IMDb > Young Adam (2003)
Young Adam
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Young Adam (2003) More at IMDbPro »

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Young Adam (2003) -- US Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Young Adam (2003) -- A young drifter working on a river barge disrupts his employers' lives while hiding the fact that he knows more about a dead woman found in the river than he admits.
Young Adam (2003) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Young Adam (2003) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Young Adam (2003) -- Moviesbox.us - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   6,215 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
David Mackenzie
Writers:
Alexander Trocchi (novel)
David Mackenzie (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Young Adam on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 September 2003 (Netherlands) more
Genre:
Drama | Crime | Thriller more
Plot:
A young drifter working on a river barge disrupts his employers' lives while hiding the fact that he knows more about a dead woman found in the river than he admits. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
7 wins & 16 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(33 articles)
Eva Green And Ewan McGregor In “The Last Word”
 (From Filmofilia. 29 October 2009, 9:02 AM, PDT)

David Mackenzie does apocalyptic romance in The Last Word
 (From QuietEarth. 11 September 2009, 3:51 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Well-crafted film with strong performances and a pervading, restrained sadness that echoes its Beat heritage. more (104 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ewan McGregor ... Joe Taylor

Tilda Swinton ... Ella Gault

Peter Mullan ... Les Gault

Emily Mortimer ... Cathie Dimly
Jack McElhone ... Jim Gault
Therese Bradley ... Gwen
Ewan Stewart ... Daniel Gordon
Stuart McQuarrie ... Bill
Pauline Turner ... Connie
Alan Cooke ... Bob M'bussi
Rory McCann ... Sam
Ian Hanmore ... Freight Supervisor
Andrew Neil ... Barman
Arnold Brown ... Bowler Hat Man
Meg Fraser ... Stall Woman
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Young Adam (France)
more
MPAA:
Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content.; Rated R for strong sexual content, some disturbing behavior and language. (edited version)
Runtime:
98 min
Country:
UK | France
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Company:
Film Council more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This was the first film which Mcgregor did not take his family along for the shoot. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: The chords heard as Les plays the guitar change, but his fingers don't move. more
Quotes:
Les Gault: What'd you do that for?
Joe Taylor: I had no use for it.
Les Gault: Must be worth something, though.
Joe Taylor: Not to me.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Long Way Round" (2004) more
Soundtrack:
HAITIAN FIGHT SONG more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
19 out of 23 people found the following comment useful.
Well-crafted film with strong performances and a pervading, restrained sadness that echoes its Beat heritage., 22 December 2004
8/10
Author: Colette Corr from Melbourne, Australia

Young Adam is a powerful and atmospheric drama set on the canals between Glasgow and Edinburgh during the 1950s.

Ewan McGregor is Joe, a drifter working on a barge, when he and his boss find a body in the canal. As he begins an affair with the bargeman's wife (Tilda Swinton), we find out more about his previous relationship with the drowned woman (Emily Mortimer).

Adapted from the novel by Scottish Beat writer Alexander Trocchi, Young Adam is, in some ways, a kitchen sink drama – a vivid picture of working class life in its unpleasant reality. One of the best examples of this type of film is Room at the Top (1959). But Young Adam has existentialist overtones: Joe is alienated and passive, and not only do his numerous sexual couplings offer him little pleasure, but in rejecting the only thing that could redeem him, he condemns himself to a meaningless life. This might sound too depressing, but screenwriter and director David Mackenzie gives the film great depth and sensuality. Very interesting. ****/***** stars.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (104 total)

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Alright, honestly... Postal88
young adam? burkestephanie
Hmm guess I could have bought the American version saynotoRIC
american ratings with sex. mayonaise002
The Extended Scene..... Ewansgirl144
Soundtrack Bluenymph21
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