Fisherman's Friends (2019)

Ten fisherman from Cornwall are signed by Universal Records and achieve a top ten hit with their debut album of Sea Shanties.

Director:

Chris Foggin

Writers:

Piers Ashworth, Meg Leonard

Stars:

James Purefoy, Meadow Nobrega, David Hayman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Purefoy	...	Jim
Meadow Nobrega	...	Tamsyn
David Hayman	...	Jago
Maggie Steed	...	Maggie
Sam Swainsbury	...	Rowan
Dave Johns	...	Leadville
Daniel Mays	...	Danny
Noel Clarke	...	Troy
Christian Brassington	...	Henry
Vahid Gold	...	Driss
Tuppence Middleton	...	Alwyn
Mae Voogd	...	Sally
Yuna Shin	...	Tourist
Ken Drury	...	Solicitor
Nathan Outlaw	...	Car Owner

Storyline

A fast living, cynical London music executive (Daniel Mays) heads to a remote Cornish village on a stag weekend where he's pranked by his boss (Noel Clarke) into trying to sign a group of shanty singing fishermen (led by James Purefoy). He becomes the ultimate "fish out of water" as he struggles to gain the respect or enthusiasm of the unlikely boy band and their families (including Tuppence Middleton) who value friendship and community over fame and fortune. As he's drawn deeper into the traditional way of life he's forced to reevaluate his own integrity and ultimately question what success really means.

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Plot Keywords:

fisherman | coastal town | vocal group | choir | sea shanty | 

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Taglines:

Some bands can't be managed

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, and suggestive references

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is dedicated to Fisherman's Friends singer Trevor Grills and tour manager Paul McMullen who both died after being hit by a heavy metal door in February 2013 whilst preparing for a concert at music venue G Live in Guildford, Surrey. A message before the end credits says 'For our friends Trevor and Paul'.

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Goofs

Danny leaves his phone turned on while making an acoustic recording at a church, though luckily for him it begins to ring just after the men stop singing.

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Quotes

Jago: But put on a pair of shades...
[he puts on his sunglasses]
Jago: ...and I'm Bonio.
Leadville: It's Bono, you pillock.

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Crazy Credits

At the beginning of the end credits - 'For our friends Trevor and Paul'. This refers to Fisherman's Friends singer Trevor Grills and tour manager Paul McMullen who both died following an accident in February 2013 at a concert in Guildford, Surrey.

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Connections

Featured in Projector: Fisherman's Friends (2019)

User Reviews

Charming, gentle comedy that is well worth your time

This is nice gentle comedy that plays out pretty much as you'd expect but that's not to disparage it in any way because it delivers precisely what you'd want it to. The real life personalities on which the story is based will be able to distinguish historical fact from liberties taken for the sake of the narrative of course. The audience knows that happens but that doesn't take anything away from the charm of the film. Had it played out a little less conventionally and a few of the supporting performances been sharper I'd have rated it a 9.

There's some nice humour that stems naturally from the tight knit community friendships when an outsider comes into their lives, and some truly wonderful harmonies in the singing of those shanties. I'm not a folk song enthusiast but there's no denying the music is resonant and lyrical. Definitely one I'll add to my collection on Blu-ray because I think it has repeat viewing potential as one of my 'feel good' film collection.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 2019 (UK)

Also Known As:

Fisherman's Friends

Filming Locations:

Port Isaac, Cornwall, England, UK

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,576,847

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fred Films, Powderkeg Pictures, BondIt Media Capital

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1