Brassed Off (1996)

The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners' brass band.

Director:

Mark Herman

Writer:

Mark Herman

Stars:

Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 10 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Danny
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Gloria
Ewan McGregor	...	Andy
Stephen Tompkinson	...	Phil
Jim Carter	...	Harry
Philip Jackson	...	Jim
Peter Martin	...	Ernie
Sue Johnston	...	Vera
Mary Healey	...	Ida
Melanie Hill	...	Sandra
Lill Roughley	...	Rita
Peter Gunn	...	Simmo
Stephen Moore	...	McKenzie
Kenneth Colley	...	Greasley (as Ken Colley)
Olga Grahame	...	Mrs. Foggan

Storyline

In existence for a hundred years, Grimley Colliery Brass band is as old as the mine. But the miners are now deciding whether to fight to keep the pit open, and the future for town and band looks bleak. Although the arrival of flugelhorn player Gloria injects some life into the players, and bandleader Danny continues to exhort them to continue in the national competition, frictions and pressures are all too evident. And whose side is Gloria actually on?

---

Plot Keywords:

yorkshire | reference to margaret thatcher | bare chested male | band | hope | 

---

Taglines:

Fed up with the system. Ticked off at the establishment. And mad about... each other.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pete Postlethwaite was heavily criticized by ex-miners for claiming he supported the 1984 strike, but believed people should never burn coal. The last remaining coal mines in the UK closed largely as a result of the 2008 Climate Change Act.

---

Goofs

When the brass band leave on the two coaches to the Albert Hall for the finals they are wearing blue suit jackets. When they arrive in London and have a group photo outside the Albert Hall they are wearing purple jackets.

---

Quotes

[in the local shop]
Vera: Sorry, Sand, you're a bit short, love.
Sandra: How much?
Vera: One fifty? What's it to be?
[Sandra wonders what items to put back on the shelf]
Shane: What about them aeroplane things, mam?
Sandra: What?
[Shane points at Sandra's pack of sanitary towels]
Shane: Them things with wings on.

---

Crazy Credits

In the opening titles and credits, all instances of the letters "p" and "f" are shown in lower case italics, as they would be in the musical directions for playing softly and loudly, and are tinted red. For example, the title actually appears as BRASSED Off, with the ff in red italics.

---

Alternate Versions

The American release removes the scene where Phil explains that he was a scab (voted for pit closure).

---

Connections

Features The Riddlers (1989)

---

Soundtracks

Colonel Bogey
Composed by Kenneth Alford (as Alford)
Published by Boosey and Hawkes Music Publishing Limited

User Reviews

Matters of music and of people

You don't have to be a fan of brass bands to enjoy "Brassed Off", but it couldn't hurt. The music is a central focus of the film, but not as a compromise to the story of a town in turmoil. Coal mines being shut down in the name of progress puts many men out of work which naturally also jeopardizes the existence of the colliery band. The music combined with brilliant storytelling (and editing) is merely a platform for some superb acting, particularly from Pete Postlethwaite.

Having lived all my life in a large metropolitan city, I cannot relate first hand to the plight of a small town community. Despite that, I found the story intriguing even though it may seem the outcome is somewhat predictable.

Having just purchased the DVD, I found the brief write-up on the box to be way off the mark. It touts this film as some kind of romantic and hilarious comedy, never once even grazing past the real subject matter of the film. This is another perfect example of the continued miscalculated promotion of a truly well crafted film that "Muriel's Wedding" also fell victim to. I'm not sure what the promoters were thinking, but if you set someone up for a hilarious romantic comedy and what they receive is a thoughtful serious and sometimes depressing film, are they going to be happy just the same? There are graciously some light moments and humourous turns in this otherwise sombre subject matter, but this film doesn't have a happy ending. But it sure does have a moving one. Postlethwaite's performance hits you in an unexpected way and you'd have to have a heart of stone to not be moved by it.

Any success that the film enjoys now that's it's strictly on video, is likely to come from very strong word of mouth. I had been told how good it was and enjoyed it immensely. Now that I've seen it twice, and thus been twice moved, I wait for a reasonable time to pass so that I may watch and enjoy it again as I am bound to do.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 May 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brassed Off!

Filming Locations:

British Waterways Wharf, Friars Gate, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$52,534, 26 May 1997

Gross USA:

$2,576,331

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,576,331

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Miramax, Prominent Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1