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Trainspotting (1996)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
19 July 1996 (USA)
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Tagline:
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a starter home. Choose dental insurance, leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose your future. But why would anyone want to do a thing like that? more
Plot:
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 18 wins
&
13 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(205 articles)
Ewan McGregor's Link Saber
(From FilmExperience. 22 November 2009, 12:25 PM, PST)
Kevin McKidd Talks Call of Duty & Rome Movies
(From Screen Rant. 19 November 2009, 10:17 PM, PST)
(From FilmExperience. 22 November 2009, 12:25 PM, PST)
Kevin McKidd Talks Call of Duty & Rome Movies
(From Screen Rant. 19 November 2009, 10:17 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Hilarious, imaginative and very anti-drugs
more (420 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Ewan McGregor | ... | Renton |
 | Ewen Bremner | ... | Spud |
 | Jonny Lee Miller | ... | Sick Boy |
 | Kevin McKidd | ... | Tommy |
 | Robert Carlyle | ... | Begbie |
 | Kelly Macdonald | ... | Diane |
 | Peter Mullan | ... | Swanney |
 | James Cosmo | ... | Mr. Renton |
 | Eileen Nicholas | ... | Mrs. Renton |
 | Susan Vidler | ... | Allison |
| Pauline Lynch | ... | Lizzy |
 | Shirley Henderson | ... | Gail |
| Stuart McQuarrie | ... | Gavin / US Tourist |
| Irvine Welsh | ... | Mikey Forrester |
| Dale Winton | ... | Game Show Host |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for graphic heroin use and resulting depravity, strong language, sex, nudity and some violence.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:18 |
Iceland:16 |
USA:TV-MA (cable rating) |
Australia:R |
Brazil:18 |
Canada:16+ (Quebec) |
Canada:18A (DVD rating) |
Chile:18 |
Finland:K-16 |
France:-16 |
Germany:16 (bw) |
Hong Kong:III |
Ireland:18 |
Israel:18 |
Italy:VM14 |
Japan:R |
Netherlands:16 |
New Zealand:R18 |
Norway:15 |
Portugal:M/18 |
Singapore:R(A) |
South Africa:18 |
South Korea:18 |
Spain:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 |
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Cameo: [John Hodge (writer)]store security officer in pursuit of an unruly pair in opening scene.
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Goofs:
Continuity: The amount of beer on Begbie's shirt after making the heroin deal.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: [narrating] Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
more
Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: [narrating] Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
more
Movie Connections:
References Le sang d'un poète (1930)
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Soundtrack:
Temptation
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FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is this movie based on a novel?
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more (420 total)
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Renton is a heroin addict. He is one of a group of friends who live their lives day to day and hit to hit. When he tries to kick the habit he manages it for a while but eventually falls back into his old way. Meanwhile his friends are as messed up as he is, whether it be Spud's pathetic addiction, Begbie's violent rages or the fact that he is sleeping with a girl who still goes to school.
When it came out this film was very hyped, the poster became a must-have on every student's bedroom wall and the media went nuts over it's supposed glamorisation of drug use. The plot is very difficult to summarise, as it doesn't really have a narrative flow other than the very disjointed experience of Renton. However it manages to be very funny and imaginative all the way, using many different tricks and touches to be funny. The dialogue is very well written and I must admit I found it a lot funnier than the last few comedies I watched.
The media may have condemned this film as promoting drug use, but I can only imagine that they watched a different film from me. Sure, the film shows drugs as being fun and enjoyable but, like Renton says, `why else would we do it?' However the film clearly shows a massive downside where people's lives are destroyed, people OD and lives go day to day just trying to get high. True, it does show this downside in a stylish and funny way but there is no question that the film is promoting drug use in any sense.
Too often I see films that are style over substance; Trainspotting gets it just perfect, stylish but not at the expense of dialogue, character or film. It is helped by a great cast. McGregor jumped to stardom off the back of this role and he deserved it. He keeps his character both likeable but repulsive at the same time and carries the film with surprising ease. The support cast is excellent, even if they lack the same good character of Renton. Whether it is the comic Bremner, the violent Carlyle or the tragic McKidd. While not all their characters are well developed, they do all give good accounts of themselves, whether it is comic or showing the effects of heroin on their lives.
Overall this is a great film that is refreshing to see now without all the `cult student cool' hype or media feeding frenzy over it's supposed pro-drug approach. It is stylish, funny, depressing and downright sobering.