The Flying Scotsman (2006)

The true story of Graeme Obree, the Champion cyclist who built his bicycle from old bits of washing machines who won his championship only to have his title stripped from him and his mental health problems which he has suffered since.

Director:

Douglas Mackinnon

Writers:

John Brown, Simon Rose

Stars:

Jonny Lee Miller, Laura Fraser, Brian Cox

7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Graeme Obree
Sean Brown	...	Young Graeme Obree
Joseph Carney	...	Child Gang Leader
Crawford McInally-Kier	...	First Child Bully
Jan Plazalski	...	Second Child Bully
Niall Macgregor	...	Graeme's Father
Julie Austin	...	Graeme's Mother
Morag Calder	...	First Office Receptionist
Billy Boyd	...	Malky
Laura Fraser	...	Anne Obree
Jean Marie Coffey	...	Woman at Finish Line
Christopher Anderson	...	Baby Ewan
Brian Cox	...	Douglas Baxter
Ron Donachie	...	Scobie
Morven Christie	...	Katie

Storyline

The Flying Scotsman is a feature film based on the remarkable true story of Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree. In 1993, and as an unemployed amateur, Obree broke the world one-hour record on a bike of his own revolutionary design, which he constructed out of scrap metal and parts of a washing machine.

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Plot Keywords:

bicycle | underdog | scot | courier | bi polar | 

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Taglines:

Hope made him a dreamer. Heart made him a hero.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic elements and strong language

Details

Country:

Germany UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

O Escocês Voador

Filming Locations:

Galston, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£60,754 (United Kingdom), 1 July 2007, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$78,337, 6 May 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$136,074, 20 May 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

ContentFilm International,Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen,Scion Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Tennant was cast in this film but had to drop out because of changed dates.

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Goofs

In March 2010, Graeme Obree was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame to honor his achievements as one of Scotland's greatest cyclists (reported in the Daily Record of 16th March 2010). Although born in England, he has spent most of his life in Scotland, currently lives there and has a Scottish accent, therefore he is Scottish.

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Quotes

Anne Obree: [Graeme is stretching] No you're bum does not look big in those cycling shorts

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Connections

Referenced in Passione: Episode #1.1 (2010)

User Reviews

Much more than a cycling story

An inspiring movie I had the pleasure of seeing at the Edinburgh film festival. I was briefly in the same cycling club as Obree. I followed his career and read his autobiography. I still cycle today and boy was I pleasantly surprised at the twists, turns and intrigue which come out in the movie; it gave me new perspectives on a complex and colourful life.

What Obree did was monumental and this film does him justice, shedding light on his inner struggles and showcasing what an innovative, committed and strong world beater the man is. Don't pigeon hole this as some kind of sports extravaganza - it is a highly entertaining look at the life of an entertaining and brilliant man.