Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Steve Barron

Writers:

John R. Smith (writer)
Rob Sprackling (writer)

Release Date:

28 September 2001 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

He Knows F.A. About Football.

Plot:

The manager of England's national football unexpectedly succumbs to a heart attack, and suddenly the search is on for a replacement...

Plot Keywords:

England | World Cup | Manager | Unpopularity | Mobile Phone

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ricky Tomlinson	...	Mike Bassett
Amanda Redman	...	Karine Bassett
Bradley Walsh	...	Dave Dodds
Philip Jackson	...	Lonnie Urquart
Phill Jupitus	...	Tommo Thompson
Dean Lennox Kelly	...	Kevin Tonkinson
Martin Bashir	...	Interviewer
Robbie Gee	...	Smallsy
Pelé	...	Himself
Kevin Piper	...	Norwich newsreader
Robert Putt	...	Jack Marshall
Malcolm Terris	...	Phil Cope
Philip Dunbar	...	Sussex rep
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Dr. Hans Shoegaarten
Lloyd McGuire	...	Midlands rep
Geoff Bell	...	Gary Wackett
Sydney Livingstone	...	Yorkshire rep
Ian Lindsay	...	Manchester rep
Chris McQuarry	...	Alan Massey
Tony Nyland	...	Derby rep
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Geoffrey Lightfoot
Danny Tennant	...	Jason Bassett
Natasha Kaplinsky	...	Sky News Reader
Iain Rogerson	...	Ticket collector
Angela Curran	...	Margaret
Sean Gilder	...	Independent journalist
Nigel Lindsay	...	Mirror journalist
Mark Burdis	...	Mail journalist
John Smith	...	Roving reporter
Scott Mean	...	Parksey
Julian Ballantine	...	Robbo
Dean Holness	...	Danny
John Alford	...	Deano
Terry Kiely	...	Harpsey
Peter McGillycuddy	...	Gorgeous
Toby Redwood	...	Berksey
Andy Ansah	...	Super
Thomas Kenyon	...	Macca
Robert Campion	...	Smudger
Alex Lawler	...	Sexy
Dion Osborne	...	Ossie
Danny Husbands	...	Normal
Declan Perkins	...	Perky
Sue Barker	...	Herself
Phil Gridelet	...	Grids
Dickie Bird	...	Himself
Alan Renwick	...	England fan
Keith Allen	...	Himself
Adrian James	...	Bisham player
Gabby Logan	...	Herself
Mark O'Donoghue	...	Bisham player
Peter McGillycuddy Sr.	...	Football coach
Barry Venison	...	Himself
Ronaldo	...	Himself
Richard Guest	...	Himself
Clive Tyldesley	...	Commentator
Martin Tyler	...	Commentator
Jenny Frost	...	Herself / Atomic Kitten
Rob Sprackling	...	Wheelchair man
Liz McClarnon	...	Herself / Atomic Kitten
Kim Durham	...	Benson
Robert Hudson	...	Hedges
Des Hamilton	...	Scottish Player (as Desmond Hamilton)
Paul Rattray	...	Scottish player
Neil Peplow	...	Scottish goalkeeper
Glen Mulhern	...	Irish player
Stephen Walters	...	Supporter
Paul McNeilly	...	Supporter
Paul Murphy	...	Supporter
Phil Penfold	...	Supporter
Charlie Thompson	...	Supporter
Tony Harmer	...	Supporter
Narcisa Tamborindeguy	...	Brazilian interviewer
Vincent Marzello	...	US newsreader
Scott Richardson	...	Man on street
Alan Green	...	Commentator
Brian Moore	...	Commentator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Daniel Amokachi	...	Himself (archive footage)
Roberto Baggio	...	Himself (archive footage)
David Batty	...	Himself (archive footage)
David Beckham	...	Himself (archive footage)
Martin Dahlin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Andy Ewings	...	4th Official
Glenn Hoddle	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mark Lawrenson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Diego Armando Maradona	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ralph Morse	...	Busker
Michael Owen	...	Himself (archive footage)
Florin Raducioiu	...	Himself (archive footage)
Eoin Wrixon	...	Irish team member
Tim Bishop	...	England Supporter (uncredited)
Duane Fierro	...	Player (uncredited)
Kevin Keegan	...	Commentator (uncredited)

Directed by
Steve Barron

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John R. Smith		writer
Rob Sprackling		writer

Produced by
Steve Barron	....	producer
Charles Finch	....	executive producer
Nigel Green	....	executive producer
Robert Halmi Sr.	....	executive producer
Robert Jones	....	executive producer
Miara Martell	....	line producer
Neil Peplow	....	producer
Luc Roeg	....	executive producer
J.N.R. Smith	....	associate producer
John R. Smith	....	associate producer
Rob Sprackling	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Antony Genn
Duncan Mackay
Mark Neary

Cinematography by
Mike Eley

Film Editing by
Colin Green

Casting by
Nina Gold

Production Design by
John Reid

Art Direction by
Ged Boyan
Gerard Bryan		(as Ged Bryan)
Marcos Flaksman

Set Decoration by
Steve Oakes

Costume Design by
Siobhan Barron

Makeup Department
Alex King	....	makeup artist
Gill Rees	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Candice Chubb	....	production manager: second unit
Caique Martins Ferreira	....	production manager
Mike Higgins	....	unit manager
Mike Higgins	....	unit manager
Philip Morris	....	location unit manager
Justin Anderson Smith	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonny Benson	....	third assistant director: additional photography
Melanie Dicks	....	first assistant director
Anne Pinheiro Guimarães	....	second assistant director: Brazil
Mark J. Ingram	....	second assistant director
Lance Roehrig	....	third assistant director
Barbara Sette	....	assistant director
Sarah Shepherd	....	assistant director

Art Department
Nick Cosens	....	dressing prop
Nick Turnbull	....	property master
Lloyd Vincent	....	stand-by prop

Sound Department
Fraser Barber	....	sound
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
Arthur Graley	....	foley editor
Arthur Graley	....	sound editor
Nigel Heath	....	pre-dub mixer
John Lewis	....	boom operator
Dan Morgan	....	dialogue editor
Julian Slater	....	supervising sound editor
Aad Wirtz	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Henry Badgett	....	roto artist
Tim Baier	....	compositing artist
Angela Barson	....	compositing artist
Angela Barson	....	digital compositor
Paul Bayliss	....	composite artist
Paul Bayliss	....	digital compositor
Danny Brunton	....	roto artist
Ditch Doy	....	CG animation
Stefan Drury	....	visual effects coordinator
Michael Elson	....	head of production
Davina Gottschalk	....	composite artist
Davina Gottschalk	....	digital compositor
Ed Hawkins	....	digital compositor
Charley Henley	....	composite artist
Charley Henley	....	digital compositor
Martin Hobbs	....	digital lab production supervisor
Max Horton	....	colourist
Rita Kunzler	....	composite artist
Rita Kunzler	....	digital compositor
Douglas Larmour	....	digital compositor
Amanda Libotte	....	visual effects producer
Natalie MacDonald	....	roto artist
Jolene McCaffrey	....	digital compositor: MPC
Sandra Roach	....	composite artist
Sandra Roach	....	digital compositor
Serdar Simga	....	digital matte painter
Mark Stannard	....	composite artist
Mark Stannard	....	digital compositor
Jelena Stojanovic	....	composite artist
Jelena Stojanovic	....	digital compositor
Glen Swetez	....	CG animation
Ben Thompson	....	CG animator
Baier Tim	....	digital compositor
Daniel Walton	....	digital artist
Sheila Wickens	....	digital compositor: MPC (as Sheila Gorman)
Christine Wong	....	roto artist
Tom Wood	....	visual effects supervisor: MPC

Stunts
Andreas Petrides	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Tom Collins	....	still photographer
Oliver Driscoll	....	assistant camera
Oliver Driscoll	....	clapper loader
Mike Eley	....	camera operator
Nicky George	....	camera trainee
Tony Haughey	....	key grip
Nyika Jancsó	....	additional camera: Hungary
Phil Penfold	....	best boy
Dan Shoring	....	focus puller

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Tamara Gillon	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leigh Nicol	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Sascha Dhillon	....	associate editor

Music Department
Antony Genn	....	musical director
Andy Richards	....	score mixer

Other crew
Andy Ansah	....	football consultant
Tessa Beazley	....	production coordinator
Andy Ewings	....	location liaison
Carlton Jarvis	....	medical advisor
Carlton Jarvis	....	medical special effects
Nathan Jones	....	assistant location manager
Debbie Moore	....	production accountant
Luke Morris	....	production executive
Caroline O'Reilly	....	script supervisor
Ruth Steadman	....	assistant to director
Valeria Costa Amorim	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Caroline Stirling	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Artists Independent Productions
• Film Council
• Hallmark Entertainment

Distributors

• Entertainment Film Distributors (UK)

Special Effects

• Moving Picture Company (MPC)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting and grip equipment
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Blowup  stills processing
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:M (DVD rating) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Apollo Pub, Harrow, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Artists Independent Productions

Trivia:

There were only a maximum of 300 extras used at Wembley Stadium. The Moving Picture Company were responsible for all the visual effects, which included crowd replacement/replication at Wembly and the Maracana. Thanks for the compliment.

Goofs:

Continuity: It is shown in a graphic that striker Rufus Smalls is the highest ever leading goal scorer with 52 goals, however in a later graphic he is shown to have scored 49 goals making him the 2nd highest goal scorer

Quotes:

Karine Bassett: [to Camera] Last night Mike had a dream that Bobby Moore was chasing him round Wembley Stadium shouting "Look what you've done you bloody idiot"

Movie Connections:

Features "Dream Team" (1997)

Funny Mockumentary, but not for everyone

This mock documentary about an England World Cup campaign has many funny moments, but it can only fully be appreciated by people with a good knowledge of English football.

The film is clearly modeled after the famous Channel 4 documentary "Graham Taylor: The impossible job", it only had to ever so slightly caricature its real life model to turn it into farce. As a result, the film has moments where it is hilarious and strangely realistic at the same time. Proof of that came a few years after the film was made, at Euro 2004, when David Beckham missed a penalty in almost exactly the same way (and by the same margin) as the England striker in this film.

Not all the jokes work, e.g. the car salesman turned England coach trying to flock Korean cars to England players just did not not ring true, but others were close enough to real life to make me laugh out loud, e.g. the video tape incident or the Pele interview.

The film will probably find it hard to find an appreciative audience outside Britain (certainly outside Europe), because there are too many footballing in-jokes. For example, when we hear about Mike's playing career with stints at Doncaster Rovers and Crewe Alexandra then this is very telling to a British audience, and the avid football follower in the rest of Europe can just about get the gist of it, but everybody else would be left bemused.