User reviews

Sean Bean stars as equally Sheffield United-mad brewery worker Jimmy Muir, a talented footballer who was let down by authority figures as a young man. After ten years working a dead-end job the frustrated Muir meets Annie Doherty, a pretty Irish love interest played by English actress Emily Lloyd, and soon after gets the second chance at his dream that such people always seem to get in these modern fairy tales. Yes, the formulaic plot is predictable and clichéd, but it is still enjoyable to watch and there are quite a few touching moments.

Funnily enough, although this is a football film I felt one of the strongest aspects of the film was the way it dealt with the personal relationships between Jimmy and his family members and friends: Pete Postlethwaite, for example, playing Jimmy's mentor Ken Jackson, puts in a strong, convincing performance, as well as John McEnery as Jimmy's abusive father Joe. A subtle side-track detailing Joe's past and its relevance to Jimmy's present is cleverly done and is to me an important part of the film's overall message.

Unusually for a sports film, the actual football is very well done. Director Maria Giese manages to do what so few directors have before or since in getting both the match itself and the atmosphere right. Every game portrayed is totally believable, from the park football at the beginning to the climactic final match at the end. Giese should really be commended here; each match is very different and she gets the overall feel of each one at least very close to spot on.

One criticism I will give the film, however, is its ending, which seems incredibly rushed and not really believable -- I know I said before that this is a fairy tale but watch the film and I'm sure you will see what I mean. I think that if you cut out ten minutes from earlier in the film and add a few more minutes of action just before the film's climax, the movie would work a lot better. It just seems very sudden to me, that's all.

Nevertheless, "When Saturday Comes" is an enjoyable watch, especially if you're a football fan. By no means brilliant, but still well worth the night in. 7/10.

When Saturday Comes is directed by Maria Giese who also adapts the screenplay from a story by James Daly. It stars Sean Bean, Emily Lloyd, Craig Kelly, Pete Postlethwaite, John McEnery and Melanie Hill. Music is by Anne Dudley and Joe Elliott of Def Leopard fame, and cinematography is by Grant Cameron and Gerry Fisher.

Jimmy Muir (Bean) loves football, beer and women, his lads life is fun but certainly it could be better. Perhaps now that he is dating sexy wages clerk Annie Doherty (Lloyd) things are starting to settle in his life? More reason for optimism is that his football prowess has been noticed by Ken Jackson (Postlethwaite), the coach of Hallam FC, a man with friendly links to the manager of Jimmy's beloved Sheffield United. The world, it seems, is Jimmy's oyster, but problems at home, of the heart and socially, could scupper Jimmy's last chance for glory and life fulfilment.

Completely fantastical rags to riches sports movie with a keen eye for working class based social realism, When Saturday Comes is one of the better football based movies out there. But it is in a genre splinter that's hardly brimming with quality anyway. True enough to say it's treading familiar turf, and the ending holds absolutely no surprises at all. While the last quarter of film badly rushes to get to the "punch the air moment", to leave the picture with a whiff of emptiness. But it's the off field aspects of the tale that strike the better chords.

Jimmy Muir is basically a good guy, he's just caught in the vortex of a blokey lifestyle. Themes of a parental stymie and peer pressure add a bite to the screenplay, especially since the backdrop is one of a working class place that offers only the mine and the brewery for employment. Football is Jimmy's beacon of hope, it keeps him sane, but can he be all he can be? As a character study, with Bean adding grit and emotional guts, Giese's film is assuredly a winner, if only the football aspects weren't so choppy and amateurish, then the film would be better thought of in the sports movie sphere.

Led by Bean, the performances are up to a good standard, even Lloyd, who manages to get away with an iffy Irish accent because her portrayal of Annie is so spunky and grounded. The photography suitably paints it as "Grim Up North", and Dudley's score is melodic and sits nicely with the various emotive turns in the narrative. There's issues and goofs within, especially obvious to those who know about British football, like how old is Bean? Mel Sterland playing for Sheffield United? A home semi-final in the FA Cup? And there's that annoying rush in the last quarter, where everything is condensed without thought to building up expectation. But it shoots and scores most of the time, particularly when away from the football pitch. 6.5/10

Eeeee by gum as they say in Yorkshire times are tough . On leaving school lads have a choice of either working down the pits or in factories while girls have a choice of marrying a lad who works either down the pit face or in a factory . Further education doesn`t seem to be an option in Yorkshire even though Sheffield does indeed have an university , I should know because I`ve been there . Oh didn`t all the coal mines close in Yorkshire sometime in the late 1980s ? In other words we`ve got a kitchen sink drama full of stereotypes and anachronisms

That said I did like WHEN SATURDAY COMES just because it`s a gritty drama well acted by its cast . Despite being too old for his role by about ten years Sean Bean plays his role very well especially if you only know him as a baddie from films like GOLDENEYE and PATRIOT GAMES . Emily Lloyd is also good and you really do feel for the characters in this film unlike the overrated comedy drama THE FULL MONTY which was also set in Sheffield

WHEN SATURDAY COMES is a little, British football flick but brilliant. Quite similar to FEVER PITCH but ten times more better. It provides booze, sex and excitement on the pitch. You can't get fed up this the first time you watch it. Brilliant and FULL MONTY style, this film was so exciting and Sean Bean gives a good performance. It was so good that my popcorn finished a quarter of the way through it, that's how excited i was even though i had a mega-deluxe bag. Blood rushed was rushing all over to different parts of my body. All that i could think of was football, sex, booze, football, sex, booze. WSC. What pardon?. WSC. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1. It is more exciting than watching boring, boring Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Brazil. Ah, what's wrong?....your hot dog finished?, tomato ketchup spilt down your jumper. WSC is brilliant.

I saw this film primarily because I am a supporter of Sheffield United. To fully enjoy it however, you need to suspend belief and overlook some of the inaccuracies that it contains. The depiction of Sheffield for example, appears to be more appropriate to the seventies than the nineties and some of the dialogue & accents were "out of date".

However, these were small reservations and overall I enjoyed the film - mainly from the perspective Sheffield United fan. Come on you Blades!!!

It was nice to see Emily Lloyd again in a British film. I was both disappointed and surprised . I was disappointed because of the direction and parts of the screenplay. The dialogue lines were full of clichès but some scenes e.g. the dog in the betting office were very funny. I was surprised about the erotic scene between Emily Lloyd and Sean Bean. It was the best scene in the whole film (though it was too short) and I hope they were not doubled!

Likable soap opera in which ordinary Joe, Jimmy Muir (Sean Bean) gets to fulfill his childhood dream and turn out for his beloved Sheffield United. Cast is good, Football re-enactions are over dramatisted but effective and story is good fun. It is easy to see why very few movies about Football are produced but this one is good entertainment all the way, just don't take it too seriously.

Set in the grimy North of England we see Jimmy Muir, played by Sean Bean, being discovered by talent scout Pete Postlethwaite to play football for top tier club Sheffield United to escape the drudgery of his working class roots. This is your classic rags to riches story that had some possibility set in the world of football however the script is riddled with cliches, Maria Giese's direction is totally uninspired and the film takes itself way too seriously. On top of that Sean Bean is about 15 years too old to be playing such a character, being 36 at the time, an age when most footballers are thinking about hanging up their boots.

We even get a Rocky style training montage done Yorkshire style in the cold and dank streets of Sheffield that is quite embarrassing and instead of cheering him on we're only inspired to be quietly pleased for Jimmy as he makes his triumphant return to form after messing up his initial trial for the club after going on a drinking binge.

Sean Bean is more at home in meatier roles playing darker characters in blockbusters like Goldeneye, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. This film needed a lighter touch from a younger actor who would have been more convincing playing Jimmy Muir, where the taste for glory would have come across as meaning so much more to a younger character.

When Saturday Comes has all the working class cliches of living up North such as rebelling against an abusive father, getting drunk down the local pub, leering at topless women in a strip club, working in a dead end factory job and having the younger brother being unable to escape his roots by working down t'pit.

Both Postlethwaite and Emily Lloyd do their best with the material they are given but it feels like it was made in the early 1970's rather than the mid-90's. No doubt die hard Sheffield United fans will get some pleasure from it but for the rest it's as flat as a warm pint of bitter.

The film was pretty good, and it portrayed Sheffield life fairly well. Sean Bean's a great actor and looks good in the "Sharpe" series of films. Being a Sheffield United supporter and having seen many sports-based films before, it's almost always the same plot.

"An unknown nobody rises from the gutters of society to become an idolised hero(ine) of whichever sport they play."

Also, when writers make films following a sports career, the team/player will win almost all their games/matches/fights, but struggle in the final match/game/bout. The team will fail, fail again and so on, until some psychological breakthrough/substitution allows them to trounce the opposition by maybe one or two points/goals. Afterwards they become league/series/championship winners until the sequel/rematch, right? Yeah, I enjoyed the ups and downs of Jimmy's new life, but I've seen it all before really. "The Full Monty" is a similar, better film I recommend. Cheers, Dom (14)

This is "Rocky", English football style. The plot is predictable, but so what? It is about doing the best that you can, learning from your mistakes, and having courage to change things for the better. A good flick and well worth watching.

The BOREST (could i say so? or MOST BORING?) film i've ever seen (ok, maybe the second one: "Family Man" with Nicholas Cage is a little more awful). God knows i love football, but this film disproved women are possible to reason on sports. I've tried to watch it fearlessly, but couldn't help it: it's a pale green bore with pathetic attempts to show the "inner life of British working class heroes", "the class struggle" and all that. Soap opera meets Angry Young Men cinematography and goes to the area of a sugary drama. Dead dialogs. Puppet-like actors. Seems like "directoresse" didn't even made them play something. She'd better focus on some TV-series like, sort of, "Grace Under Fire" or something. How the idea to make a FOOTBALL movie only came to the head of this respectable woman?? Do excuse my not-so-perfect English, guys. :-)

When Saturday Comes is a low budget drama with some really good moments. The casting is very good, as is the acting, which is all very believable. You really get to feel for the main character, Jimmy, especially when he really screws up a big try-out, we can all relate to the "I'm only human" line of thinking. The film has a great story, builds plot up well with minor stories that inter-twine within the main story, and ties up at the end very well. The music in the movie is fantastic, with original songs by Joe Elliott, the lead singer of Def Leppard (The Best Rock Band in the World!). Joe sings the title track to the movie with all the conviction a true soccer fan! Definately worth a veiwing, gives you an excellent example of the going's on in working class England.

If my opening sentence isn't clear enough, I must reiterate that this is without doubt one of the worst films I have ever seen. SEAN BEAN a trainee? He is clearly older than Gar McAllister. SEAN BEAN having casual sex with a stripper? Sean always appears to have spent the day down a coal mine being sprayed with acid. The man was in Sharpe people, I'll accept no half measures.

Oh dear the search for a film which accurately captures the passion and drama of the world's most popular sport goes on. Bean has clearly let his heart rule his head with this particular pet project. Given that for once he has a role which is tailor made for his stock in trade 'professional yorkshireman' this perfectly suits his limited capabilities 'Nah den Frodo gie us that bludy ring'. The subject matter is clearly one which is close to his heart and perhaps because of that its a very predictable tale of a triumph against adversity. Whilst you correctly play guess the next plot development, try to count the accents as the cast struggle to convince. Emily Lloyd - watchable and feisty but what is that accent? Jimmy's younger brother tops the lot though with his constant references to 'Joonited'. I've never cheered a pit accident before but here its a welcome relief. The effort is clear (especially in trying to cover football effectively) but the overall result is disappointing as the film reverts to stereotype and formula. The ending is frustratingly predictable and leaves us wondering if we have just sat through a personal fantasy project for the lead who is seeking to fulfil some lost childhood dream. Having said all this there is nevertheless a strange fatal attraction to be had from watching this film. It is not dissimilar to the kind of rubbernecking behaviour when driving past a car crash which makes it hard not to look.

I find it quite difficult to provide an objective review of this film considering the subject matter involved! However the kitchen sink feel of the film along with some of the filming locations used do provide some interest.

Sean Bean plays the lead in this low budget independent film from 1995 about a thirty something Sheffield (U. K.) who somehow becomes a first team hero at Sheffield United FC. Yes them.

Just the sight of one of my childhood Sheffield Wednesday heroes Mel Sterland playing in the streaky bacon kit from the nineties made me want to vomit!

The only good thing from this film was a song from Paul Carrack (Eyes of Blue) and seeing the old Stones Cannon Brewery site. Sadly no longer there.

What more can I say?

Sean Bean, Sheffield United, beautiful downtown Bramall Lane, the legendary Tony Currie, the usual shot of Sheffield seen from our very own "twin-towers" (all that is left of a power station next door to the Meadowhall Shopping Centre), Blades, Blades, Blades!

Yes it's corny, yes it's cliched (they would play an F.A. Cup semi-final at a neutral ground,trivia fans!), but this apart is an enjoyable piece of nonsense.

Also they had to film several scenes over and over again in the "match" sequence as the crowd, made up of specially invited Sheffield United fans) kept booing Mel "Porky" Sterland (who played for the "other" Sheffield team!!!) everytime he got the ball. Priceless.

Excellent film, I loved it. Great football action and cool scenes. I like the way Sean Bean has to fight hard to get ahead. The football action is very realistic. The mining scene was powerful. If you like a good stripper scene, this film is for you. The acting was great, Bean and Postlethwaite are at their best and the director really captures the gritty feel of Northern England.

If you like football as much a me and you always dreamed of making it but never did, Then this is how i would of hoped it had happened, This movie covers everything you want in a rags to riches football movie the movie is a joy to watch. The performance by Shaun Bean was great (as usual) and Pete Postlewaite puts in a great performance again, the story just flows nicely and easy to watch. Its a movie i watched again and again when i was a kid and have it on DVD. Even now i watch it and something inside me wants to get on to a football pitch and get spotted just like Jimmy does here. To Jimmy life was just a game... Until the game became his life! 10/10

Most of the other comments pretty much sum it up - a clichéd plot line, saddled with the problem of finding actors that look as if they are sportsmen. The action was a huge improvement on "Escape to Victory" for sure, but it was still stilted and pedestrian... This film does nothing new - its Billy Elliot with football boots - or should that be Billy Elliot is WSC with ballet shoes on... whatever... but BE was a far, far better film than this could ever hope to be - better sub plots, better acting, better dancing cf football. Sean Bean isn't a great actor - but he's better than this hackneyed excuse of a part.

That all said the cameos almost save this film. The character of Jimmy's dad works - it hurts to watch this sad, bitter, twisted man. Jimmy, brother, Russell, although the dialogue and screenplay is somewhat underwhelming steals the show however for the one really "real" moment in this film that is delivered to perfection - the disappointment, the incredulity, the hero-trashed-before-my-eyes-don't-want-to-believe-it-how-can-you-do-it moment when Jimmy succumbs to peer pressure and downs a large whiskey before ordering another round on the night before his second trial. THAT moment alone takes this film into a fairly abject 5/10.

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