Brassed Off (1996)

Director:

Mark Herman

Writer:

Mark Herman (writer)

Release Date:

23 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Music

Tagline:

Fed up with the system. Ticked off at the establishment. And mad about... each other.

Plot:

The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners' brass band.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Colliery | Brass Band | Hope | Competition

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 10 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Pete Postlethwaite	...	Danny
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Gloria
Ewan McGregor	...	Andy
Stephen Tompkinson	...	Phil
Jim Carter	...	Harry
Philip Jackson	...	Jim
Peter Martin	...	Ernie
Sue Johnston	...	Vera
Mary Healey	...	Ida
Melanie Hill	...	Sandra
Lill Roughley	...	Rita
Peter Gunn	...	Simmo
Stephen Moore	...	McKenzie
Kenneth Colley	...	Greasley (as Ken Colley)
Olga Grahame	...	Mrs. Foggan

Also Known As:

Brassed Off! (USA) (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

Pete Postlethwaite's final speech was not rehearsed in front of the rest of the cast. This was because the director wanted genuine reactions from everyone on hearing it.

Quotes:

Andy: The only reason I get up in the morning is to see if my luck's changed. And it never bloody has.

Movie Connections:

Features "The Riddlers" (1986)

Soundtrack:

William Tell Overture

Matters of music and of people

You don't have to be a fan of brass bands to enjoy "Brassed Off", but it couldn't hurt. The music is a central focus of the film, but not as a compromise to the story of a town in turmoil. Coal mines being shut down in the name of progress puts many men out of work which naturally also jeopardizes the existence of the colliery band. The music combined with brilliant storytelling (and editing) is merely a platform for some superb acting, particularly from Pete Postlethwaite.

Having lived all my life in a large metropolitan city, I cannot relate first hand to the plight of a small town community. Despite that, I found the story intriguing even though it may seem the outcome is somewhat predictable.

Having just purchased the DVD, I found the brief write-up on the box to be way off the mark. It touts this film as some kind of romantic and hilarious comedy, never once even grazing past the real subject matter of the film. This is another perfect example of the continued miscalculated promotion of a truly well crafted film that "Muriel's Wedding" also fell victim to. I'm not sure what the promoters were thinking, but if you set someone up for a hilarious romantic comedy and what they receive is a thoughtful serious and sometimes depressing film, are they going to be happy just the same? There are graciously some light moments and humourous turns in this otherwise sombre subject matter, but this film doesn't have a happy ending. But it sure does have a moving one. Postlethwaite's performance hits you in an unexpected way and you'd have to have a heart of stone to not be moved by it.

Any success that the film enjoys now that's it's strictly on video, is likely to come from very strong word of mouth. I had been told how good it was and enjoyed it immensely. Now that I've seen it twice, and thus been twice moved, I wait for a reasonable time to pass so that I may watch and enjoy it again as I am bound to do.