Scotland, Pa. (2001)

A modernized retelling of "MacBeth" set in 1970s suburban Pennsylvania. Joe McBeth, an unambitious hamburger stand employee, is driven to success by his scheming wife.

Director:

Billy Morrissette

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play), Billy Morrissette

Stars:

James Le Gros, Maura Tierney, Christopher Walken

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Le Gros	...	Joe 'Mac' McBeth (as James LeGros)
Maura Tierney	...	Pat McBeth
Christopher Walken	...	Lieutenant McDuff
Kevin Corrigan	...	Anthony 'Banko' Banconi
James Rebhorn	...	Norm Duncan, Owner Duncan's Cafe
Tom Guiry	...	Malcolm Duncan (as Thomas Guiry)
Amy Smart	...	Stacy (Hippie #1)
Timothy 'Speed' Levitch	...	Hector (Hippie #2)
Andy Dick	...	Jesse (Hippie #3)
Geoff Dunsworth	...	Donald Duncan
Josh Pais	...	Douglas McKenna, Manager who gets fired for embezzlement
Reed Rudy	...	Kevin 'Tanman' McKane
John Cariani	...	Ed the 'not-too-bright' Cop
David Wike	...	Jimmy McMann
Nicola Lipman	...	Mrs. Lenox, Duncan's Waitress

Storyline

Joe McBeth is a hard-working but unambitious doofus who toils at a hamburger stand alongside his wife Pat, who has a significant edge in the brains department. Pat is convinced she could do a lot better with the place than their boss Norm Duncan is doing, so she works up a plan to usurp Norm, convincing Mac to rob the restaurant's safe and then murder Norm, using the robbery as a way of throwing the police off their trail. Though two stoners and a would-be fortune teller warn Mac that bad luck awaits him, he gathers his courage and goes through with his wife's scheme. At first, things seem to have gone just as Pat hoped, and after Norm's sons sell the restaurant to the McBeths (they pay for it with the money they stole from Norm), business takes off. But vegetarian police detective McDuff is convinced there's foul play at the new center of the fast food universe, and when the McBeths fear that fry cook Banco knows more than he's letting on, Mac takes charge in the plotting department ...

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Plot Keywords:

restaurant | vegetarian | father son relationship | gay brother | title ends with period | 

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Taglines:

What if the McBeths were alive in '75?

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some nudity, drug content and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

lot47.com [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Listeia... sketi tragodia

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$43,366 (USA) (8 February 2002)

Gross:

$384,098 (USA) (28 June 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Abandon Pictures, Paddy Wagon Productions, Veto Chip Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to director Billy Morrissette (on the DVD commentary), Pat McBeth's line "Fuck! Fuck! Fuckity-fuck!" was written into the script because star (and Morrissette's wife at the time), Maura Tierney yelled that once when he startled her.

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Goofs

The term "homeless" was not in common use in the mid 1970s.

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Quotes

Pat McBeth: We're not bad people, Mac... just underachievers who have to make up for lost time.

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Crazy Credits

This Film Is Dedicated to the Cast and Crew

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Connections

Version of Macbeth (1915)

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Soundtracks

"Can't Get Enough (Of Your Love)"
Written by Mick Ralphs (as Michael ("Mick") Ralphs)
Performed by Bad Company
Published by Badco Music Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Atco Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Maura Tierney is a thief...She steals this Movie....

Unfortunately, the few other reviewers were expecting Caddyshack or something. This is a Black Comedy, and it is very good. The scenes are quick and engaging. The actors are well suited for their characters. The Duncan brothers could have their own sequel. Christopher Walken is very sly and humorous, shaking his castanetta's while trying to solve a murder. If it was not made aware to you, this is a 1980's version of Macbeth, with Maura Tierney and James LeGros playing the scheming murderous couple, the McBeths. A hamburger restaurant is at the center of the action, with the McBeths being willed the restaurant from their former boss, Mr. Duncan. The cinematography very much captures Pa., as well as the sets.

Two final comments. The soundtrack was one of the best I have heard in years. Bad Company songs make up about half of it, with sprinklings of other ditties included as well. The second and most important is that Maura Tierney steals this film. Every scene she is in, you are transfixed to her. Her actions, her (in some cases) vulgarity and her great acting makes this her showcase. The scene with her and the pharmacist at the end is hysterical as she attempts to remove a burn from her hand which has long since healed. Bravo Maura and Bravo to this little movie that SHOULD have been a bigger success. Shakespeare adaptation not withstanding, you do not need to be familiar with the Bard to enjoy this film.