The Flying Scotsman (2006)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Douglas Mackinnon

Writers:

John Brown (writer) and
Simon Rose (writer) ...

Release Date:

26 April 2007 (New Zealand)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Hope made him a dreamer. Heart made him a hero.

Plot:

The true story of Graeme Obree, the Champion cyclist who built his bicycle from old bits of washing machines who won his championship only to have his title stripped from him and his mental health problems which he has suffered since.

Plot Keywords:

Bicycle | Bi Polar | Courier | Scot | Based On True Story

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

Jonny Lee Miller	...	Graeme Obree
Sean Brown	...	Young Graeme Obree
Joseph Carney	...	Child Gang Leader
Crawford McInally-Kier	...	First Child Bully
Jan Plazalski	...	Second Child Bully
Niall Macgregor	...	Graeme's Father
Julie Austin	...	Graeme's Mother
Morag Calder	...	First Office Receptionist
Billy Boyd	...	Malky
Laura Fraser	...	Anne Obree
Jean Marie Coffey	...	Woman at Finish Line
Christopher Anderson	...	Baby Ewan
Brian Cox	...	Douglas Baxter
Ron Donachie	...	Scobie
Morven Christie	...	Katie

Also Known As:

Flying Scotsman - Allein zum Ziel (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic elements and strong language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Germany:6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Galston, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK

Company:

ContentFilm International

Trivia:

David Tennant was cast in this film but had to drop out because of changed dates.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Several vehicles on the 1993 Glasgow streets are models not available at that time (including a Vauxhall Tigra introduced in 1994, and a Ford Focus, which was not introduced until 1998).

Much more than a cycling story

An inspiring movie I had the pleasure of seeing at the Edinburgh film festival. I was briefly in the same cycling club as Obree. I followed his career and read his autobiography. I still cycle today and boy was I pleasantly surprised at the twists, turns and intrigue which come out in the movie; it gave me new perspectives on a complex and colourful life.

What Obree did was monumental and this film does him justice, shedding light on his inner struggles and showcasing what an innovative, committed and strong world beater the man is. Don't pigeon hole this as some kind of sports extravaganza - it is a highly entertaining look at the life of an entertaining and brilliant man.