ComedyDrama

Local Hero

An American oil company sends a man to Scotland to buy up an entire village where they want to build a refinery. But things don't go as expected.

Release Date : 1983-02-17

Language :JapaneseRussianEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Enigma ProductionsGoldcrestFilm4 ProductionsCelandine Films

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Felix Happer

Original Name : Burt Lancaster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mac

Original Name : Peter Riegert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Urquhart

Original Name : Denis Lawson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ben

Original Name : Fulton Mackay

Gender : Male

Character Name : Oldsen

Original Name : Peter Capaldi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stella

Original Name : Jennifer Black

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marina

Original Name : Jenny Seagrove

Gender : Female

Character Name : Moritz

Original Name : Norman Chancer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Geddes

Original Name : Rikki Fulton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Watt

Original Name : Alex Norton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Victor

Original Name : Christopher Rozycki

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rev Macpherson

Original Name : Gyearbuor Asante

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cal

Original Name : John M. Jackson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Donaldson

Original Name : Dan Ammerman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roddy

Original Name : Tam Dean Burn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ricky

Original Name : John Gordon Sinclair

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pauline

Original Name : Caroline Guthrie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Iain

Original Name : Jimmy Yuill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs Wyatt

Original Name : Karen Douglas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Skipper

Original Name : Kenny Ireland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs Fraser

Original Name : Sandra Voe

Gender : Female

Character Name : Fountain

Original Name : Harlan Jordan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peter

Original Name : Charles Kearney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gideon

Original Name : David Mowat

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anderson

Original Name : John Poland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Linda Fraser

Original Name : Ann Scott-Jones

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr Bulloch

Original Name : Ian Stewart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jonathan

Original Name : Jonathan Watson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fraser

Original Name : Dave Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Andrew

Original Name : Ray Jeffries

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edward

Original Name : James Kennedy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sandy

Original Name : Willie Joss

Gender : Male

Character Name : Russian Girl

Original Name : Tanya Ticktin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Lady

Original Name : Edith Ruddick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Switchboard Operator

Original Name : Betty Macey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Switchboard Operator

Original Name : Michelle McCarel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Switchboard Operator

Original Name : Anne Thompson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ace Tone

Original Name : Brian Rowan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ace Tone

Original Name : Mark Winchester

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ace Tone

Original Name : Alan Clark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ace Tone

Original Name : Alan Darby

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ace Tone

Original Name : Roddy Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ace Tone

Original Name : Dale Winchester

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baby

Original Name : Luke Coulter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crabbe

Original Name : Buddy Quaid

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-06-08

Burt Lancaster is the multi-millionaire oil magnate "Felix Happer" who despatches one of his minions (Peter Riegert) to Scotland to buy up a village to turn it into an oil refinery. Once he arrives, he is taken for a bit of a ride by the canny locals as they try to milk him for as much cash as they can. In the days before cell phones; he has to call his boss from the phone box reporting his lack of progress and some astronomical sightings until eventually Happer comes over himself and immediately strikes up a rapport with Fulton Mackay who lives on the beach (and who is steadfastly refusing to sell). It is is simple story very well told with a slightly unpredictable, happy ending and a brilliant score from Mark Knopfler.

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

2023-06-20

**Slow, with boring characters and dialogues and a disjointed script, this film does not justify the “hype” around it.** This is one of those indie films that has won over a legion of self-confessed admirers. It's a film that everyone speaks highly of, as if it were a solid masterpiece. I didn't know that when I saw it for the first time, so I saw it without a lot of expectations. I'm glad I did it: despite recognizing some merits, I am convinced that the film has been well overrated. The proof is the way it fell into oblivion! If we exclude fans and movie nerds who know everything (and when they don't, they make it up) who really remembers this movie? The film revolves around a story that is very simple: in the north of Scotland, there is a small bay with a beach and a sleepy village. When a rich oil entrepreneur decides to buy all that to build a huge refinery and a terminal for oil tankers, all those people are expectant, wanting to sell what they have for the best price. Only two people disagree: a marine biologist who want to preserve and study the local, and an old simpleton who owns a good part of that beach. The film had some potential, but it lacks solidity and a good script. Time is spent in sterile dialogue, rambling about comets, constellations and flirting. It is also very unbelievable, as a project like this would never be so consensual, there are always those who oppose it for financial or ecological reasons, or mere nostalgia. If director Bill Forsyth decided to close his eyes to the insipidity and fragility of the script, he was equally inept at using the actors. The cast is good, but he didn't know how to use it. Peter Riegert does what he can, but he has absolutely no charisma and is a forgettable protagonist, who seems more uncomfortable with his character than his character with fieldwork, far from the comforts of the office. Peter Capaldi doesn't do it better, and Jenny Seagrove is just a pretty face here. Fulton Mackay manages to give us something more substantial, but he has little screen time, and the same can be said of poor Burt Lancaster, who is removed from the screen for a good time. A disjointed script, insipid dialogues purposely created to fill up time, characters without strength and ability to captivate us… could there be something in the technical aspects that saves this film? Yes. The cinematography is very good, making the best use of the beauties of the Highlands. The sets and costumes are quite good, and the soundtrack is atmospheric and pleasant. Is it enough to justify the hype around this film and consider it a magnificent and exceptional work? I don't think so.