Local Hero

The highlight of my week was two viewings of the Criterion Blu-Ray edition of Bill Forsyth’s bittersweet comedy Local Hero. I decided a revisit of this classic was in order after a too-long absence of three years and found it even more charming, poignant, and engaging than I remembered. It’s on the list of one of my top movies of all time and I’m not alone. There are legions of fans out there who love this sleeper hit. We may not have our own fan convention, but this is a special little film that is always worth celebrating.
 
“What makes this material really work is the low-key approach of the writer-director, Bill Forsyth, who also made the charming Gregory's Girl and has the patience to let his characters gradually reveal themselves to the camera. He never hurries, and as a result, Local Hero never drags: Nothing is more absorbing than human personalities, developed with love and humor.” 
 
Roger Ebert
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​The film boasts a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is counted as one of the best films of the last century. It even made the list of top 100 films to see before you die. There is a reason for all of this love, and it’s definitely worth exploring.  
 
Local Hero could never be made today, at least not by Hollywood. There is no major antagonist (unless of course you count the scoundrel who killed and cooked Trudy), and the pace is best described as leisurely. The characters discover themselves and others in a way that never seems overblown, forced or, god forbid, dramatic. Most of the credit goes to the Scottish Director, Bill Forsyth. Forsyth’s direction is spot on and his screenplay never misses an opportunity to exploit its strengths. Perfect length, perfect build, damn near perfect movie.
 
Producer David Puttnam, now sitting on the Labor Benches in the House of Lords and the Academy Award winning producer for Chariots of Fire, came up with the idea and approached Forsyth. Forsyth ran with it and, in my humble opinion, cinematic history was made. It’s worth noting that Puttnam was hired to run Columbian Studios shortly after Local Hero. The results were a disaster, Puttnam making no friends in Hollywood by announcing that film budgets and star salaries had gotten out of hand. Considering the product coming out now, his thinking was way ahead of his time.

​This jewel of a film also features one of my favorite movie scores. Almost as sweet and poignant as the movie itself, Mark Knopfler’s first soundtrack won a BAFTA Award nomination for best score and amazingly became almost more popular than the movie itself. The title track, Going Home, is played before every Newcastle United FC home game and is the last song played at every Dire Straits concert to signal the night is over and it’s time for the audience to bugger off.  

​There are some top notch performances in this film from everyone involved. Peiter Riegert (Boon from Animal House) is amazing and Burt Lancaster, as Happer, is nothing short of pure joy. This film may have been made with very little conflict but it more than makes up for it with a hell of a lot of heart. Watch it and it may just make you feel a wee bit better of about yourself and for the whole of mankind.

​Sadly, a musical stage production of the film is on its way to London. Originally, both Knopfler and Forsyth were involved. It debuted in Scotland last year and is now being prepared for the West End. However, at this writing, Forsyth has been released from the production and will only be involved as a creative consultant.