Local Hero (1983)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Bill Forsyth

Writer:

Bill Forsyth (writer)

Release Date:

17 February 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

An American oil company sends a man to Scotland to buy up an entire village where they want to build a refinery. But things don't go as expected.

Plot Keywords:

Oil | Beach | Scotland | Village | Webbed Toes

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Felix Happer
Peter Riegert	...	Mac
Fulton Mackay	...	Ben
Denis Lawson	...	Urquhart
Norman Chancer	...	Moritz
Peter Capaldi	...	Oldsen
Rikki Fulton	...	Geddes
Alex Norton	...	Watt
Jenny Seagrove	...	Marina
Jennifer Black	...	Stella
Christopher Rozycki	...	Victor
Gyearbuor Asante	...	Rev Macpherson (as Christopher Asante)
John M. Jackson	...	Cal (as John Jackson)
Dan Ammerman	...	Donaldson
Tam Dean Burn	...	Roddy

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Denmark:15 | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Company:

Celandine Films

Trivia:

The village seen in the movie was not near the beach that the characters walk on, they were on opposite sides of Scotland. To make the connection, a cardboard church was built at the end of the beach to match the church in the village.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Mac first sees the meteor shower the audio says 'Holy cow" but his mouth is saying something different.

Quotes:

[Mac is buying shampoo]
Mrs. Wyatt: Dry, normal or greasy?
Mac MacIntyre: Normal. Extra normal.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle (2007)

Soundtrack:

Boomtown (Variation Louis' Favourite)

A simply beautiful movie

I first saw this film in 1985 only because I had heard that Mark Knopfler did the soundtrack. After watching Local Hero, however, I was ready to pack my bags and move to a picturesque seaside village on the coast of Scottland. I fell in love with this movie. There is subtle humor, gorgeous scenery, a great story, and memorable characters. When the TV show Northern Exposure came out, I was amazed at the similarities between the show and Local Hero. An American professional accustomed to fast paced city living finds himself in a quirky town in the middle of nowhere. Even the resemblance of Peter Riegert playing Mac and Rob Morrow as Fleishman is striking. But when the episode of Northern Exposure aired where the famous Russian comes to town and performs in the local bar while the female store owner swoons, I nearly laughed myself off the couch. There was an identical scene in Local Hero. Local Hero captured a certain magic and mystery; haunting and poetic while remaining lighthearted and warming. One could not blame the creators of Northern Exposure for wanting to capture that same magic, but they could have been just a little more original. I love Bill Forsythe's movies. He is truly a master of the simple movie that tells a terrific story. Less is more. Also, Mark Knopfler delivers some of his finest music ever.