | School | United Nations | Conspiracy | Police

Cast

Carly McKinnon	...	Frances
John Gordon Sinclair	...	Gregory Underwood
John Murtagh	...	Headmaster
Hugh McCue	...	Douglas
Dougray Scott	...	Fraser Rowan
Martin Schwab	...	Dimitri
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Bel
Alexander Morton	...	Norman (teacher)
William Harkness	...	Courier
Albert Coulson	...	Bus driver
Paul Birchard	...	American executive
Simon Huh	...	Asian executive
Dawn Steele	...	Jan
Kevin Anderson	...	Jon
Fiona Bell	...	Maddy Underwood

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Abronhill High School, Abronhill, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Quotes:

[in a meeting with the headmaster and the police, Greg is waffling about watching badgers to explain why he was seen with Frances in the park late at night]
Detective Gorrie: So what were you doing last night?
Gregory Underwood: Well last night was pretty exciting, actually, because Frances had more or less promised us... You see, the thing is, I've never actually seen Frances's beaver.
[embarrassed silence]
Gregory Underwood: "Frances's beaver"! I mean Frances's badger.

Movie Connections:

References That Sinking Feeling (1980)

Soundtrack:

Gracias a la vida

It really tries... but is just plain not good

Gregory's Two Girls is a sequel to Bill Forsyth's Brit-comedy Gregory's Girl (1981) starring the same John Gordon Sinclair as Gregory, and this time he is no longer in school as a student lusting after a classmate, but as an English teacher. Gregory still has a predilection for schoolgirls and he's got his eyes on Frances, a 15-year old "Celtic beauty" whom he teaches and develops an unusual bond with. As politically incorrect as this set-up sounds, Sinclair makes his character clumsy, insecure and likable and nothing feels racy, even when it tries.

This is a muffled Scottish drama-comedy that tries to be unusual and quirky, but truly lacks edge or humour of any kind. It also attempts more than one storyline, aside from Gregory battling his schoolgirl infatuation there is some sort of ethical dilemma going on with his best friend Fraser Rowan (Dougray Scott) who appears to be secretly selling interactive torture technology to third world countries. I have absolutely no idea what this storyline is all about or where it came from or who thought it would fit in in a film like this, but facilitates the relationship between Gregory and schoolgirl Frances as they both become involved in this dilemma.

Gregory's Two Girls is the kind of film that is relegated to a bad fate and panned by critics and I see why, but isn't an unwatchable experience -- occasionally nicely done, every now and then smirkworthy and above all, it TRIES. A for effort... but it doesn't really deliver. 5/10