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:

Gradinari de ocazie

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$498,278

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

Big Spender
Written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields
Performed by Peggy Lee
Published by Campbell Connelly & Co Limited
Licensed courtesy of EMI Records Ltd

User Reviews

so topical in the anti-immigration debate

I didn't expect a movie about asylum seekers and allotments to be one of my favourite movies. But it's British quirkyness is absolutely charming. Where else in the world do they have allotments? but more importantly, I think it perfectly captures the great British love-hate of foreigners. We like them but hate them at the same time. In this movie we have the typical mistrust yet somehow that's broken down. Partly it's through food - yes we do love our takeaways here in the UK don't we? and partly through skills (yes we are short of a few) and partly through romance.

It's a movie that I think is really topical and all UKIP supporters should see!