Green Street Hooligans (2005)

A wrongfully expelled Harvard undergrad moves to London, where he is introduced to the violent underworld of football hooliganism.

Director:

Lexi Alexander

Writers:

Lexi Alexander (story), Dougie Brimson (story)

Stars:

Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elijah Wood	...	Matt Buckner
Charlie Hunnam	...	Pete Dunham
Claire Forlani	...	Shannon Dunham
Marc Warren	...	Steve Dunham
Leo Gregory	...	Bovver
Geoff Bell	...	Tommy Hatcher
Kieran Bew	...	Ike
Henry Goodman	...	Carl Buckner
Christopher Hehir	...	Keith
Terence Jay	...	Jeremy Van Holden
Ross McCall	...	Dave
Francis Pope	...	Ned
Rafe Spall	...	Swill
David Alexander	...	Nigel
Oliver Allison	...	Ben Dunham

Storyline

Unjustly expelled from Harvard when a stash of cocaine is found in his possession, Matt moves to London to live with his sister and her husband Steve. He is quickly introduced to Steve's chirpy, cock-sure younger brother Pete. Initially, Pete is reluctant to get acquainted with Matt and allow him to tread around the capital city with him because he may be seen by others as an 'outsider', but after a heavy drinking session with him and his mates he quickly changes his opinion of him. On the way back from a football match, Matt is viciously accosted by a gang of Birmingham City thugs, until Pete and his friends step in and save him. It is from here that Matt learns the truth about Pete and his friends- they are football hooligans, operating the GSE (Green Street Elite) 'firm.' Initially afraid of the violence, Matt soon ends up becoming as desensitized to it as his new found friends - but as events roll on, suspicion, shocking revelations and unsettled scores combine to a devastating ...

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Plot Keywords:

hooliganism | hooligan | bar fight | london england | male camaraderie | 

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Taglines:

Stand Your Ground And Fight.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal violence, pervasive language and some drug use

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English Italian German

Release Date:

9 September 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Yank

Filming Locations:

Bank Underground Station, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$48,760, 11 September 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$344,095, 20 November 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baker Street, MWM (MadisonWellsMedia), Yank Film Finance

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The actors playing the Green Street Hooligans had to work out with the production's trainer for four or five hours every day. The trainer, Pat E. Johnson, had most of the actors throwing up, he was working them so hard. A typical day would involve basic strength and fitness training for about two hours, followed by choreographing of the fight sequences. Rehearsals would take place in the afternoon, and then in the evening they would all go out drinking (which is probably why most of them were throwing up the next day). Elijah Wood was absented from most of this rigorous schedule to emphasize his outsider status.

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Goofs

At Matt's first match, the away fans team are named as being Birmingham City (who play in all blue shirts and white shorts), and their supporters are referred to as "northerners". However, the team shown playing West Ham United is actually Gillingham (blue and black stripes with black shorts), who ironically are one of the few teams in England south of West Ham. The match shown was played on Saturday 27th March 2004, and finished 2-1 in favour of the Hammers.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pete Dunham: Fuck me. If I knew we was going to a bar mitzvah, I would have brought me fuckin' skull cap. Mate, Tottenham's due north. Are you lost? Or just fucking stupid?

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Connections

References The Karate Kid (1984)

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Soundtracks

Down With Sickness
(uncredited)
by Disturbed
During the fight scene in the tube station at the start of the film

User Reviews

Authentic, Absorbing and Exciting

This is the best new movie of any genre that I've seen in many months.

The film really drew me into its world of neighborhood pubs, football supporters, and the dirt-in-the-cracks reality of London. The violence is believable, realistic, graphic, and frightening. As are the consequences of that violence. This film does not glorify hooliganism, it portrays it honestly.

Hooligans doesn't preach about mob mentality, or strength in numbers, rather it gives credit to the strength in the individual that lives up to his commitment to his friends though he may suffer because of it. (That's the best way I could word it without including a spoiler.)