The Parole Officer (2001)

Director:

John Duigan

Writers:

Steve Coogan (written by)
Henry Normal (written by)

Release Date:

10 August 2001 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Steve Coogan Is....[The Parole Officer]

Plot:

A failed parole officer framed for murder must enlist the help of his former clients to clear his name.

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Murder | Parole Officer | Evidence | Police

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Steve Coogan	...	Simon Garden
Emma Gilmour	...	Secretary
Susan Jane Tanner	...	Stern Woman
Iain Mitchell	...	Tribunal Chairman
James Smith	...	Tribunal Man
Om Puri	...	George
Steven Waddington	...	Jeff
Ben Miller	...	Colin
Emma Williams	...	Kirsty
Stephen Dillane	...	Inspector Burton
Bruce McGregor	...	First Policeman
Lena Headey	...	Emma
Justin Burrows	...	Mills
Marc Goodhall	...	Death / Student (as Marc Goodall)
Clive Kneller	...	Deacon
John Henshaw	...	Cochran
Buster Reeves	...	First Hardman
Brian Nickels	...	Second Hardman (as Brian 'Sonny' Nickels)
Terence Mann	...	Desk Sergeant
Jake Abraham	...	Seedy Bloke
Jo-Anne Knowles	...	TV Interviewer (as Jo Anne Knowles)
Eiji Kusuhara	...	Japanese Businessman
Togo Igawa	...	Japanese Businessman
Kate Deakin	...	Club Receptionist
David Nicholls	...	Bill (as Dave Nicholls)
Francesca Hall	...	Club Manageress
Olga Grahame	...	Jeff's Mam
Jenny Agutter	...	Sarah Bonderenko - Victor's Wife
Hazel Douglas	...	Old Lady in Art Gallery
Victoria Gould	...	First Security Guard
Natasha Alexander	...	Second Security Guard
Simon Pegg	...	Deflated Husband
Julia Davis	...	Insinuating Wife
Bernard Wrigley	...	Bike Group Leader
Alan Clarke	...	Lycra Crusty
Kevin Malloy	...	Alarm Company Operator
Richard Sinnott	...	Bank Manager
Iain McKee	...	Second Policeman
Peter Rylands	...	Third Policeman
Donna Henry	...	WPC at Service Station
Sue McCormick	...	Customer
Elaine Barnett	...	Sales Assistant
June Broughton	...	Old Lady
Geoff Oldham	...	Mayor
Peter Armitage	...	Chief Constable
Andrew Norris	...	Fourth Policeman
Nayef Rashed	...	Victor in Disguise
Will Tacey	...	Fifth Policeman
Omar Sharif	...	Victor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Martin	...	Tom
Glen Mortimer	...	Night Club Doorman
Amy Shaw	...	Old Lady
Sarah Desmond	...	Zoe (uncredited)
Steve Farrell	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
John Duigan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Steve Coogan		written by
Henry Normal		written by

Produced by
Duncan Kenworthy	....	producer
Andrew Macdonald	....	producer
Callum McDougall	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex Heffes

Cinematography by
John Daly		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Freeman

Casting by
Michelle Guish

Production Design by
Tom Brown

Art Direction by
Sue Booth
Ricky Eyres

Set Decoration by
Shelly Pond

Costume Design by
Alexandra Caulfield		(as Alex Caulfield)

Makeup Department
Janita Doyle	....	makeup artist
Emma Ferguson	....	makeup artist
Jill Sweeney	....	hair designer
Jill Sweeney	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Robert How	....	production supervisor
Clare St. John	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jane Burgess	....	third assistant director
Sean Guest	....	first assistant director
James Haven	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Stuart Hudson	....	chargehand
Tony Rycyk	....	stand-by propman

Sound Department
Sandy Buchanan	....	adr mixer
Sandy Buchanan	....	foley mixer
Rudi Buckle	....	additional sound
Gillian Dodders	....	adr editor
Gillian Dodders	....	dialogue editor
Glenn Freemantle	....	supervising sound editor
Susan French	....	adr editor
Susan French	....	dialogue editor
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
John Midgley	....	sound
Richard Pryke	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Rodda	....	sound mixer
Tom Sayers	....	sound effects editor
Sven Taits	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Caller	....	sound technician (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Neal Champion	....	special effects supervisor
Jim Francis	....	special effects supervisor
James Francis Jr.	....	special effects technician
Nick P. Phillips	....	special effects technician (as Nick Phillips)
Edward Smith	....	senior special effects technician (as Ed Smith)

Visual Effects by
Tabitha Dean	....	visual effects editorial: CFC
Robert Duncan	....	visual effects supervisor: CFC
Julia Egerton	....	digital lab operator: CFC
Ian Fellows	....	digital paint artist: CFC
Ruth Greenberg	....	visual effects line producer: CFC
Darrel Griffin	....	data wrangler: CFC
Jan Hogevold	....	digital lab producer: CFC
Adam Inglis	....	digital lab operator: CFC
Merrin Jensen	....	digital lab coordinator: CFC
Drew Jones	....	visual effects executive producer: CFC
Penny Leyton	....	CG animator: CFC
Scott Marriott	....	digital paint artist: CFC
Jolene McCaffrey	....	digital compositor: CFC
Chad Rogers	....	data wrangler: CFC
Jennifer Simonds	....	digital lab operator: CFC
Maria Stroka	....	digital lab operator
Maria Stroka-Robinson	....	digital lab operator: CFC
Matthew Twyford	....	digital compositor: CFC
Victor Wade	....	digital paint artist: CFC
Corrina Wilson	....	digital paint artist: CFC

Stunts
Joss Gower	....	stunt double
Rowley Irlam	....	stunt driver
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator
Peter Pedrero	....	stunt driver
Andreas Petrides	....	stunt driver
Buster Reeves	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Brookes	....	rigging gaffer
Dave Fowler	....	electrician
Graham Frake	....	additional camera operator
Lee Howarth	....	stand-by rigger
Gary Hymns	....	grip
Gary Hymns	....	key grip
Howard Smith	....	Steadicam operator
Roger Tooley	....	Steadicam operator
Ken Westbury	....	additional camera operator
Vince McGahon	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Gaby Kester	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Marcus Alexander	....	assistant conforming editor
Steve Farman	....	negative cutter
Steve Harrow	....	post-production consultant
Anthony Houghton	....	assistant editor
Angelica Landry	....	first assistant editor
Andrew Melhuish	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Michael Higham	....	music editor
Andy Richards	....	score mixer
Adam Tudhope	....	music clearances

Other crew
Candice Fonseca	....	production coordinator
Jane Houston	....	script supervisor
Sarada McDermott	....	production secretary
Joanne Smith	....	general manager
Adam Tudhope	....	assistant to producer
Dean Williamson	....	floor runner

Production Companies

• DNA Films (presents)
• Figment Films (as A Figment / Toledo Production)
• Toledo Pictures (as A Figment / Toledo Production)
• UK Film Council (in association with) (made with the support of the Lottery through)
• Universal Pictures (in association with) (as Universal Pictures International)

Distributors

• United International Pictures (UIP) (2001) (UK) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (video)
• MCA/Universal Pictures
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Argentina)
• Universal Focus (USA)
• Universal Pictures (2003) (Germany) (video)

Other Companies

• EuroKids & Adults International Casting and Model Agency  extras casting
• International Stunt Company, The  stunt services and rentals
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Vehicles in Vision  action vehicles supplier

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexual content/nudity and language.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Australia:PG | Sweden:7 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Spain:T | UK:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK

Company:

DNA Films

Trivia:

A CGI shot of a wasp flying up Steve Coogan's nose took 12 hours and 10,000 feet of 35mm film before the wasp flying in a small glass cabinet could be coaxed into the nostril of green wax head

Goofs:

Continuity: A car disappears from behind Simon as he rings Gerorge's doorbell.

Quotes:

Colin: What we don't need is a curly headed wanker trying to be Captain Kirk.
Simon Garden: At least he got things done. Imagine you looking for Spock in Star Trek 4: "Oh, sorry, we couldn't find him".
Colin: [laughs] That was Star Trek 3. It was called "The Search for Spock"!

Movie Connections:

References Krótki film o zabijaniu (1988)

Soundtrack:

Let's Get It On

I saw a man strangle a human being - well, an accountant anyway.

Simon Garden is an annoying Parole Officer who tries to see the best in everyone, fills them with inspirational anecdotes and hope that they'll see the error of her ways, however, as it is hardened criminals he deals with it is about as successful as a Bush Presidency. Forced out by his colleagues at Blackpool he is offered a position in Manchester, but things here go from bad to worse as he witnesses a corrupt cop kill an accountant and is forced out from there as well. As he recalls that the security system in the building will have acted as a second witness to the crime he galvanises the skills of the three men who have gone straight in order to rob the bank that houses the security tape.

This is a pretty standard British comedy that is marked out by a number of good gags (the roller coaster scene in particular) and the actual raid itself. The performances in the film are all as good as they can be with Steve Coogan in fine form as the meek Parole Officer trying to be a role model for people who don't want one. The support of Ben Miller, Lena Hedley, Steven Waddinton, Om Puri (He's always good) and Emma Williams are all fine and the cameo at the end of the film is one that is worth waiting for.

The script is a simple tale that is made as good as it can be and is kind of a throwback to the great Ealing comedies of the forties and fifties with a more contemporary edge and for the most part it is successful. The only downside for me is that, knowing Manchester the way I do, I know that certain buildings aren't where they appear in this film and that is a bit of an issue, but that said this is still essentially an enjoyable Sunday afternoon film for people who want to see Steve Coogan as something other than support in successful American films.

Worth a watch.