Local Hero (1983)

An American oil company sends a man to Scotland to buy up an entire village where they want to build a refinery. But things don't go as expected.

Director:

Bill Forsyth

Writer:

Bill Forsyth

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Peter Riegert, Fulton Mackay

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Felix Happer
Peter Riegert	...	Mac
Fulton Mackay	...	Ben
Denis Lawson	...	Urquhart
Norman Chancer	...	Moritz
Peter Capaldi	...	Oldsen
Rikki Fulton	...	Geddes
Alex Norton	...	Watt
Jenny Seagrove	...	Marina
Jennifer Black	...	Stella
Christopher Rozycki	...	Victor
Gyearbuor Asante	...	Rev Macpherson (as Christopher Asante)
John M. Jackson	...	Cal (as John Jackson)
Dan Ammerman	...	Donaldson
Tam Dean Burn	...	Roddy

Storyline

Oil billionaire Happer sends Mac to a remote Scottish village to secure the property rights for an oil refinery they want to build. Mac teams up with Danny and starts the negotiations, the locals are keen to get their hands on the 'Silver Dollar' and can't believe their luck. However, a local hermit and beach scavenger, Ben Knox, lives in a shack on the crucial beach which he also owns. Happer is more interested in the Northern Lights and Danny in a surreal girl with webbed feet, Marina. Mac is used to a Houston office with fax machines but is forced to negotiate on Bens terms.

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Plot Keywords:

kiss | seal the animal | stargazing | strong female | cult favorite | 

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Taglines:

A beautiful coastline... A rich oil man wants to develop it. A poor beach bum wants to live on it. An entire town wants to profit by it. And a real-live mermaid wants to save it... Only one of them will get their way.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Russian Japanese

Release Date:

18 February 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

A kisvárosi hõs

Filming Locations:

The Ship Inn, Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,567, 21 February 1983, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,895,761

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enigma Productions, Goldcrest Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Happer Boulevard" (seen when Happer is leaving for Scotland) is actually Milam St. in downtown Houston.

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Goofs

Mac's facial hair is constantly changing between shots throughout the film.

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Quotes

Gordon Urquhart: I'll get the food.
Victor: Bring some brandy back with you Gordon, I'm dying.

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Alternate Versions

CBS edited 14 minutes from this film for its 1987 network television premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Crimson Tide/A Little Princess/The Perez Family/The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill/Swimming with Sharks (1995)

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Soundtracks

The Way it Always Starts
Written by Mark Knopfler
Vocal by Gerry Rafferty
Performed by Mark Knopfler, Alan Clark, Neil Jason and Steve Jordan

User Reviews

Quirky brilliance

Some may be turned off by the apparent disregard of plot. Amazing characters, scenery and music make this a truly brilliant movie. It's a movie that may not be fully appreciated until you've seen it three or four times. Burt Lancaster steals the show in a small role. Peter Riegert is perfectly cast as a lost American who finds a place where he belongs. The memorable scenes are countless: the aurora borealis show, the eccentric beachcomber who offers to sell for a dollar per grain of sand in his hand, the injured rabbit, Riegert proposes to trade places with Gordon, etc., etc., etc. Mark Knofler's music is worth the price of admission alone. Definitely one of my all-time favorites.