Wish You Were Here (1987)

In a staid English seaside town after the Second World War, young Lynda grows up with her widowed father and younger sister. Rebellious Lynda has been swearing constantly from an early age.... See full summary »

Director:

David Leland

Writer:

David Leland

Stars:

Emily Lloyd, Trudi Cavanagh, Clare Clifford

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Trudi Cavanagh	...	Tap Dancing Lady
Emily Lloyd	...	Lynda
Clare Clifford	...	Mrs Parfitt
Barbara Durkin	...	Valerie
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Hubert
Charlotte Barker	...	Gillian
Tom Bell	...	Eric
Chloe Leland	...	Margaret
Charlotte Ball	...	Lynda (aged 11)
Pat Heywood	...	Aunt Millie
Abigail Leland	...	Margaret (aged 7)
Susan Valentine	...	Lynda's Mother (as Susan Skipper)
Geoffrey Durham	...	Harry Figgis
Sheila Kelley	...	Joan Figgis
Neville Smith	...	Cinema Manager

Storyline

In a staid English seaside town after the Second World War, young Lynda grows up with her widowed father and younger sister. Rebellious Lynda has been swearing constantly from an early age. At sixteen, she becomes more exhibitionist and seeks out sexual encounters challenging the prevailing lower-middle class attitudes to sex. She eventually becomes pregnant by an acquaintance of her father.

---

Plot Keywords:

center of attention | woman flashing her leg | insult | loss of mother | verbal abuse | 

---

Taglines:

Some people march to the beat of a different drummer. Lynda's got her own brass band.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is kind of a female Catcher In the Rye.

---

Goofs

The U.S. flag on the bandstand during the dance has fifty stars. The U.S. flag in 1951 had only 48 stars.

---

Quotes

Lynda Mansell: Up your bum!

---

Connections

Referenced in Meet the Parents (1992)

---

Soundtracks

The Hokey Cokey
(uncredited)
Written by Jimmy Kennedy

User Reviews

Up your bum.....

Emily Lloyd is great as 15 year old foul mouthed (for the 50s anyway) tenacious yet likeable tearaway Linda, growing up in a humdrum seaside town. The film's title potentially explains her volatile behaviour, having lost her mum when very young. A very enjoyable 7 out of ten

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wish You Were Here!

Filming Locations:

The Esplanade, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$43,611, 26 July 1987

Gross USA:

$3,283,832

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,283,832

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Working Title Films, Zenith Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1