Ratcatcher (1999)

An unabashed kid navigates the filthy world of 1973 Glasgow, preoccupying himself with the equally poor youth around him.

Director:

Lynne Ramsay

Writer:

Lynne Ramsay

Stars:

Tommy Flanagan, Mandy Matthews, William Eadie

12 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tommy Flanagan	...	Da
Mandy Matthews	...	Ma
William Eadie	...	James
Michelle Stewart	...	Ellen
Lynne Ramsay Jr.	...	Anne Marie (as Lynne Ramsay Jnr.)
Leanne Mullen	...	Margaret Anne
John Miller	...	Kenny
Jackie Quinn	...	Mrs. Quinn
James Ramsay	...	Mr. Quinn
Anne McLean	...	Mrs. Fowler
Craig Bonar	...	Matt Monroe
Andrew McKenna	...	Billy
Mick Maharg	...	Stef
James Montgomery	...	Hammy
Thomas McTaggart	...	Ryan

Storyline

Glasgow, summer, 1973. Dustmen are striking; bags of garbage add to the blight of council flats and a fetid canal. Ryan, who's about 12, drowns during a play fight with his neighbor, the jug-eared James. James runs home, a flat where he lives with his often-drunk da, his ma, and sisters, who live in hope of moving to newly-built council flats. The slice-of-life, coming-of-age story follows James as he tags along with the older lads; has a friendship with his quirky wee rodent-loving neighbor, Kenny; spends time with Margaret Anne, myopic, slightly older, the local sexual punching bag; and, has a moment or two of joy. The strike may end, but is there any way out for James?

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Plot Keywords:

fantasy sequence | neighbor | moving | hope | friendship | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1999 (UK)

Also Known As:

Boku to sora to mugibatake

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£52,378 (United Kingdom), 14 November 1999, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,762, 15 October 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$216,781, 29 April 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé Pictures International,BBC Films,Arts Council of England

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although this film is in English, the US release has English subtitles because all the characters speak in a very heavy Scottish accent.

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Goofs

The film is set in 1975. The Leyland Atlantean bus used throughout, LA1 (FYS998), was withdrawn from service in 1973. It is preserved in the Glasgow Museum of Transport.

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Quotes

Kenny: Goodbye, Snowball!

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Instinct/The Loss of Sexual Innocence/Limbo (1999)

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Soundtracks

Lollipop
Performed by The Chordettes
Written by Beverly Ross (uncredited) and Julius Dixson (aka Julius Dixon) (uncredited)
Courtesy of Barnaby Records, Inc.
By Arrangement with Celebrity Licensing Inc.
1958 Edward B Marks Music Company Copyright renewed
Used by permission. All rights reserved

User Reviews

Well Worth Watching

Who are these people saying that RATCATCHER is "pretentious art-house crap" ?? I suppose what they want is just good IL' downhome Hollywood swill? Don't they pay any attention at all to things like lovely cinematography, fine writing, and careful pacing? RATCATCHER is a beautiful movie, though hard to watch because of the desperate conditions of its main characters. It's full of worrisome situations and a complicated storyline that sticks with you for days. It has qualities of both compression and mystery, much like well-crafted poetry has compared to prose. Don't believe the whiners about this movie - it's NOT pretentious, it's inclusive and generous, and though it doesn't provide us with an easy let's-have-popcorn-and-watch-Schwarzenegger-blow-things-up kind of entertainment, it's well-crafted, well-written, beautifully shot, and worth watching and thinking about.