The Rotters' Club (2005) (TV)

Director:

Tony Smith

Writers:

Dick Clement (adaptation)
Jonathan Coe (novel)

Release Date:

26 January 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais' adaptation of the novel by Jonathan Coe about three friends growing up in Birmingham in the 1970s. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Geoff Breton	...	Ben Trotter
Kevin Doyle	...	Colin Trotter
Rebecca Front	...	Sheila Trotter
Alice O'Connell	...	Lois Trotter
James Daffern	...	Malcolm
Sebastian Harding	...	Paul Trotter
Nicholas Shaw	...	Doug Anderton
Hugo Speer	...	Bill Anderton
Elizabeth Berrington	...	Irene Anderton
Rasmus Hardiker	...	Philip Chase
Sarah Lancashire	...	Barbara Chase
Mark Williams	...	Sam Chase
Julian Rhind-Tutt	...	Nigel Plumb
Alice Eve	...	Cicely Boyd
Cara Horgan	...	Claire Newman

Runtime:

172 min (3 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Company:

Company Pictures

Trivia:

The three episodes had titles "The Chick and the Hairy Guy", "The Maws of Doom" and "Look Over Your Shoulder".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Drama Connections: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (#1.1)" (2005)

Brilliant evocation of Britain in the 1970s

The 1970s are in some ways a forgotten decade. If you mention the 1960s then everyone has an image of what it means (even if they weren't there). The Beatles; free love; political protests; the Kennedys; Profumo... But the 70s? In The Rotters Club we are reminded (those of us who were around at the time) what it was like to be young in the era of IRA bombs; strikes; punk rock; Watergate; the Austin Allegro...

The TV adaptation of Jonathon Coe's novel is brilliantly descriptive of the times. Not just visually (although the settings are very authentic) but in terms of attitudes. The stifling moralities of family life. The racism that rumbled only just below the surface. The opportunity that a good education gave young people (so much greater than those of their parents). The hypocrisy of failed marriages struggling on for no particular reason - and the exciting chances that a more sexually liberated society (helped by the Pill) gave for escape.

This is an utterly British story and would probably seem very odd to anyone other than us Brits. As the John Cleese character in "A Fish called Wanda" says "Have you any idea how awful it is to be English". The Rotters Club will show you why!