Help to I.D. this U.K. movie
October 29, 2005 10:04 AM Subscribe
Put on your movie sleuthing hats on, I'm being itched by a movie I saw some time ago and want to ID it and scratch that itch once and for all.
Here's the info:
I live in NYC and saw it on cable in the mid 90's, most probably the BRAVO network.
The film is from the U.K. or Ireland. It is set and was filmed between 1976-1983, though I believe I can narrow that down a 'lil bit to 1978-1981.
It was an ensemble cast of college aged youths (18-23) like the Commitments, meaning there was no main character that I believe that the movie was centered on.
Their situation was that the economy was in the pits and there were very few opportunities for employment and these kids came up with a scheme of sorts to satisfy their empty pockets. They also all seemed to still live at home with their parents/families.
The scheme though I barely remember. Now is the time when the facts and clues dry up.
But one of the youths got a van/snack truck and they might have salvaged it to use it for stealing plumbing pipes? or copper tubing?. I sooo don't remember. Their activities pick up a head of steam and gets off the ground.
The last half or third of the movie took place in the warehouse or storage building where they kept their loot or continued their scheme. I remember a loading dock where the van/snack truck was parked and they offloaded their stuff. The story also focuses on a kind of coming of age theme. Some of the youths, because of their enterprise, hook up or get closer romantically. The motley bunch each have their distinct roles/archetypes within the enterprise and movie. Meaning it kind of reminded me of the Bad News Bears variety of personalities (ie: the fat lazy catcher, the mexican non-english speaking kids, the rebel, the nerd, the wimp etc etc..)
The whole tone was pretty lighthearted. Sort of slice of life, not a suspense heist caper type of thing. They just sort of find their niche in the grey market with their scheme. Of course the whole enterprise ends or unravels in some way.
But again, the characters were empathetic and we kinda root for them instead of wait to see how they will brought to justice.
That's all I have in my memory banks. I figured the movie must be of some note because I'm sure there are tons of movies made in the UK, but even fewer are brought over to broadcast in the States. So it must have had some sort of appeal commercially to air here.
Many Many Thanks in advance
Here's the info:
I live in NYC and saw it on cable in the mid 90's, most probably the BRAVO network.
The film is from the U.K. or Ireland. It is set and was filmed between 1976-1983, though I believe I can narrow that down a 'lil bit to 1978-1981.
It was an ensemble cast of college aged youths (18-23) like the Commitments, meaning there was no main character that I believe that the movie was centered on.
Their situation was that the economy was in the pits and there were very few opportunities for employment and these kids came up with a scheme of sorts to satisfy their empty pockets. They also all seemed to still live at home with their parents/families.
The scheme though I barely remember. Now is the time when the facts and clues dry up.
But one of the youths got a van/snack truck and they might have salvaged it to use it for stealing plumbing pipes? or copper tubing?. I sooo don't remember. Their activities pick up a head of steam and gets off the ground.
The last half or third of the movie took place in the warehouse or storage building where they kept their loot or continued their scheme. I remember a loading dock where the van/snack truck was parked and they offloaded their stuff. The story also focuses on a kind of coming of age theme. Some of the youths, because of their enterprise, hook up or get closer romantically. The motley bunch each have their distinct roles/archetypes within the enterprise and movie. Meaning it kind of reminded me of the Bad News Bears variety of personalities (ie: the fat lazy catcher, the mexican non-english speaking kids, the rebel, the nerd, the wimp etc etc..)
The whole tone was pretty lighthearted. Sort of slice of life, not a suspense heist caper type of thing. They just sort of find their niche in the grey market with their scheme. Of course the whole enterprise ends or unravels in some way.
But again, the characters were empathetic and we kinda root for them instead of wait to see how they will brought to justice.
That's all I have in my memory banks. I figured the movie must be of some note because I'm sure there are tons of movies made in the UK, but even fewer are brought over to broadcast in the States. So it must have had some sort of appeal commercially to air here.
Many Many Thanks in advance
Response by poster: StickyCarpet for president!!!
Did you know of or see the movie? Or did you put some skills to task?
Would It be too much to ask about your Google/IMDB Fu?
The old give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach him to fish feed him for a lifetime applies here for me....
posted by stavx at 10:55 AM on October 29, 2005
Did you know of or see the movie? Or did you put some skills to task?
Would It be too much to ask about your Google/IMDB Fu?
The old give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach him to fish feed him for a lifetime applies here for me....
posted by stavx at 10:55 AM on October 29, 2005
Response by poster: I just was curious if it was the FU at work..because I totally have attempted to find this title a few times and tried to Google/IMDB mojo quite a few times and never got the digits EVAR..
posted by stavx at 10:57 AM on October 29, 2005
posted by stavx at 10:57 AM on October 29, 2005
The dialogue might be a bit hard to understand if you're not from Glasgow, but That Sinking Feeling really caught the bombed-out look that the city had in the 70s.
Forsyth went on to direct bigger things (Local Hero), but TSF and Gregory's Girl (without the dreadful dubbed-in Scottish-Lite accents for the US release) are his best.
posted by scruss at 11:07 AM on October 29, 2005
Forsyth went on to direct bigger things (Local Hero), but TSF and Gregory's Girl (without the dreadful dubbed-in Scottish-Lite accents for the US release) are his best.
posted by scruss at 11:07 AM on October 29, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:14 AM on October 29, 2005