IMDb > Trainspotting (1996)
Trainspotting
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Trainspotting (1996) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 8)
Trainspotting (1996) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)
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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Danny Boyle
Writers:
Irvine Welsh (novel)
John Hodge (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Trainspotting on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 July 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Crime | Drama more
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:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 18 wins & 13 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(208 articles)
McGregor Preventing Porno Movie
 (From WENN. 26 November 2009, 5:36 PM, PST)
Ewan McGregor's Link Saber
 (From FilmExperience. 22 November 2009, 12:25 PM, PST)
User Comments:
One of the best films of the 1990s. more (420 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
Keith Allen ... Dealer

Kevin Allen ... Andreas
Annie Louise Ross ... Gail's Mother (as Ann-Louise Ross)
Billy Riddoch ... Gail's Father
Fiona Bell ... Diane's Mother
Vincent Friell ... Diane's Father

Hugh Ross ... Man
Victor Eadie ... Man
Kate Donnelly ... Woman
Finlay Welsh ... Sheriff
Eddie Nestor ... Estate Agent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Tom Delmar ... Pub Heavy (uncredited)
Rachael Fleming ... Renton's Nurse (uncredited)
John Hodge ... Store Security Officer (plain clothes) (uncredited)
Andrew Macdonald ... Flat Buyer (uncredited)
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Directed by
Danny Boyle 
 
Writing credits
Irvine Welsh (novel)

John Hodge (screenplay)

Produced by
Andrew Macdonald .... producer
Christopher Figg .... co-producer (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Brian Tufano (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Masahiro Hirakubo 
 
Casting by
Andy Pryor 
Gail Stevens 
 
Production Design by
Kave Quinn 
 
Art Direction by
Tracey Gallacher 
 
Costume Design by
Rachael Fleming 
 
Makeup Department
Graham Johnston .... makeup designer
Robert McCann .... hair stylist
Robert McCann .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Lesley Stewart .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Gilchrist .... first assistant director
Claire Hughes .... second assistant director
Ben Johnson .... third assistant director
 
Art Department
Brian Adams .... carpenter
Mat Bergel .... dressing props
Michelle Bowker .... props trainee
Brian Boyne .... stand-by stagehand
Stuart Clarke .... scenic artist
Frances Connell .... draughtsperson
Penny Crawford .... set dresser
Stewart Cunningham .... stand-by props
Paul Curren .... painter
John Donnelly .... stagehand
Gordon Fitzgerald .... prop master
Colin H. Fraser .... construction manager
Derek Fraser .... construction chargehand
Bobby Gee .... painter
Irene Harris .... art department assistant
Richard Hassall .... carpenter
Piero Jamieson .... dressing props
Scott Keery .... stand-by props
Jean Kerr .... draughtsperson
Peter Knotts .... carpenter
Patterson Lindsay .... plasterer (as Paterson Lindsay)
Niki Longmuir .... assistant art director
Paul McNamara .... props trainee
James Patrick .... painter
Alan Payne .... art department runner
Bert Ross .... stand-by carpenter
Miguel Sapochnik .... art department runner (as Miguel Rosenberg-Sapochnik)
Lorna Stewart .... art department assistant (as Lorna J. Stewart)
John Watt .... carpenter
Stephen Wong .... art department trainee
 
Sound Department
Martin Cantwell .... footsteps editor
Tony Cook .... boom operator
Richard Fettes .... dialogue editor
Ray Merrin .... sound re-recording mixer
Jonathan Miller .... sound effects editor
Colin Nicolson .... sound recordist
Brian Saunders .... sound re-recording mixer
Mark Taylor .... sound re-recording mixer
Noel Thompson .... sound maintenance engineer
James Boyle .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Iain Eyre .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Perry Costello .... rigging supplier (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Grant Mason .... special visual effects
Tony Steers .... special visual effects
 
Stunts
Tom Delmar .... stunt performer
Nrinder Dhudwar .... stunt performer
Terry Forestal .... stunt arranger (as Terry Forrestal)
Richard Hammatt .... stunt performer
Paul Heasman .... stunt performer
Tom Lucy .... stunt performer
Andreas Petrides .... stunt performer
Scott Cowan .... utility stunts (uncredited)
Bill Little .... utility stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Bray .... Steadicam operator
Lewis Buchan .... clapper loader
Willie Cadden .... gaffer
Neil Davidson .... camera trainee
Arthur Donnelly .... electrician
Jimmy Dorigan .... electrician
John Duncan .... generator operator
Jim Kerr .... underwater assistant camera
Liam Longman .... still photographer
Adrian McCarthy .... grip
Mark Ritchie .... best boy
Bob Shipsey .... focus puller (as Robert Shipsey)
Mike Valentine .... underwater camera operator
Liam Daniel .... still photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephen Noble .... wardrobe supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Denton Brown .... assistant editor
Anuree De Silva .... assembly editor
Neil Williams .... assistant editor
Rab Wilson .... editor trainee: FT2
 
Transportation Department
Robbie Ryan .... action vehicles
Eric Smith .... driver: camera car
Gregor Telfer .... driver: props
 
Other crew
William Adams .... security officer
Andrew Bainbridge .... location manager: London
Lene Bausager .... contact: London
Allan Bell .... caterer
Jonathan Berger .... production solicitor
Jenifer Booth .... production accountant
Anne Coulter .... script supervisor
Fiona Cowan .... caterer
Guy Cowan .... caterer
Mischon De Reya .... production solicitor
Eamon Doherty .... special technical advisor
Jackie Douglas .... caterer
James Dunsmuir .... security officer
Isabel Graham .... caterer
Charlie Hiscott .... location assistant: London
Robert How .... location manager
Andy Irvine .... caterer
Kirstin McDougall .... production runner
Dennis McFadden .... security officer
John McVeigh .... caterer
Saul Metzstein .... location assistant
Ian Miller .... security officer
Michael Queen .... floor runner
Aidan Quinn .... floor runner
Jill Robertson .... assistant to producer
Shellie Smith .... production coordinator
David Stewart .... animal handler
Colin Bishop .... post-production script (uncredited)
Tom Delmar .... fight director (uncredited)
 
Thanks
David Aukin .... thanks
David Bryce .... special thanks
Jonathan Channon .... thanks
Carol Anne Docherty .... thanks
Eamon Doherty .... special thanks
Richard Findlay .... thanks
Sara Geater .... thanks
Nicole Jacob .... thanks
Archie MacPherson .... thanks (as Archie Macpherson)
Allon Reich .... thanks
Kay Sheridan .... thanks
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for graphic heroin use and resulting depravity, strong language, sex, nudity and some violence.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
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:
Calton Road, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK more
Company:
Channel Four Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Before he took up screenwriting, John Hodge was a doctor and had to frequently deal with heroin addicts. Some of his experiences have been worked into the script. One such example is the junkies stealing a television set from an old folk’s home. more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: Although the film is set in Edinburgh, you can clearly see the Campsie Fells that are situated to the north of Glasgow, 50 miles away. more
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
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Lammbock (2001) more
Soundtrack:
Two Little Boys more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is this movie based on a novel?
Why is it called "Trainspotting"?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
184 out of 216 people found the following comment useful.
One of the best films of the 1990s., 25 March 2000
10/10
Author: omophagia-2

In the aftermath of _Pulp Fiction_, much of the filmmaking of the 1990s thrived upon attempts to appear "edgy" within the constructs of independent films, or merely to provide empty shock value cliches. And no film ever came close to the sheer cleverness of Tarantino's masterpiece.

_Trainspotting_, however, somehow manages to take the excesses of the mid-90s and rise far, far above the cinematic cliches that it easily could have become. A film that tackles any hot-button social issue can, and usually does, simply become a didactic propaganda piece. Thankfully, _Trainspotting_ is vastly more intelligent in its edginess and its shock.

In order to appreciate _Trainspotting_ fully, the viewer must abandon any preconceptions about what defines truly great cinema, because this film defies convention at nearly every turn. And with the rapid pace of its plot, that's quite a bit of ground to cover.

Though a great deal of the picture's brilliance is derived from director Danny Boyle's consistent rejection of typical cinematic techniques, the most satisfying and _best_ aspect of _Trainspotting_ is that Boyle creates a film that is neither pro-drug or anti-drug. Instead, he maintains a rare objectivity throughout the film, depicting this fascinating array of complex, beautifully acted characters with an honesty that it seldom captured on film. And, given the life that each character lives, it's nearly incomprehensible that a director would refrain from influencing the viewer's impressions in any way, yet that's exactly what Boyle does.

The dialogue-- or at least what portions of the brogue-drenched dialogue American viewers will be able to comprehend-- is alternately hilarious, raw, and brutal. And Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, and Robert Carlyle bring a remarkable compassion and depth to their portrayals of characters that could have easily lapsed into cliche.

Despite its sheer brilliance, _Trainspotting_ is not a film that's easy to watch. The viewer is bombarded with images that transcend visceral discomfort in their horror-- this movie contains two of the most graphic, horrifying scenes I've ever encountered. But, amazingly, none of these elements is used merely for shock value. Though the viewer will be mortified by some of the things that happen onscreen-- the well-documented dive into Scotland's most vile public toilet, for example-- these scenes all make _perfect sense_ within the context of a masterfully told story.

In order to notice all of the subtlety that also exists in _Trainspotting_, repeat viewings are necessary, primarily to reduce some of the most powerful shocks ever-so-slightly, though their effects are never lost entirely. Some of the images will likely haunt even the most cynical, jaded viewer for weeks.

RATING: 10 out of 10. Never patronizing and completely unpretentious, _Trainspotting_ is one of the most daring, unconventional films ever made. It inspires a level of discomfort rivaled by very few movies, because, even at its most graphic, Boyle never insults the viewer with mere shock tactics. Brilliantly acted, directed, and written, with a truly rare objectivity that allows each viewer to interpret its story on his/her own terms.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Trainspotting (1996)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
BEGBY? ravengammer
Important question for fans concerning Britain! helenr_24
Simon 'Sick Boy' vavoomm
contrasting emotions in a single scene jessicajanehutchinson
Renton a bit stupid for robbing the other? henjujohn
Porno needs to be made... jcardarelli543
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