Grow Your Own (2007)

An English community gets testy when a refuge family is granted a plot of land on which to grow vegetables.

Director:

Richard Laxton

Writers:

Frank Cottrell Boyce (screenplay), Carl Hunter (screenplay)

Stars:

Benedict Wong, Eddie Marsan, Omid Djalili

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benedict Wong	...	Kung Sang
Eddie Marsan	...	Little John
Omid Djalili	...	Ali
Alan Williams	...	Kenny
Philip Jackson	...	Big John
Pearce Quigley	...	Eddie
John Henshaw	...	Charlie
Olivia Colman	...	Alice
Joanna Scanlan	...	Barbara
Sarah Hadland	...	Carla
Roland Manookian	...	Mike
Diveen Henry	...	Miriam
Mel Raido	...	Nick
Sophie Stanton	...	Debbie
Sophie Lee	...	Phoenix

Storyline

Political refugees are given allotments as part of a scheme to help them fit into the local community. Reaction is mixed amongst the allotment holders of Blacktree Road, ruled with a rod of iron by committee chairman and ex-cop Big John, who bullies his son, known as Little John. Mobile phone company employees Carla, a go-getting bitch, and her dim young assistant, Mike, arrive at the allotments, offering five grand for one of the plots to make way for a phone mast. It is obvious that the sacrifice will be made by one of the new-comers. John is not keen for it to be Iranian Ali, because he is a qualified doctor, who gives free advice. However, Ali and his family are arrested as unsuccessful asylum seekers and John turns his attention to the plot given to Kung Sang, a traumatised oriental whose young children tend to communicate on his behalf. John's bullying treatment of his son over the latter's interest in African Miriam, and his strict adherence to the rules - including the ...

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Plot Keywords:

three word title | imperative in title | british | family relationships | father son relationship | 

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Taglines:

You never know where you'll find your roots.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 June 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Allotment

Filming Locations:

Caryl Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£27,765 (United Kingdom), 17 June 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warp Films, Art in Action, UK Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Hard Work
Written by John Handy
Performed by The Soho Hard Workers
Published Hammer Musik Ltd administered by Bucks Music Group Ltd
Licensed courtesy of Music Sales Limited

User Reviews

Great Reflection on Real English Community Life!

Excellent Movie, a quiet cinematic piece where the right balance between the loveliness and the horrors of human life is found. Great Job! All actors did a good job in keeping their characters ell grounded. Not being English myself but European and more of a world citizen I can really appreciate the picture portrait by each and every actor and how wonderful the story is without beginning or end. In the end everything is as it was: a growing community. No judgement given. I really enjoyed that there was no violence or vile words. And this is the England and people we have found here and in other European countries. The emotions of being refugees or immigrant or different is just like it has been portrait here. Not important enough to make it into a political debate. Let just stay human and go on and grow together!