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The Boat That Rocked

  • 2009
  • 12
  • 2h 15m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
115K
YOUR RATING
The Boat That Rocked (2009)
A comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960s
Play trailer2:20
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDramaMusic

A band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that wanted classical music, and nothing else, on the airwaves.A band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that wanted classical music, and nothing else, on the airwaves.A band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that wanted classical music, and nothing else, on the airwaves.

  • Director
    • Richard Curtis
  • Writer
    • Richard Curtis
  • Stars
    • Philip Seymour Hoffman
    • Bill Nighy
    • Nick Frost
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    115K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Curtis
    • Writer
      • Richard Curtis
    • Stars
      • Philip Seymour Hoffman
      • Bill Nighy
      • Nick Frost
    • 250User reviews
    • 124Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 9 nominations

    Videos2

    Pirate Radio
    Trailer 2:20
    Watch Pirate Radio
    The Boat That Rocked
    Trailer 2:14
    Watch The Boat That Rocked

    Photos428

    Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, and Rhys Darby in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Sturridge, Tom Wisdom, Rhys Darby, Talulah Riley, Tom Brooke, and Katherine Parkinson in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Richard Curtis in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Will Adamsdale, Ralph Brown, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Tom Wisdom, Tom Brooke, and Katherine Parkinson in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Kenneth Branagh, Jack Davenport, and Sinead Matthews in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    January Jones, Richard Curtis, and Chris O'Dowd in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Emma Thompson and Bill Nighy in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Nick Frost and Gemma Arterton in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Will Adamsdale, Bill Nighy, Tom Sturridge, and Rhys Darby in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    January Jones in The Boat That Rocked (2009)
    Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Boat That Rocked (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Philip Seymour Hoffman
    Philip Seymour Hoffman
    • The Count
    Bill Nighy
    Bill Nighy
    • Quentin
    Nick Frost
    Nick Frost
    • Dave
    Michael Hadley
    • Mr. Roberts
    Charlie Rowe
    Charlie Rowe
    • James
    Lucy Fleming
    Lucy Fleming
    • Mrs. Roberts
    Tom Sturridge
    Tom Sturridge
    • Carl
    Ian Mercer
    Ian Mercer
    • Transfer Boatman
    Will Adamsdale
    Will Adamsdale
    • News John
    Tom Brooke
    Tom Brooke
    • Thick Kevin
    Rhys Darby
    Rhys Darby
    • Angus Nutsford
    Katherine Parkinson
    Katherine Parkinson
    • Felicity
    Chris O'Dowd
    Chris O'Dowd
    • Simon
    Ike Hamilton
    Ike Hamilton
    • Harold
    Stephen Moore
    Stephen Moore
    • Prime Minister
    Kenneth Branagh
    Kenneth Branagh
    • Sir Alistair Dormandy
    Michael Thomas
    • Sandford
    Bo Poraj
    Bo Poraj
    • Fredericks
    • Director
      • Richard Curtis
    • Writer
      • Richard Curtis
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The scene in which Young Carl sulks about Marianne was originally supposed to be about eight seconds long and contain nothing but Tom Sturridge sitting on a bench and looking sad. Will Adamsdale and Ike Hamilton happened to be there, so executive producer, writer, and director Richard Curtis told them to have a go at what they would have done if their friend was in the same situation. He put on "So Long, Marianne" and they came up with everything that remains in the scene.
    • Goofs
      The characters frequently use vernacular that was not made popular until much later than 1966. Characters refer to protection as 'condoms,' which were much more commonly called 'Johnnies' in the 60s. Also, Young Carl is told that when dealing with Thick Kevin, it was important to "think outside the box," a term not coined in general use until the early 90s.
    • Quotes

      The Count: To all our listeners, this is what I have to say - God bless you all. And as for you bastards in charge, don't dream it's over. Years will come, years will go, and politicians will do fuck all to make the world a better place. But all over the world, young men and young women will always dream dreams and put those dreams into song. Nothing important dies tonight, just a few ugly guys on a crappy ship. The only sadness tonight is that, in future years, there'll be so many fantastic songs that it will not be our privilege to play. But, believe you me, they will still be written, they will still be sung and they will be the wonder of the world.

      Gavin Cavanagh: Hit it!

    • Crazy credits
      This film is dedicated to all who worked and broadcast on the pirate stations - all those wonderful years, all day and all of the night.
    • Alternate versions
      US distributor, Universal have chosen to re-title the film as "Pirate Radio" and release it under Focus Features in US territories. This new version will be edited for length by director Richard Curtis after some European reviewers cited its 135 minute running time as a factor in its diminished success.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      All Day and All of the Night
      Written by Ray Davies

      Performed by The Kinks

      Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group Ltd.

      Under license from Universal Music Operations Ltd.

    User reviews250

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    the film that rocked
    I have been wanting to see this movie since I saw the trailer for the very first time. Today I finally got the opportunity. The plot sounded interesting and I was hoping to see a comedy that wasn't as predictable and forced romantic as a lot of comedies are. I wasn't disappointed. Sure, this isn't the most profound story ever told, but I wanted to have fun, and this movie definitely gave it to me. Another bonus is the great soundtrack, which carries the whole movie. After leaving the cinema you will want to listen to the songs featured in this film, just so you can enjoy the feeling of it a little longer. This film is funny from the beginning to the end, and there were moments when I couldn't stop laughing. If you want to see a feel-good movie with a plot that was, at least as far as I know, not used before, than this is the right film for you.
    helpful•172
    56
    • big_bea
    • Apr 16, 2009

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    FAQ21

    • How long is The Boat That Rocked?Powered by Alexa
    • Is "The Boat That Rocked" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 16, 2009 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • Germany
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Pirate Radio
    • Filming locations
      • Gambardella's Cafe, Blackheath Standard, London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • StudioCanal
      • Working Title Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $50,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,017,917
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,904,380
      • Nov 15, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $36,348,784
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 15 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1
      • 2.39 : 1

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