Local Hero

Plot synopsis:
"Mac" MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) is a typical 1980s hot-shot executive working for Knox Oil and Gas in Houston, Texas. The eccentric chief of the company, Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster), chooses to send him (largely because his surname sounds Scottish) to Scotland to acquire the village of Ferness to make way for a refinery. Mac (who is actually of Hungarian extraction) is a little apprehensive about his assignment, complaining to a co-worker that he would much rather take care of business over the phone and via telex machines. Happer, an avid astronomy buff, tells Mac to watch the sky, especially around the constellation Virgo, and to notify him immediately if he sees anything unusual.
Upon arriving in Scotland, Mac teams up with local Knox representative Danny Oldsen (Peter Capaldi). During a visit to a Knox research facility in Aberdeen, Dr Geddes (Rikki Fulton) and his assistant Watt (Alex Norton) inform them about the scope of the company's plans, which entail replacing Ferness with the refinery. They also meet (and admire) marine researcher Marina (Jenny Seagrove).
Mac ultimately spends several weeks in Ferness, gradually adapting to the slower-paced life and getting to know the eccentric residents, most notably the hotel owner and accountant, Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson) and his wife, Stella (Jennifer Black). As time passes, Mac becomes more and more conflicted as he presses to close the deal that will spell the end of the quaint little village he has come to love. Ironically, the villagers are tired of the hard life they lead and are more than eager to sell, though they feign indifference to induce a larger offer. Mac receives encouragement from an unlikely source: Victor (Christopher Rozycki), a capitalistic Soviet fishing boat captain who periodically visits his friends in Ferness (and checks on his investment portfolio, managed by Gordon).
Meanwhile, Danny befriends Marina, who is under the impression the company is planning to build a research centre at Ferness. During a date, he discovers that Marina, who seems more at home in the water than on land, has webbed toes. While watching some grey seals, Danny mentions that sailors used to believe they were mermaids, and Marina tells him the sailors were wrong.
As the deal nears completion, Gordon discovers that Ben Knox (Fulton Mackay), an old beachcomber who lives in a snug driftwood shack on the shore, owns the beach through a grant from the Lord of the Isles to his ancestor. MacIntyre tries everything to entice Ben to sell, even offering enough money to buy any other beach in the world, but the owner is content with what he has. Ben picks up some sand and offers to sell for the same number of "pound notes" as he has grains of sand in his hand. A suspicious MacIntyre declines, only to be told there could not have been more than ten thousand grains.
Happer finally arrives on site, just in time to forestall a potentially nasty confrontation between some of the villagers and Ben; Happer mistakes the mob for a welcoming committee. When Mac informs him of the snag in the proceedings, he decides to negotiate personally with Ben and in the process, discovers a kindred spirit. Happer opts to locate the refinery offshore and set up an astronomical observatory instead. He instructs MacIntyre to go home to implement the changes. Danny brings up Marina's dream of an oceanographic research facility and suggests combining the two into the "Happer Institute", an idea that Happer likes. Later, Danny finds Marina swimming offshore and tells her the good news. A sombre MacIntyre returns to Houston. The final shot is of the local phone box ringing and Mark Knopfler's "Going Home" swelling as the phone rings and the credits roll.

Tags: cult, cute, psychedelic

Review:
I am constantly amazed that a piece of fiction (and not even a written one) could have such an impact on my heart and soul.From the edgy humor of Happer's encounters with his analyst (I will always consider this to be Mr. Lancaster's most charming performance in a body of excellent work) to the poignant scene in which (an albeit drunken) Mac confesses his coveting Gordon's life, this film draws me in like no other.
The best recommendation I can make for this film is, when I find the world closing in on me, I watch Local Hero.
I really cannot praise Local Hero enough; it is simply one of the best films ever made and certainly, without any shadow of doubt, my number one favourite movie of all time.
But what grabs the attention and is the fundamental beauty to the film is "Mac's" journey from a materialistic Texan yuppie to one who falls in love with the simple things of life and by the film's end, when Mac returns home, has been changed forever by his trip.Mac plays his part very well from a character who depends on his expensive suits, his Porsche, quad hi-fi and personal health insurance to one who collects shells on a Scottish beach and drinks 40 year-old malt whisky in the bosom of the small community that he suddenly finds himself a part of.
Then of course there is Denis Lawson as the estate agent / taxi driver / hotelier, Peter Capaldi as the bungling company trainee and Jenny Seagrove who prefers being underwater to life on land, along with all the various yokels and locals that give this film its very unique charm.
And although LOCAL HERO and RAISING ARIZONA are quite dissimilar films, they do share one distinction:  they were both made in the 80's, yet they go totally against the grain of movies made during that decade.
Bill Forsyth cares about every character that inhabits his film, and in a very gentle, open-handed way he seems to want to share his characters with the audience so that the audience might see the best of themselves in some aspect of those characters.I can understand why Forsyth didn't develop into a major moviemaker in Hollywood, in the same way that I can understand why some people find this movie boring.
Full of interesting and amusing characters, a terrific musical score, wryly satirical without being demeaning of anyone; it invites you into a totally believable world where you begin to care about the fate of everyone and there are no false notes in the script, direction or performances.If anyone ever doubted the importance of a screenplay in the success of a movie or thought that a big budget, lots of pyrotechnics and loads of special effects could cover up a movie's shortcomings - see this film.
A refreshing change of pace; a whimsical, off-beat comedy with just enough plot to keep it going, just enough surprises in it to keep it interesting, and lots of great characters played by actors who really deliver.The music by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits adds richness to the experience, and the cinematography vividly contrasts tangled, sterile, modern-day Houston with the cool, gorgeous, emerald green Scottish landscape and the peaceful, pristine coastal village of Furness.Well worth the trip..
I ordered a DVD of "Local Hero" (which led me to this site), I read most of the comments about the film and I watched a telly programme about a mobile phone salesman from Wales (Paul Potts), who went on a TV talent show and is now topping album charts across the planet.
While millions of people absolutely love his rendition of, "Nessun dorma", certain opera critics are putting the whole business down, because these fans don't "know" anything about opera.I don't "know" anything about films - and for that reason, I'm not qualified to comment on the direction, script or characterisations of "Local Hero".
in the same way that it's obviously affected a great many other people.Yup, I reckon it'll be my favourite film of all time.Mind you, I did think the casting was perhaps a bit.....
If you add one good film to your repertoire of movies this year, let Local Hero be the one you add.
Local Hero is one of my ten favorite films, and an absolute delight from the beginning to the arguably ambiguous ending.
My all-time favorite, Local Hero tells the tale of a big city oil man who tries to buy up a picture-perfect fishing village in Northern Scotland.
With a memorable score by Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame), you'll quickly feel as though you're there with our hero, "Mac."  Look for little things along the way (our hero's slow ease into the laid-back culture, a motorcyclist who stops for nobody, a baby everyone cares for, the red phone box, the Northern Lights) and never say no to the man who offers to sell you a beach at a cost of a pound per grain of sand in his hat.
(Too bad the residents of Cicely, Alaska didn't stay as charmingly eccentric as the residents of Furness, Scotland as that TV series wore on.)  This one has it all -- memorable performances by the great Burt Lancaster, a young Peter Riegert, Peter Capaldi, and Denis Lawson; an ethereal soundtrack by the incomparable Mark Knopfler; and scenery to die for.
A great sound track penned by Mark Knofler of Dire Straits fame adds a great deal, but I guess what I like most is the weird, quirky humour that fills virtually every scene - never obvious and 'laugh out loud' funny, but always there, bubbling away in the background with an ever so slightly twisted take on reality.This film can't be summarised or described to someone in a way which can possibly convey it's many qualities.
The "whose baby is that" scene mentioned by someone else is my favourite moment; but it's barely ahead of: "You mean you've never liked the music?"; "I'd make a good Gordon, Gordon"; "What lovely long eyelashes you've got"; 'Do you think Gordon and Stella do it every night?"; not to mention Marina's toes; the motorbike; Reverend Macpherson; the expression on the face of the elderly local woman watching Victor sing; and of course the whole premise of the film: a brash, city-dwelling, American oil man coming increasingly to regret the fact that he is the instrument by which the inhabitants of a tiny, remote, Scottish fishing village are to become, as one of them puts it, "stinking rich"  and what that will mean for the place he has come to regard, in the space of a few short days, as home.
LOCAL HERO is filled with these moments, beginning when Knox Oil CEO Mr. Happer (played by Burt Lancaster) is seen sleeping through a board meeting, forcing the other executives to whisper their plans for a refinery in northern Scotland.
Despite the fact that he was 70 years old at the time of the film's release, he looks and sounds like the Lancaster of old (or at least like an older cousin of Elmer Gantry).Peter Reigert is the actual star of the film and he does a great job with it, transitioning from hotshot urban businessman to small-town local 'hero' as the story unfolds, and his McIntyre falls in love with the seaside village.
2 pages of negative reviews and 15 pages of raves.Says it all really.This is Forsyth's masterpiece in a criminally underrated body of work, full of eccentric but believable characters, deftly scripted and always shot through with the director's characteristic lightness of touch and sense of place.Lyrical without being sentimental, satirical without ever resorting to cheap shots, stunningly photographed, hip (for its time) without being tabloid, this movie will charm you from start to finish.The recurring teenager on a motorcycle sight gag is quite simply the funniest thing I have ever seen on celluloid.Thank you, Bill, for making me smile, again and again and again..
A young corporate executive for a Texas Oil Company, Mac MacIntyre (Peter Reigert), is sent to a small fishing village on the coast of Scotland to work out plans to buy a piece of coastal property that includes the entire town as a drilling site.
Mac's transformation from being a corporate sycophant to a caring individual who experiences a sense of belonging, perhaps for the first time, is one of the great pleasures of the film and reminded me of a similar transformation in Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us. Supported by a wonderful score by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and beautifully photographed by Chris Menges, the film captivates with its offbeat humor and charm and reminds us of what it means to be human without resorting to sentimentality.
Local hero is my favorite movie of all time.
Local Hero is a charming, low-key movie with a wry and sly sense of humor typical of director Bill Forsyth's work.
Local Hero, a sly, subtle comedy, is an American's dream of small town life.
I have always considered this one of the finest movies, so I was pleasantly surprised when questioned by Oprah last week, Vice President Gore acknowledged Local Hero as his favorite film of all time.
The character acted by Burt Lancaster is more passionated by astronomy than his firm and the power of money."Local Hero" is a breath of fresh air and just like Peter Riegert, we would like to prolong our stay in this Scottish fishing village far from the stress of modern life, far from the Hollywood imperialism..
One of those movies is Local Hero, staring Peter Riegert (Animal House), Denis Lawson (The Star Wars Triology), and Burt Lancaster (Field of Dreams).
I've got nothing' but love for this; the best little movie I've seen in a long time.
I feel very guilty being Scottish and never having seen Bill Forsyth's smashing film before, all I can say it was worth the wait.A gentle comedy-drama, beautifully shot and crisply acted throughout, it sees American gopher Peter Reigart inveigled into the local community to which he's been sent by eccentric, skywatching US oil-billionaire to buy up for a new refinery which would naturally completely butcher the local landscape and environment.
Not that the locals care too much, following in the time-honoured example of their "Whisky Galore" cinematic ancestors, they sniff a profit, big profit, but naturally there's a fly in the ointment and the best laid plans stand to be thwarted by one irascible fisherman, who just happens to share the name of billionaire Burt Lancaster and his eye for the skies.Given recent events in Aberdeenshire involving Donald Trump's big cheque-ed and bigger chequered attempts to convert a swathe of land into a golf course, the story, watched today, remains surprisingly relevant and contemporary.
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..
If you happen to love astronomy, Scotland, or Burt Lancaster at his curmudgeony best, or are just fed up with city life and stress, this film is for you.
Local Hero is my "feel good movie".
A small and humble cult film, Local Hero gave birth to the careers of many of its participants, as well as heralding the arrival of this branch of low-key, location dependent comedies.Based on his soi-disant "Scottish ancestry", up and coming Texan oil representative Mac is sent to the small and unassuming Ferness in Scotland to coordinate its sale and the installation of a new refinery in its place.
Dealing with a host of bizarre characters on each side of the Atlantic, he comes to slowly notice and appreciate the differences between the two.I think the fact that I went into Local Hero knowing absolutely nothing about it was instrumental in creating the final impression it had upon me.
His slow realisation of the downsides of capitalistic avariciousness and the concomitant emptiness and lesser quality of life forms a moral backbone to the story, supporting us as we are ensnared by the ribcage of comedy.With a fantastic wit, Local Hero brings the best in comic characters and performances and combines them with a neat storyline and undercurrent of social conscience.
No film quite captures the sense of life as inexplicable yet joyous the way "Local Hero" does, yet it is not a feel-good movie in the clichéd Hollywood way.
I love this movie more than life itself, and you will, too, after you've seen it as many times as me.I wish I could do adequate justice to the humor and poignancy the film captures.
"Local Hero" is a great film to watch while having the blues, not so much as remedy but accompaniment.A lot of people make the point this is about Americans trying to corrupt Scots.
Keeping in mind this aspect of financial transactions, Scottish director Bill Forsyth directed "Local Hero", a film where more than buying and selling of goods, a precious exchange of human emotions take place in abundance.
The President of the company (Burt Lancaster) eventually flies in to help wrap up negotiations, albeit with a few major changes."Local Hero" moves at a leisurely pace which allows the audience to enjoy subtle character development and to simply observe everyday life.
The lack of moral judgement and the acceptance of the unusual in small villages that rings so true.Burt Lancaster plays the oil company CEO whose hobby is astronomy and more specifically finding a comet to call his own and who can't remember Mac from minute to minute and is haunted by his shrink (the only performance that I found over the top and quite irritating).But other parts are beautifully cast: the local hotelier and general factotum of the town Denis Lawson playing Gordon Urquhart and Peter Capaldi as the oil company underling who enchants the marine biologist Jenny Seagrove.Bill Forsythe, who also did such a great job directing "Gregory's Girl", directs and shows off the magnificent scenery to full advantage.
Watching Local Hero put me in mind of that other Scottish based film with that wonderful Lerner&Loewe score, Brigadoon.
He likes to do things by telex, saves him from the human contact.But human contact he gets here and it does make him rethink things.I met Peter Riegert a year ago when he was touring with his film King of the Corner, which by the way is a gem, and asked him about this film and working with Burt Lancaster who plays the oil company president and amateur astronomer.What you saw on the screen is what you got with Burt.
At the end, when Peter Riegert's character ends up back in his apartment in Dallas with all the noise, the lights, the people and the pollution in contrast to the town he just left, it really gets to me.Besides all the quirky characters and beautiful scenes, you have to watch for Burt Lancaster's parts.
He works for a large oil company owned by Burt Lancaster's Felix Happer, a company called Knox Oil and Gas. MacIntyre is sent to Scotland and the village of Ferness from his solid Texas based lifestyle on the basis of purchasing the entire place for sake re-building, re-brandishing and re-inventing; that is to say, the Knox company want to build a refinery there.Boss Happer may only be in the film for so long, but his presence is vastly important to the overall study of MacIntyre, for it is he that gives MacIntyre a secondary task; that being to watch the skies above where he is travelling to due to the astronomical activity, something that really excites Happer and his love of space, planets and the stars.
Filmed at a time when the oil boom in Scotland was pretty much at its height there we were used to the sight of high flying Americans, most of them would fall in love with the North East and many are still there to this day, taken prisoner by the scenery and the people.
Local Hero goes down as one of my top 5 movies of all time especially now as I am working in the middle east, watching it gives me just that little reminder of home that always brings a smile to my face.
For me the standout moments of the film take place in the Lab scenes, Ricky Fulton did not do many movies but his performance as the scientist was small but excellent.
Laced with humour, surprises and the right balance of sentimentality, Local Hero is as much a film lovers movie as it is a film maker's one.Technical aspects of the film are excellent, the location work evokes the glories of Whiskey Galore!, where here the cinematography from Chris Menges is as good as British work goes, at times beautiful and at others quite wondrous, the Aberdeenshire location is a character all of it's own, and it's thru this that we perfectly understand the confliction that protagonist Mac goes thru.
However I think Local Hero is an absolutely beautiful film.
One of the stars, the character of Ben Knox (played by Fulton Mackay) is my fathers cousin and it's often said the character was based on my father.Local Hero, apart from being a fun, enjoyable and innocent film in it's own right, captures a life gone by in the highlands of Scotland.
I remember many characters like Ben, with a slow accent but three steps ahead of anyone talking to them.If you are looking for a great film to watch where you can slip away into another world and transport yourself to the comings and goings of a highland village, then Local Hero is that film.
Bill Forsyth is a director famous for making two much loved films in the early 1980s, his coming-of-age tale 'Gregory's Girl' and this movie.
Indeed, the background (rather than the plot) is really what 'Local Hero' is all about, both in Forsyth's fabulously imagined version of Highland life (with both differences from, and similarities to, his rendering of a new town in his earlier film) and in the gorgeous highland scenery (although some of the locations supposedly within the village are in reality on opposite coasts!).