An American oil company has plans for a new refinery and sends someone to Scotland to buy up an entire village, but things don't go as expected.An American oil company has plans for a new refinery and sends someone to Scotland to buy up an entire village, but things don't go as expected.An American oil company has plans for a new refinery and sends someone to Scotland to buy up an entire village, but things don't go as expected.
- Won 1 BAFTA Award
- 4 wins & 6 nominations total
Gyearbuor Asante
- Rev Macpherson
- (as Christopher Asante)
John M. Jackson
- Cal
- (as John Jackson)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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Featured reviews
nothing else like it
There's the great movies with a capital "M" (Casablanca, Strangelove, Kane) and then there's the great movies which feel like they've been made for the deepest, quietest, quirkiest parts of you and you alone - the small gems. And this one, in my view, is the sparkliest of these gems - a little masterpiece of a rumination on just how beautiful things can be when disparate paths in life intercept each other just the tiniest bit out of phase, never perfectly according to plan, and on how the deepest transformations seem to proceed from the smallest disjoints of orientation and expectation. It is a beautiful dollhouse of a film, whose success lies in its excruciating attention to and understatement of detail. Beautiful Mark Knopler strains suffuse the film's quieter moments, while subtle performances and simply lovely dialogue provide the backbone.
wonderful
Oddly enough, from the comments thus far about the film, nobody, as in not a single viewer, has commented on the absolutely stunning performance by Peter Riegert. It is the best of right on low key performances of all time: if somebody told him that leprosy had just overtaken the island he might have batted one eyelash. Yet no matter how low the key it is never off key. And yes, yes, it has a lot of other things going for it, but nothing like his performance. Somehow the director got the right guy for the job, so much so, that it is impossible to conjure anybody in all Hollywood that could have done so well. Moreover, the movie moves about him so tightly, and he takes the load so effortlessly, it is almost not surprising that nobody has noticed just how good he is here. In fact were there even a smidgen of fireworks from him, this would just be another movie. Time is gonna treat this film very well, when ninety percent of most films are forgotten, this will continue to rise in the ranks of the remembered.
the music in the restaurant scene
an absolutely amazing film.... I am trying to find out if anyone knows the title of the music in the restaurant scene.... its the same every time he goes in there whether he's having breakfast,lunch or dinner.... does anyone know the title of it?
I adore the film, and everywhere i search i can only find the mark knopfler sound track..... there must be a way to find out where the song came from.... but it is not part of the original score.... there has to be a fan somewhere who knows this information,i simply must know!!!!!!
I love its whimsical, twee loveliness.It truly is a beautiful film to watch over and over again....it gets better every time.
I adore the film, and everywhere i search i can only find the mark knopfler sound track..... there must be a way to find out where the song came from.... but it is not part of the original score.... there has to be a fan somewhere who knows this information,i simply must know!!!!!!
I love its whimsical, twee loveliness.It truly is a beautiful film to watch over and over again....it gets better every time.
A modern Fairy Tale
The First Time I saw this movie I was a little boy. It's one of my father's favortie movies and I watched it again. This is movie is one of the quirkiest films ever. The way it's funny is unique, The characters are so real that they can be you or next door neighbor. Mark Knopfler's music only adds to the greatness. 3 of the most memorable scenes are when Mac (Peter Riegert) and Danny (Peter Capaldi) run over an injured rabbit in the middle of driving. Another Great scene is when Gordon (Denis Lawson giving a great performance.) Cooks the rabbit, and the final scene is one of the greatest in film, when Victor (Christopher Rozycki) Sings "Lonesome for a Lone Star Man like Me." I can't get enough of that scene it's just perfect. If you want to see a modern fairy tale today see Local Hero.
Minor Classic
In this cynical age of image counting for all and increasingly small minded audiences being baffled by anything approaching subtlety, this film represents a much needed haven for the more cerebral viewer. It's pitch perfect lampooning of the massive gulf between supposedly similar cultures is a joy to behold over and over.
That fact that not much really happens is, in fact the whole point. It is a modern comedy of manners, the humour being in how characters react to alien situations.
It is exactly the kind of film Ealing studios would have produced had they survived into the 80's, and as such is to be praised for trying to show how simply taking an off centre look at real life can inform and entertain more eloquently than those who shout their satire from the rooftops.
That fact that not much really happens is, in fact the whole point. It is a modern comedy of manners, the humour being in how characters react to alien situations.
It is exactly the kind of film Ealing studios would have produced had they survived into the 80's, and as such is to be praised for trying to show how simply taking an off centre look at real life can inform and entertain more eloquently than those who shout their satire from the rooftops.
Did you know
- TriviaAfter the movie came out, many people went in search of the village with the red phone booth. It can be found in the village of Pennan on the Moray Coast, Scotland.
- GoofsMarina and Danny are looking at what Marina says are grey seals but which are Californian fur seals, which aren't native to Scotland.
- Alternate versionsCBS edited 14 minutes from this film for its 1987 network television premiere.
- SoundtracksLocal Hero
by Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Місцевий герой
- Filming locations
- Pennan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK(Ferness - includes red phone box)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £3,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $5,895,761
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $23,567
- Feb 21, 1983
- Gross worldwide
- $6,016,727
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