Son of Rambow (2007)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Garth Jennings

Writer:

Garth Jennings (written by)

Release Date:

4 April 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Make Believe. Not War.

Plot:

During a long English summer in the early 1980s, two schoolboys from differing backgrounds set out to make a film inspired by First Blood (1982).

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | School | Film Making | 1980s | Plymouth Brethren

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Neil Dudgeon	...	Joshua
Bill Milner	...	Will Proudfoot
Jessica Hynes	...	Mary Proudfoot (as Jessica Stevenson)
Anna Wing	...	Grandma
Will Poulter	...	Lee Carter
Tallulah Evans	...	Jess Proudfoot
Emilie Chesnais	...	French Teacher (as Emile Chesnais)
Paul Ritter	...	Geography Teacher
Finola McMahon	...	Gail Graham
Rachel Mureatroyd	...	Marie Plante
Taylor Richardson	...	David Smart
Peter Robinson	...	Lucas Dupont
Charlie Thrift	...	Duncan Miller
Jules Sitruk	...	Didier Revol
Sam Kubrick-Finney	...	Danny

Also Known As:

Der Sohn von Rambow (Germany)
Le fils de Rambow (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and reckless behavior.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

France | UK | Germany

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG | Ireland:12A | Australia:PG | UK:12A | Finland:K-11 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43681) | Sweden:7 | Netherlands:6 | New Zealand:PG | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer & Tongs

Trivia:

Several instances of CG modification during post production are pointed out in the DVD commentary. At 1:17, 86:49, and 90:23 in the theater, both the SMOKING and NO SMOKING signs were added. At 43:48 where Lee Carter pinches the Guide Dogs for the Blind statue, "OPEN 5 DAYS A WEEK" was added on the store marque. At 57:29 the sign "Sixth Form Common Room" was added. At 58:00 the clock in the school clock tower showed the wrong time for the scene, so it was changed.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The First Blood marquee in the opening shot says that the film has a "15" rating. The BBFC did not implement these certificates until 1984/85 with the introduction of the Video Recordings Act. In reality the film was rated "AA," which means "Passed as suitable only for exhibition to persons of fourteen years and over. When a programme includes an 'AA' film no persons under fourteen years can be admitted," so essentially it's pre-VRA equivalent.

Quotes:

Will: Good morning, Lee Carter. I'm here to help you!
Lee Carter: Jesus Christ!

Movie Connections:

Features First Blood (1982)

Soundtrack:

Peek a Boo

I'll Pray for you Lee Carter

Greetings again from the darkness. The Sundance favorite is finally making the rounds and I found this to be a very entertaining and charming film, despite its relative simplicity.

A semi-autobiographical piece from writer/director Garth Jennings ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"), the film focuses on the escapades of two young boys making a movie. Along the way, many topics are addressed ... family, religion, friendship, loyalty, idol-worship, etc.

Bill Milner (as Will Proudfoot) and Will Poulter (as Lee Carter) are the newcomers who play the boys. Poulter is a near reincarnation of River Phoenix as Chris Chambers ("Stand By Me") as he carries so much bottled up emotion stemming from his longing for attention. Milner's character is the more sensitive, creative type being suffocated by his family's religion. Quite a pair.

As a commentary on film and celebrity, the two boy's world is rocked when their film-making is discovered. Now everyone wants a piece including the French exchange student, Didier, played hysterically well by Jules Sitruk. Character issues to follow!

The boys are so endearing that most kids would enjoy the film and certainly most adults who were still growing up in the 80's will get a kick out of it.