Is Anybody There? (2008)

Set in 1980s seaside England, this is the story of Edward, an unusual ten year old boy growing up in an old people's home run by his parents. Whilst his mother struggles to keep the family ... See full summary »

Director:

John Crowley

Writer:

Peter Harness

Stars:

Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, Ralph Riach

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Milner	...	Edward
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Mum
Ralph Riach	...	Clive
Linzey Cocker	...	Tanya
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Prudence
Leslie Phillips	...	Reg
Sylvia Syms	...	Lilian
Rosemary Harris	...	Elsie
David Morrissey	...	Dad
Thelma Barlow	...	Ena
Peter Vaughan	...	Bob
Carl McCrystal	...	Undertaker 1
Andrew Turner	...	Undertaker 2
Michael Caine	...	Clarence
Oliver Leach	...	Barry

Storyline

Set in 1980s seaside England, this is the story of Edward, an unusual ten year old boy growing up in an old people's home run by his parents. Whilst his mother struggles to keep the family business afloat, and his father copes with the onset of mid-life crisis, Edward is busy tape-recording the elderly residents to try and discover what happens when they die. Increasingly obsessed with ghosts and the afterlife, Edward's is a rather lonely existence until he meets Clarence, the latest recruit to the home, a retired magician with a liberating streak of anarchy. Is There Anybody There? tells the story of this odd couple - a boy and an old man - facing life together, with Edward learning to live in the moment and Clarence coming to terms with the past.

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Plot Keywords:

magician | retirement home | senility | palsey | sexual harassment | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, and some disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [us]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Czy ktos tam jest?

Filming Locations:

St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Folkestone, Kent, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£123,309 (UK) (1 May 2009)

Gross:

$2,024,225 (USA) (10 July 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Big Beach Films, Heyday Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last film of Elizabeth Spriggs. She died during post production.

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Goofs

Some think the father's mustache at the party is a continuity error as he shaved it off that morning. However, it is a fancy dress party and the father is clearly wearing a fake mustache to go with his costume.

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Quotes

Edward: Sorry for setting the fire before. Sorry I put a lot of talcum on the floor in there. Sorry for not saying when you ran me over. And that time I put dirt on your head.
Clarence: That's an awful lot of things to be sorry for at such a young age.
Edward: Sorry.

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Connections

Featured in The Many Faces of...: Michael Caine (2011)

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Soundtracks

"One Man & His Dog Theme Tune"
Written by Alan Benson
Published by Chappell Music Ltd
All rights administered by Warner Chappell Music Ltd
(p) BBC
Licensed courtesy of BBC Worldwide

User Reviews

Life Lessons, Redux

In his fifty,or so years since he had an uncredited role in a now long forgotten British film,Michael Caine has made a name for himself in British cinema. 'Is There Anybody There' will certainly cement his reputation that much further. Granted,he has acted in his share of stinkers, but the good/superb films out weighs them. For this outing, Caine is Clarence,a retired Magician who has just moved into a nursing home,on England's seacoast sometime in the later half of the 1980's. A 10 year old boy,who is obsessed with death & ghosts has a bad introduction with Clarence,who comes off as the typical grouchy old man who just wants to be left alone. Over a period of time,the boy learns some valuable life lessons about age. Do the two of them bond a friendship? What I admired about this film that it doesn't paint the elderly as something to be pitied or feared. The film is rounded out by a cast of mostly unknown British actors (at least by me,anyway,but it didn't diminish the film one bit). A screenplay that equally mixes humour,drama & pathos makes for a sparkling cocktail of a film that will have the viewer exiting the cinema feeling good. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,this film contains some salty language,adult situations & a horrific (but darkly humorous)image of a magic trick gone horribly wrong.