Son of Rambow (2007)

During a long English summer in the early 1980s, two schoolboys from differing backgrounds set out to make a film inspired by First Blood (1982).

Director:

Garth Jennings

Writer:

Garth Jennings

Stars:

Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Jessica Hynes

3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Neil Dudgeon	...	Joshua
Bill Milner	...	Will Proudfoot
Jessica Hynes	...	Mary Proudfoot (as Jessica Stevenson)
Anna Wing	...	Grandma
Will Poulter	...	Lee Carter
Tallulah Evans	...	Jess Proudfoot
Emilie Chesnais	...	French Teacher (as Emile Chesnais)
Paul Ritter	...	Geography Teacher
Finola McMahon	...	Gail Graham
Rachel Mureatroyd	...	Marie Plante
Taylor Richardson	...	David Smart
Peter Robinson	...	Lucas Dupont
Charlie Thrift	...	Duncan Miller
Jules Sitruk	...	Didier Revol
Sam Kubrick-Finney	...	Danny

Storyline

SON OF RAMBOW is the name of the home movie made by two little boys with a big video camera and even bigger ambitions. Set on a long English summer in the early '80s, SON OF RAMBOW is a comedy about friendship, faith and the tough business of growing up. We see the story through the eyes of Will, the eldest son of a fatherless Plymouth Brethren family. The Brethren regard themselves as God's 'chosen ones' and their strict moral code means that Will has never been allowed to mix with the other 'worldlies,' listen to music or watch TV, until he finds himself caught up in the extraordinary world of Lee Carter, the school terror and maker of bizarre home movies. Carter exposes Will to a pirate copy of Rambo: First Blood and from that moment Will's mind is blown wide open and he's easily convinced to be the stuntman in Lee Carters' diabolical home movie. Will's imaginative little brain is not only given chance to flourish in the world of film making, but is also very handy when it comes to...

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Plot Keywords:

friendship between boys | plymouth brethren | foreign exchange student | young love | absent mother | 

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Taglines:

Make Believe. Not War.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and reckless behavior

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK France Germany USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

23 May 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

El hijo de Rambow

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$53,789, 4 May 2008

Gross USA:

$1,785,505

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,871,012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer & Tongs, Celluloid Dreams, Good Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Between his audition and the start of the shoot, James Clarke's hair was cut off, which was a surprise to the production (11:00 in the DVD commentary). Rather than having him wear a wig, it was decided that his character, "Shaun", could be shorn.

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Goofs

Duran Duran's "Wild Boys" (1984) can be heard playing from behind a school door at approximately 57:30.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Brethren Leader: Brother William, would you like to read today?
Will: [apprehensively carries Bible into middle of the street and reads] "O God, our Heavenly Father, who has commanded us to love one another as thy children."

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Crazy Credits

At the very end of the closing credits Carter's voice-over says, "By the way, you spelled the title slightly wrong; there's no 'w' in Rambo". Will replies, "Oh, okay" and Carter then says, "It's still good though".

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Connections

Features Screen Test (1970)

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Soundtracks

Cars
Performed by Gary Numan
(P) 1979 Beggars Banquet Records Limited
Written by Gary Numan
Published by Momentum Music Ltd./Universal Music Publishing Ltd.
Taken from the album "Premier Hits" BBL 2007CD
Licensed courtesy of Beggars Banquet Records Ltd.

User Reviews

Skills

I had high hopes for this film as it's very much the era I grew up in.

I too wanted to send a film for 'Screen Test' (an 80s UK film quiz show for children's TV with a regular slot for home-made films) though I didn't get tosee Sly eating snakes and stitching up his arm till much later.

I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint at all. The performances were wonderful (especially the young leads) and as well as having more than its fair share of laugh out loud moments, there's a real warmth and emotional truth to this story of friendship, growing up and blowing stuff up.

I really hope 'Son Of Rambow' is the hit it deserves to be.