Son of Rambow (2007)

During a long English summer in the early 1980s, two schoolboys from differing backgrounds set out to make a film inspired by First Blood (1982).

Director:

Garth Jennings

Writer:

Garth Jennings

Stars:

Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Jessica Hynes

3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Neil Dudgeon	...	Joshua
Bill Milner	...	Will Proudfoot
Jessica Hynes	...	Mary Proudfoot (as Jessica Stevenson)
Anna Wing	...	Grandma
Will Poulter	...	Lee Carter
Tallulah Evans	...	Jess Proudfoot
Emilie Chesnais	...	French Teacher (as Emile Chesnais)
Paul Ritter	...	Geography Teacher
Finola McMahon	...	Gail Graham
Rachel Mureatroyd	...	Marie Plante
Taylor Richardson	...	David Smart
Peter Robinson	...	Lucas Dupont
Charlie Thrift	...	Duncan Miller
Jules Sitruk	...	Didier Revol
Sam Kubrick-Finney	...	Danny

Storyline

SON OF RAMBOW is the name of the home movie made by two little boys with a big video camera and even bigger ambitions. Set on a long English summer in the early '80s, SON OF RAMBOW is a comedy about friendship, faith and the tough business of growing up. We see the story through the eyes of Will, the eldest son of a fatherless Plymouth Brethren family. The Brethren regard themselves as God's 'chosen ones' and their strict moral code means that Will has never been allowed to mix with the other 'worldlies,' listen to music or watch TV, until he finds himself caught up in the extraordinary world of Lee Carter, the school terror and maker of bizarre home movies. Carter exposes Will to a pirate copy of Rambo: First Blood and from that moment Will's mind is blown wide open and he's easily convinced to be the stuntman in Lee Carters' diabolical home movie. Will's imaginative little brain is not only given chance to flourish in the world of film making, but is also very handy when it comes to...

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | school | stuntman | boy | plymouth brethren | 

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Taglines:

Make Believe. Not War.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and reckless behavior

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK France Germany

Language:

French English

Release Date:

23 May 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Sohn von Rambow

Filming Locations:

Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£897,089 (UK) (4 April 2008)

Gross:

$1,784,769 (USA) (8 August 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer & Tongs, Celluloid Dreams, Good Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the 6th form scene, director Garth Jennings mentions at 60:40 on the DVD commentary that for legal reasons they had to cut a bit showing a renowned 1980's toy (recalled because its paint contained lead) being licked on a dare by a boy. The end-piece for the bit, where the boy bursts out of a door and vomits, is still in the film at 62:49.

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Goofs

When Will is gets the stew pot out of the oven, he places it on the table using a cloth with two pockets. In the next shot, from behind, he takes the lid off with his bare hand. In the next shot, from the front, he holds the lid with a cloth.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Brethren Leader: Brother William, would you like to read today?
Will: [apprehensively carries Bible into middle of the street and reads] "O God, our Heavenly Father, who has commanded us to love one another as thy children."

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Crazy Credits

At the very end of the closing credits Carter's voice-over says, "By the way, you spelled the title slightly wrong; there's no 'w' in Rambo". Will replies, "Oh, okay" and Carter then says, "It's still good though".

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Connections

Referenced in My Life Is a Video (2012)

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Soundtracks

Close to Me - Remix
Performed by The Cure
Courtesy of Polydor Records UK Ltd./Elektra Entertainment Group
Written by Robert Smith
Licensed by kind permission from the Film & TV Licensing Division
Part of the Universal Music Group
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
Published by BMG Music Publishing

User Reviews

I'll Pray for you Lee Carter

Greetings again from the darkness. The Sundance favorite is finally making the rounds and I found this to be a very entertaining and charming film, despite its relative simplicity.

A semi-autobiographical piece from writer/director Garth Jennings ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"), the film focuses on the escapades of two young boys making a movie. Along the way, many topics are addressed ... family, religion, friendship, loyalty, idol-worship, etc.

Bill Milner (as Will Proudfoot) and Will Poulter (as Lee Carter) are the newcomers who play the boys. Poulter is a near reincarnation of River Phoenix as Chris Chambers ("Stand By Me") as he carries so much bottled up emotion stemming from his longing for attention. Milner's character is the more sensitive, creative type being suffocated by his family's religion. Quite a pair.

As a commentary on film and celebrity, the two boy's world is rocked when their film-making is discovered. Now everyone wants a piece including the French exchange student, Didier, played hysterically well by Jules Sitruk. Character issues to follow!

The boys are so endearing that most kids would enjoy the film and certainly most adults who were still growing up in the 80's will get a kick out of it.