The Etruscan Smile (2018)

Rory MacNeil, a rugged old Scotsman travels to San Franciso to seek medical treatment where he moves in with his estranged son, Rory as he sees his life getting transformed through a newly found bond with his baby grandson.

Directors:

Oded Binnun, Mihal Brezis

Writers:

Michael McGowan (screenplay), Michal Lali Kagan (screenplay)

Stars:

Thora Birch, Brian Cox, Rosanna Arquette

6 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Thora Birch	...	Emily
Brian Cox	...	Rory MacNeil
Rosanna Arquette	...	Claudia
JJ Feild	...	Ian
Tim Matheson	...	Weiss
Treat Williams	...	Frank Barron
Peter Coyote	...	Professor
Josh Stamberg	...	Jeff
Ramsey Hanchette	...	The Mermaid
Vanessa Ross	...	Gala Debutante
Gail Gamble	...	San Francisco Power Elite
Anthony Snow	...	TV Cameraman
Juliana Long Tyson	...	Museum Thief
Gretchen Klein	...	Upscale party guest
Jeanne Young	...	Upscale Party Guest

Storyline

The Etruscan Smile stars acclaimed British actor Brian Cox as Rory MacNeil, a rugged old Scotsman who reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son, Rory sees his life transformed through a newly found bond with his baby grandson.

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Plot Keywords:

terminal illness | whiskey drinking | hip flask | scotsman abroad | scotsman in usa | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Scottish Gaelic

Release Date:

12 April 2018 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Das etruskische Lächeln

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arthur Cohn Productions, Po Valley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film based on the book of the same name by Spanish writer, humanist and economist José Luis Sampedro

User Reviews

Warm and real

Saw this at the Reel Canadian Film Festival in Fernie, BC in January 2019. (The screenplay is by Canadian director, Michael McGowan). The audience loved it.

The cinematography and set direction are superb, the acting is lovely and the pacing is great. The character development is complex and layered; the relationships really develop over time.

Suspend your disbelief a little of the why anyone from Scotland would travel to the US for medical treatment without a referral or a real diagnosis. The book that the story is based on is set in Italy, and has the protagonist move from rural Italy to Milan, which makes a lot more sense. To have had Rory move from Lewis to Glasgow or even London, or from rural USA to San Francisco, would have been an easier sell, but then there wouldn't have been the transatlatic appeal or all the wonderful notes from the Highlands of Scotland.

There's a few other plot holes you'll need to get over too, but this isn't meant to be a a serious study. It's a lovely warm romantic comedy-drama gem that will make you leave the theatre smiling and wanting to spend more time with the people you love.