Purely Belter (2000)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Mark Herman

Writers:

Mark Herman (writer)
Jonathan Tulloch (novel)

Release Date:

3 November 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

They're a couple of zeros short of a grand

Plot:

Two teenage boys will do anything to get money to buy season tickets for their local team. |

Plot Keywords:

Newcastle | Car Theft | Bingo | Dog | Block Of Flats

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Chris Beattie	...	Gerry McCarten
Greg McLane	...	Sewell
Charlie Hardwick	...	Mrs. McCarten
Roy Hudd	...	Mr. Sewell
Tim Healy	...	Mr. McCarten
Kevin Whately	...	Mr. Caird
Jody Baldwin	...	Gemma
Kerry Ann Christiansen	...	Bridget
Tracy Whitwell	...	Clare
Kate Garbutt	...	Baby Sheara
Laura Garbutt	...	Baby Sheara
Su Elliot	...	Mrs. Brabbin (as Su Elliott)
Daniel James Lake	...	Matthew Brabin
Tracey Wilkinson	...	Mrs. Caird
Libby Davison	...	Miss Warren

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, UK

Company:

FilmFour

Trivia:

When Sewell and Gemma are talking in private, Gerry wants to know what they're talking about. One of his mates comments: "What are you? Inspector fucking Morse?" "Inspector Morse" (1987) was a highly acclaimed TV series starring John Thaw and Kevin Whately, who plays Mr. Caird in this movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the boys enter Mrs. Brabin's backyard after she calls them over, there are dogs running everywhere. She says that there are at least twelve of them. They load up the refrigerator and, while Mrs. Brabin watches them, they leave the backyard. Suddenly all the dogs are gone.

Quotes:

Gerry McCarten: So how much do you think people are gonna give us, for something we've nicked from a shop called, "Everything's a Pound?"

Soundtrack:

AMBULANCE

Hadaway Herman

The film is set in Newcastle on Tyne in north east England, the town where I was born and grew up. The film is also fundamentally dishonest - the way it presents the town, the kids, but above all the men of the town. In this film they are all stupid, violent, thieving, thugs.

I suppose I could comment on the plot (predictable), the performances (competently unattractive), the direction (lazy and unimaginative), but to me that is all irrelevant compared to the director's insult to the town and its people.

Thus the invitation in my summary to the director and writer, Mark Herman, to leave the north east.