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IMDbPro

The Selfish Giant

  • 20132013
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
12K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
22,922
1,682
Conner Chapman and Shaun Thomas in The Selfish Giant (2013)
Trailer for The Selfish Giant
Play trailer2:07
2 Videos
67 Photos
Drama
Two thirteen year-old working-class friends in Bradford seek fortune by getting involved with a local scrap dealer and criminal.Two thirteen year-old working-class friends in Bradford seek fortune by getting involved with a local scrap dealer and criminal.Two thirteen year-old working-class friends in Bradford seek fortune by getting involved with a local scrap dealer and criminal.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
12K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
22,922
1,682
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Clio Barnard
    • Writers
      • Clio Barnard
      • Oscar Wilde(inspired by 'The Selfish Giant')
    • Stars
      • Conner Chapman
      • Shaun Thomas
      • Sean Gilder
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Clio Barnard
    • Writers
      • Clio Barnard
      • Oscar Wilde(inspired by 'The Selfish Giant')
    • Stars
      • Conner Chapman
      • Shaun Thomas
      • Sean Gilder
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 48User reviews
    • 135Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 12 wins & 21 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Selfish Giant
    Trailer 2:07
    The Selfish Giant
    The Selfish Giant - US Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:08
    The Selfish Giant - US Theatrical Trailer

    Photos67

    Conner Chapman in The Selfish Giant (2013)
    Conner Chapman in The Selfish Giant (2013)
    Conner Chapman in The Selfish Giant (2013)
    Clio Barnard in The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)
    The Selfish Giant (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Conner Chapman
    Conner Chapman
    • Arbor
    Shaun Thomas
    Shaun Thomas
    • Swifty
    Sean Gilder
    Sean Gilder
    • Kitten
    Lorraine Ashbourne
    Lorraine Ashbourne
    • Mary
    Ralph Ineson
    Ralph Ineson
    • Johnny Jones
    Ian Burfield
    Ian Burfield
    • Mick Brazil
    Everal Walsh
    Everal Walsh
    • Railway Man
    • (as Everal A. Walsh)
    Elliott Tittensor
    Elliott Tittensor
    • Martin Fenton
    Rebecca Manley
    • Michelle 'Shelly' Fenton
    John Wall
    • School Nurse
    Mohammed Ali
    • Mo
    Jamie Michie
    Jamie Michie
    • Teacher
    Steve Evets
    Steve Evets
    • 'Price Drop' Swift
    Siobhan Finneran
    Siobhan Finneran
    • Mrs. Swift
    Bailey Clapham
    • Swift Child
    Jake Gibson
    • Swift Child
    Sofina-Rose Hussain
    • Swift Child
    Peter-Lee Lowther
    • Swift Child
    • Director
      • Clio Barnard
    • Writers
      • Clio Barnard
      • Oscar Wilde(inspired by 'The Selfish Giant')
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Clio Barnard based Arbor and Swifty on two children she met while filming The Arbor (2010) who worked as scrappers.
    • Quotes

      Policeman: This is a formal interview under caution. Do you understand that, Fenton? Hey, do you understand?

      Arbor: Yeah.

      Policeman: A witness saw two youths burning railway or communications cable.

      Michelle 'Shelly' Fenton: That's nowt to do with him.

      Policeman: Cable theft is a very serious crime, Mrs. Fenton. Trespass on the railway is £1,000 fine.

      Arbor: I ain't been on railway.

      Policeman: Vandalism, endangering lives, maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

      Michelle 'Shelly' Fenton: He's just a kid. He ain't nicked no cable. You're looking at wrong place.

      Policeman: He is, as you say, Mrs. Fenton, a minor. There's unscrupulous people out there getting kids to do their dirty work so they don't get into trouble with the police themselves.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Episode #10.23 (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Conspiracy
      by Bill Brown

    User reviews48

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Warm
    The two leads, as unknowns, are superb, as are all the child actors in this.

    Of the adults it is clearly led by the performance of the three lead female actors (four: I should include the school receptionist). But this film has such an almost documentary feel about it you can forgive any of the acting that may feel a little strained or unnatural (perhaps because of a lacking in the script?).

    There are some wonderfully emotionally funny scenes equally matched by ones of sadness. People often use words such as grim, depressing or bleak. But this is Britain as it is; which is about looking for the humour and humanity beyond the circumstance of living. If you haven't been in Britain, then you might be forgiven, if you live here then maybe you have been sheltered: This is really how life can be; but it is far more a story about a boy's journey to manhood.

    As a statement on modern society then it speaks volumes to say that nothing is different now as from when it's 60's counterpart Kes was made, or for that matter in anytime in our history.

    But for me it won on all levels for it's such strong sense of humanity, on Arbor's journey of discovery, which was lacking, somewhat, in Kes.
    helpful•7
    4
    • snidgeskin
    • Jul 9, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 25, 2013 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Bencil Dev
    • Filming locations
      • Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • British Film Institute (BFI)
      • Film4
      • Moonspun Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $12,189
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,589
      • Dec 22, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,114,027
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1
      • 2.35 : 1

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