A Shot at Glory (2000)

Director:

Michael Corrente

Writer (WGA):

Denis O'Neill (written by)

Release Date:

12 July 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Sometimes in life you only have one chance to win.

Plot:

Gordon McLeod (Robert Duvall) is the manager of a second tier Scottish football team. Faced with pressure from his American owner (Michael Keaton)...

Plot Keywords:

Father Daughter Relationship | Football | Fishing | Glasgow | Football Team

Cast

Andy Gray	...	Commentator 1
Finlay MacDonald	...	Eric the Bagpiper
Sheila Latimer	...	Widow Wilson
Robert Duvall	...	Gordon McCloud
Michael Keaton	...	Peter Cameron
Ally McCoist	...	Jackie McQuillan
Ida Schuster	...	Wee Brenda
Alex Howden	...	Horace
Bill Murdoch	...	Desmond
John McVeigh	...	Ian McVeigh
Scott G. Anderson	...	Alan Barnes (as Scott Anderson)
Cole Hauser	...	Kelsey O'Brian
John Martin	...	Brian Burns
Paul Agnew	...	Kilnockie Football Team
Ian Constable	...	Kilnockie Football Team

Also Known As:

Road to Glory (USA) (working title)
The Cup (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

Canada:115 min | USA:114 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Crail, Fife, Scotland, UK

Company:

Butcher's Run Films

Trivia:

Ally McCoist, who plays a former Celtic player is, in real life, a former Rangers player (the Celtic-Rangers rivalry is emphasized in the film). In the stock footage in which they show McCoist in his glory days, they actually super-impose Celtic colors on to his blue Rangers shirts. Even though, in the movie, he is wearing green and white, the design of the kit is obviously that of Glasgow Rangers.

Nowhere near as bad as I expected

A Shot at Glory is a frequently far-fetched but, to be fair, reasonably satisfying attempt at an underdog story in the wonderful world of Scottish football. Rangers and Scotland legend Ally McCoist plays Jackie McQuillan, an ageing ex-Celtic striker. He signs for a club in the 2nd division managed by his father-in-law (Robert Duvall) who hates him. However, Jackie wins over the fans and, ultimately, is father as his new team march on towards the Scottish Cup final.

What is perhaps most remarkable about this film (aside from Duvall's ludicrous Scottish accent) is McCoists above-average performance. He is convincing and actually quite involving in his role, although this could be due to him being more than familiar with a role of an ex-Old Firm striker signing for a club in the doldrums - hello, Kilmarnock.

If you're a fan of Scottish football, then I wholeheartedly recommend watching this film. It's probably easily the best film made about the game north of the border, and features lots of lower league favourites of the 90's such as Owen Coyle, Alan Lawrence, Derek McInnes and John Martin. Dundee United manager Ian McCall also gives an amusing performance as a centre-half who uses dirty tactics to get our hero McQuillan sent off.