Son of Rambow (2007)

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 | French | Copy | 1980s

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
James Clarke	...	Shaun
Zofia Brooks	...	Tina
Denise Orita	...	Orderly
Eric Sykes	...	Frank
Ed Westwick	...	Lawrence
Lee Long	...	Lawrence's Henchman
Adam Paul Harvey	...	Lawrence's Henchman
Atila Emirali	...	Rambo Double
Dave Shaw	...	Cobbler
Adam Godley	...	Brethren Leader
Asa Butterfield	...	Brethren Boy
Adam Buxton	...	Science Teacher
Edgar Wright	...	Metal Work Teacher
Imogen Aboud	...	Young Mary
Louise Jennings	...	Nurse
Sam Spivack	...	Policeman
Robert Styles	...	Medic
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clive Elkington	...	Boy in Disco (uncredited)
Natalie Hallam	...	Mary's Mother Flashback (uncredited)

Directed by
Garth Jennings

Writing credits
Garth Jennings		(written by)

Produced by
Bristol Baughan	....	executive producer
Christian Baute	....	associate producer
Trevor Evans	....	producer: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Benjamin Goldhirsh	....	executive producer
Nick Goldsmith	....	producer
Peter Nadermann	....	associate producer
Hengameh Panahi	....	executive producer
Michel Reilhac	....	associate producer
Jane Robertson	....	line producer
Meinolf Zurhorst	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Joby Talbot

Cinematography by
Jess Hall		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dominic Leung

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Joel Collins

Art Direction by
Robyn Paiba

Set Decoration by
Sara Neighbour

Costume Design by
Harriet Cawley

Makeup Department
Cathy Burczak	....	daily makeup assistant (as Kathy Burchek)
Julie Dartnell	....	daily makeup assistant
Paul Gooch	....	daily makeup assistant
Sarah Love	....	chief hairdresser
Ameneh Mahloudji	....	makeup assistant
Laura McIntosh	....	daily makeup assistant
Sally Anne Sexton	....	daily makeup assistant (as Sally Ann Sexton)
Julie Thom	....	daily makeup assistant
Nathalie Tissier	....	makeup designer
Tania Wanstall	....	daily makeup assistant

Production Management
Pierre Geismar	....	pre-production manager: Celluloid Dreams
Pascal Metge	....	production manager
Bobby Prince	....	unit manager: locations

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carlos Fidel	....	second assistant director
Henry Forsyth	....	third assistant director: daily
Daniel Gill	....	third assistant director (as Dan Gill)
Jon Hollis	....	second unit director
Richard Styles	....	first assistant director

Art Department
George Ausburger	....	carpenter
Caroline Barclay	....	stand-by art director
Stan Cook	....	prop storeman
Cosmo	....	painter
Peter Davis	....	stand-by painter
Billy Edwards	....	prop buyer
John Fox	....	chargehand dressing props
Pip Fox	....	stand-by propman
Bruce Gallup	....	painter
Andrew Golding	....	construction manager
David Grey	....	painter
Kevin Herbert	....	stand-by propman
Peter Hodge	....	stand-by carpenter
Guy Hunt	....	carpenter
Seeta Lingam	....	assistant art director
Ben Lobb	....	painter
David O'Reilly	....	illustrator
Eleanor Shanks	....	art department runner
Dave Siddons	....	stagehand
Andy Skipsey	....	second dressing propman
Lance Smith	....	painter
Peter Taylor	....	carpenter
Jamie Wilkinson	....	prop master

Sound Department
Paul Ackerman	....	foley editor
Karin Breitburd	....	adr supervisor: France (as Karine Breitbud)
Jonny Crew	....	adr editor
Jonny Crew	....	dialogue editor
Sam Davey	....	adr recording assistant
Olivier Dô Hùu	....	sound mixer (as Olivier Dô-Hùu)
Judith Guittier	....	foley artist: Les Auditoriums de Joinville
Laurent Lévy	....	foley artist: Les Auditoriums de Joinville (as Laurent Levy)
Francis Perrard	....	sound consultant: Dolby
James Perry	....	adr recordist
Guillaume Sciama	....	sound recordist
Joseph Stracey	....	supervising sound editor (as Joseph Park-Stracey)
Chris Sturmer	....	sound consultant: dolby
Naomi Needham	....	sound recordist: documentary (uncredited)
Emmanuelle Villard	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Jean-Alexandre Villemer	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
David Vranken	....	sound trainee (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ken Batten	....	engineer: Asylum Models and Effects
Conor Breen	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
John Cormican	....	prosthetic supervisor: Asylum Models and Effects
Simon Craze	....	model shop assistant: Asylum Models and Effects
Mark Curtis	....	model and miniatures supervisor: Asylum Models and Effects
Kerry Flynn	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Rachel Frost	....	fabricator: Asylum Models and Effects
Andy Geddes	....	foam technician: Asylum Models and Effects
Steve Hagen	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Greg Keely	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Nesbeth Khan	....	special effects administrator: Asylum Models and Effects
Sally Knight	....	model shop assistant: Asylum Models and Effects
Mark Mason	....	special effects supervisor: Asylum Models and Effects
Kate McConnell	....	fabrication supervisor: Asylum Models and Effects
Heidi Munn	....	lead special effects buyer: Asylium Models and Effects
Sunita Parmar	....	prosthetic assistant: Asylum Models and Effects
David Plewis	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Geraldine Purcell-Lynch	....	special effects administrator: Asylum Models and Effects
James Reynolds	....	special effects buyer: Asylum Models and Effects
Adam Sankey	....	model shop supervisor: Asylum Models and Effects
Pete Seddon	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
John Sims	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Tony Skinner	....	engineer: Asylum Models and Effects
Jenny Spencer	....	fabricator: Asylium Models and Effects
Carmina Spies	....	special effects administrator: Asylum Models and Effects
Lee Sutton	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Nigel Swift	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Henrietta Thomas	....	fabricator: Asyum Models and Effects
Andy Walsh	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Mark Ward	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
John Wingrave	....	model maker: Asylum Models and Effects
Dean Ford	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Neil Toddy Todd	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Joss Flores	....	Shake artist: Scratch Productions
Joby Hollis	....	Shake artist: Scratch Productions
Jon Hollis	....	lead flame artist: Scratch Productions
Jon Hollis	....	visual effects supervisor
Sean Mathiesen	....	CG supervisor (as Sean Matheison)
Sean Mathiesen	....	lead cg artist: Scratch Productions
David O'Reilly	....	animator: Scratch Productions

Stunts
John Fell	....	wire man
Paul Heasman	....	stunt coordinator
Rob Hunt	....	stunt performer: Didier
Ian Kay	....	stunt performer: Carter
Paul Lowe	....	stunt performer: Will (as Paul Vincent Lowe)
Kevin Matthews	....	wire man
Sean Rogers	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Robert Schofield	....	wire rigging (as Bob Schofield)
Roy Weatherley	....	wire man

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Alderton	....	stand-by rigger
Denzil Armour-Brown	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Stewart Bell	....	additional grip
Julian Bucknall	....	focus puller
Jason Bully	....	focus puller: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Geoff Burden	....	additional electrician
Luke Chisholm	....	second grip
Vernon Connolly	....	additional electrician (as Vernon Connelly)
Nic Cupac	....	camera grip
Chris Dale	....	clapper loader
Toby Day	....	camera trainee (as Tobias Day)
Lawrence Dodson	....	additional electrician
Lol Duffy	....	additional electrician
Paul Edwards	....	Steadicam operator
Toby Eedy	....	additional clapper loader
John Fenelly	....	rigger (as John Fennelly)
Maggie Ferreira	....	still photographer
Eammon Fitzgerald	....	electrician (as Eamon 'The Swerve' Fitzgerald)
Steve Hideg	....	crane technician
Mac Kenny	....	director of photography: documentary
Martin King	....	video assist operator: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Adrian McCarthy	....	second grip
Keith McNamara	....	additional focus puller
Jennie Paddon	....	additional clapper loader (as Jenny Paddon)
Robert Palmer	....	focus puller: second unit
Glen Patrick	....	generator operator (as Glen 'Crash' Patrick)
Toby Plaskitt	....	grip: second unit
George Powell	....	crane technician
Bernie Prentice	....	gaffer: Underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Danny Preston	....	camera loader: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Vince Shaw	....	rigger
Mark Silk	....	camera operator: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Mark Silk	....	director of photography: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Rob Snell	....	additional electrician
Mark Taylor	....	gaffer
Tim Wiley	....	best boy
Ben Wilson	....	camera operator: second unit
Sarah Woodward	....	clapper loader: second unit
Lee Wooster	....	additional electrician
Andy Livesley	....	camera truck (uncredited)

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting: Lipsync
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting: Lipsync
Amelia Hashemi	....	casting assistant
Marie de Laubier	....	casting director: Paris

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gemma Johnson	....	costume stand-by: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Fiona MacKinnon	....	costume stand-by (as Fiona Mackinnon)
Alison McLaughlin	....	costume supervisor
Deb Milner	....	costume stand-by: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Valerie Perkins	....	costume assistant
Zahra Robbins	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Serge Anthony	....	colorist
Tom Balogh	....	on-set grading colourist
Lita Blechman	....	post-production coordinator: Scratch Productions
Alison Carter	....	first assistant editor
Jonathan Davies	....	executive producer: Glassworks
Joss Flores	....	second assistant editor
Tareq Kubaisi	....	senior colorist: Glassworks (as Tareq Al Kubaisi)
Vic Parker	....	colorist: Glassworks
Amanda Ryan	....	telecine producer: Glassworks

Music Department
Christopher Austin	....	conductor
Christopher Austin	....	orchestrator
Luke Bedford	....	orchestral part preparation
Robert Broadley	....	orchestral part preparation
Mick Clark	....	music supervisor
Sophie Cornet	....	music editor
Sue Crawshaw	....	music supervisor
Marcia Crayford	....	music leader
Ben Foskett	....	orchestral part preparation
Ben Foskett	....	orchestrator
Isobel Griffiths	....	music contractor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Jake Jackson	....	assistant music engineer: Air Studios
Catherine Manners	....	score coordinator
Chuck Norman	....	music programmer
Joby Talbot	....	orchestrator
Artem Vassiliev	....	orchestrator
Mark Wyllie	....	music mixer
Mark Wyllie	....	music recordist

Transportation Department
Garry Abbott	....	driver: minubus (as Gary Abbot)
Pat Coleman	....	unit driver
Nick 'Nocker' Curson	....	driver: construction (as Nick Curson)
Erol Halil	....	unit driver
Rob Hempenstall	....	unit driver
Simon Jones	....	transportation captain
Alan Lewandowski	....	driver: prop van
Charlie Morris	....	driver: construction
Luke Chisholm	....	driver: grip truck (uncredited)

Other crew
Naima Abed	....	legal services: France, Celluloid Dreams
David Alexander	....	production runner
Jennie Armstrong	....	work experience runner
Jamie Atkins	....	caterer
Lita Blechman	....	assistant production coordinator
David Broder	....	location manager
Julie Burnham	....	unit nurse
Vanessa Ciszewski	....	production coordinator: Celluloid Dreams
Sarah Clarke	....	legal services: France, Richards Butler
Delphine Clot	....	legal services: France, Celluloid Dreams
Cuong Dang	....	second assistant production coordinator
Gayle Dickie	....	production runner
Lisa Dumpleton	....	location runner
Steven 'Fluffy' Dyke	....	caterer
Elliott Evans	....	stand-in/double: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Jenny Fitzgerald	....	chaperone
Ian Ford	....	location security
Mick Hurrell	....	health & safety officer
Amy Irvine	....	stand in: dallies
Steve Joberns	....	auditor: Shipleys
Gemma Johnson	....	chaperone
Margaret Johnson	....	chaperone
Chris Judd	....	work experience runner (as Christopher Judd)
Georgina Kelly	....	accounts trainee
Miles Ketley	....	legal services: UK, Wiggin
Deepti Khurana	....	legal services: UK, Wiggin
John Lane	....	catering supervisor
Anne-Lise Le Brun	....	production runner: Celluloid Dreams (as Anne-Lise Lebrun)
Samuel Leek	....	location assistant (as Sam Leek)
Geneviève Lhote	....	assistant: Hengamch Panabi (as Genevieve Lhote)
Danièle Maleville	....	project manager: Scanlab (as Danielle Maleville)
Michael Maxtone-Smith	....	legal services: France, Richards Butler
Deb Milner	....	chaperone
Claire Missingham	....	choreographer
Zoe Morgan	....	script supervisor
Emmanuel Nguyen	....	accounts assistant: Celluloid Dreams
Katharine Otway	....	legal services: UK, Wiggin
Billy Pegg	....	location security
Richard Phillips	....	legal services: France, Richards Butler
Tina Pisano	....	accounts trainee (as Tina Tisano)
Samar Pollitt	....	extras coordinator
Gemma Louise Read	....	floor runner (as Gemma Read)
Tonie Romane	....	child tutor
Franck Sauyineau	....	accountant: Celluloid Dreams
James Silk	....	stand-in/double: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Claude Sitruk	....	chaperone
Phil Stoole	....	making-of director
Ron Taylor	....	laboratory liaison: Technicolor Creative Services
Dan Travers	....	safety diver: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Karina Userovici	....	legal services: France, Celluloid Dreams
Tommaso Vergallo	....	head of digital cinema: Duboi
Damien Wasylkiw	....	making-of director
Sheena Wichary	....	production coordinator
Laura Windebank	....	additional runner
Simon Windsor	....	accountant
Alex Chapman	....	assistant production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Richard Crenna	....	thanks
Brian Dennehy	....	thanks (as Brian Dennehey)
Ruth McCance	....	special thanks
Jan Pinkava	....	thanks
Sarah Radclyffe	....	special thanks
Sylvester Stallone	....	thanks
James Wilson	....	special thanks (as Jim Wilson)

Production Companies

• Hammer & Tongs
• Celluloid Dreams
• Good Film Productions (in association with) (as Good)
• Network Movie Film-und Fernsehproduktion (as Network Movie)
• Reason Pictures
• Soficinéma 2
• Soficinéma 3
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
• arte France Cinéma

Distributors

• Celluloid Dreams (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Optimum Releasing (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Paramount Vantage (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2009) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Senator Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Asylum Models & Effects (special effects)
• Effects Associates
• Scratch Productions (visual effects)

Other Companies

• A-Z Animals Limited  animals (as A-Z Animals)
• AFM Lighting  lighting services
• AGN Shipleys  auditor (as Shipleys)
• AON Insurers  production insurance
• Air Lyndhurst Studios  music recording facility
• Bellwood Media  product placement
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Celluloid Dreams  legal services: France
• Celluloid Dreams  sales
• Cinéstéréo  optical sound (as Cine Stereo)
• Cofiloisirs  banking
• Dovidis  adr recording facility: France
• Duboi  negative cutting
• Efferis  prop truck
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Film Flow  prop truck
• Film Four  development
• Gersh Agency, The  filmmakers representation
• Glassworks  digital film colorists
• Intimate Studios  music recording facility
• J&J International  catering
• JHA Film Safety Partnership  health and safety (as JHA Safety)
• L.T.C.  print laboratory (as LTC)
• Leelium Balloons  lighting balloons
• Les Auditoriums de Joinville  foley recording facility: France
• Lipsync Productions  voice casting (as Lipsync)
• Moviemakers  facilities vehicles
• On Set Location Services  grip truck (as On-Set Locations)
• OnSight  HDSR deck hire
• Panalux  film lighting
• Richards Butler International Law Firms  legal services: France (as Richards Butler)
• Riverside Studios Ltd.  foley recording facility
• S.I.S.  sound mix theatre (as SIS)
• Scanlab  videos
• Slosslaw  legal services: US
• Technicolor Creative Services  film processing
• Timber Tops  animals (as TimberTops)
• Tri-Track Sync  synchronization (as Tri-Track)
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  adr recording facility (as Videosonics)
• Watertight Productions  underwater unit
• Wavevend Limited  mobiles and walkie talkies
• Wiggin  legal services: UK

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 Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer & Tongs

Trivia:

Director Garth Jennings says that the round yellow sticker on the back seat of the bicycle Will Proudfoot rides to take Lee Carter home from school was used by the studio Props Department to designate that this prop was reserved for a shoot, but the film crew had neglected to remove it.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Will is getting the stew pot out of the oven, he places it on the table using a cloth with two pockets (at 29:25). In the next shot from behind (at 29:47), he is taking the lid off with his bare hand, but in the next shot from the front (at 29:49), the lid is being held through the cloth.

Quotes:

Will: O my God, I've come to say thank you for your love today. Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me. Guard me in the dark of night, and in the morning, send your light. Amen.

Movie Connections:

References The Great Escape (1963)

Soundtrack:

Cars

A Fantastic Movie About the Wonders of Childhood

I recently took this movie in at the 2007 Sundance film festival and am quite glad that I made the effort to sneak this little gem in. The movie was made by the very talented Garth Jennings of the famed music video production team Hammer and Tongs known for their visionary music videos and previously Hitcherhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Set in an average English town in 1982 the movie revolves around the interesting life of a 12-13 year old boy named Will whose family is part of a strict religious group that prohibits him from having any friends outside the group and strictly forbids him from watchings any TV or Movies. Without these usual sources of childhood entertainment Will finds other ways to pass the time, namely in drawing out his flourishing imagination that he scribbles and doodles all over the pages of his bible. One day Will unexpectedly crosses paths with the school terror Carter who also happens to be an amateur bootlegger at the local movie theater. Will, whose never seen a movie before is caught off guard when at Carters home he sees Rambo playing on the TV, the visuals of the movie explode in Will's imaginative mind and from there on out Will is forever changed. An unlikely friendship begins between Will and Carter as they begin production on Carter's home movie masterpiece, Son of Rambow. The two children begin coming closer before their friendship is tested by a new-wave French exchange student Didier Revolve. As the friendship between Will and Carter begins getting twisted so does his relationship with his family, as the church group starts taking notice of Wills more worldly interests. In the end Will must stay true to himself and the film must go on.

The performances by all the children were exceptional, especially Carter who is the movie's sparkplug and provides comic relief frequently. As well as Didier the french exchange student who is a text book example of how absurd the whole new wave trends of the day were, his appearances are all wildly amusing. The movie also has a fair amount of quirky animations and dream sequences that offer visual pleasures for the eyes and bring childhood doodles to life. The movie is just a brilliant little idea and it plays out so very well in all the settings and the characters are extremely likable in all manners, the movie should play great for almost all ages