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Local Hero (1983)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Bill Forsyth (written by)
Release Date:
17 February 1983 (USA)
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Plot:
An American oil company sends a man to Scotland to buy up an entire village where they want to build a refinery. But things don't go as expected. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won BAFTA Film Award.
Another 2 wins
&
6 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Film Of The Week & Podcast: In the Loop (Peter Capaldi)
(From GreenCine Daily. 24 July 2009, 12:11 AM, PDT)
Puttnam Urges Filmmakers To Make A Difference In British National Party Battle
(From WENN. 23 June 2009, 6:30 PM, PDT)
(From GreenCine Daily. 24 July 2009, 12:11 AM, PDT)
Puttnam Urges Filmmakers To Make A Difference In British National Party Battle
(From WENN. 23 June 2009, 6:30 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A Classic From (But Not Of) the 80's
more (158 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Burt Lancaster | ... | Felix Happer |
 | Peter Riegert | ... | Mac |
 | Fulton Mackay | ... | Ben |
| Denis Lawson | ... | Urquhart |
| Norman Chancer | ... | Moritz |
| Peter Capaldi | ... | Oldsen |
| Rikki Fulton | ... | Geddes |
| Alex Norton | ... | Watt |
| Jenny Seagrove | ... | Marina |
| Jennifer Black | ... | Stella |
| Christopher Rozycki | ... | Victor |
| Gyearbuor Asante | ... | Rev Macpherson (as Christopher Asante) |
 | John M. Jackson | ... | Cal (as John Jackson) |
 | Dan Ammerman | ... | Donaldson |
| Tam Dean Burn | ... | Roddy |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) |
Denmark:15 |
Iceland:L |
West Germany:12 (f) |
Australia:PG |
Finland:S |
Singapore:PG |
Sweden:Btl |
UK:PG |
USA:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
During the opening credits, Mac can be seen driving his car while a radio station provides the background dialog. The radio station identifies itself as KNOX, which is the same name of the oil company that Mac works for.
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Goofs:
Continuity: During scenes on the beach, snow appears and disappears on the mountains of Rhum in the background between shots.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Tayna chyornykh drozdov (1983)
more
Soundtrack:
The Rocks and the Thunder
more
FAQ
What is the name of the theme song -written by Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits)?more
more (158 total)
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I consider this one of the 10 best movies I've ever seen (and to paraphrase John Cleese from LIFE OF BRIAN, I've seen a few). It is definitely the funniest movie of the 80's, just ahead of RAISING ARIZONA. And although LOCAL HERO and RAISING ARIZONA are quite dissimilar films, they do share one distinction: they were both made in the 80's, yet they go totally against the grain of movies made during that decade. All the shallow, cheap, go for the simple-minded lowest common denominator audience garbage that was so much a part of the 80's is missing here.
What is most special about LOCAL HERO to me is how it not only respects it's audience, but seems to show an against-all-odds affection for humanity that INCLUDES the audience. Bill Forsyth cares about every character that inhabits his film, and in a very gentle, open-handed way he seems to want to share his characters with the audience so that the audience might see the best of themselves in some aspect of those characters.
I can understand why Forsyth didn't develop into a major moviemaker in Hollywood, in the same way that I can understand why some people find this movie boring. But somehow, to me, keeping this movie alive along with all its' other fans is part of a cockeyed optimism about people that, these days, seems to be very much against-the-grain.