Local Hero's 30th birthday

This weekend we celebrate with writer-director Bill Forsyth and stars Denis Lawson and Peter Riegert

share this article

“I wonder what the poor people are doing tonight.” This weekend is the 30th anniversary of one of the best-loved films in British cinematic history. There are louder movies than Local Hero, comedies with bigger laughs and more telegraphic intentions. But one of the reasons Bill Forsyth’s pocket masterpiece has earned a place in so many hearts is the gentleness of wry wit, the modesty of its wisdom, and underpinning it all a profound humanity.

This weekend we celebrate the birthday of Local Hero in the company of its writer-director Bill Forsyth and its two stars, Denis Lawson and Peter Riegert. Make sure you’re there to blow out the candles. Until then, here are three questions.

  1. How many 10ps you need to call Houston from a remote Scottish fishing village?
  2. How many grains of sand you can hold in your hand?
  3. How many Gs in “bugger off”?

Comments

Permalink
I'm ashamed to see I missed this film when it was released not seeing until it was shown late one night on TV over the Festive Holiday period late '87. Since then I have been captivated by it. It is without doubt my favourite movie of all time & I never will tire of watching it constantly discovering new things about it. A Masterpiece of subtle gentle comedy & observation and for me the ultimate feel good movie. Thank You Bill (& David & Mark) :-)

Add comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

rating

0

explore topics

share this article

the future of arts journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more film

Joachim Lang's docudrama focuses on Goebbels as master of fake news
The BFI has unearthed an unsettling 1977 thriller starring Tom Conti and Gay Hamilton
Estranged folk duo reunites in a classy British comedy drama
Marianne Elliott brings Raynor Winn's memoir to the big screen
Living off grid might be the meaning of happiness
Tender close-up on young love, grief and growing-up in Iceland
Eye-popping Cold War sci-fi epics from East Germany, superbly remastered and annotated
Artful direction and vivid detail of rural life from Wei Liang Chiang
Benicio del Toro's megalomaniac tycoon heads a star-studded cast
Tom Cruise's eighth M:I film shows symptoms of battle fatigue
A comedy about youth TV putting trends above truth
A wise-beyond-her-years teen discovers male limitations in a deft indie drama