Local Hero (1983) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error 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. Director: a list of 30 titles created 03 May 2011 a list of 47 titles created 20 Jan 2013 a list of 46 titles created 25 Jan 2013 a list of 31 titles created 9 months ago a list of 34 titles created 1 month ago Search for " Local Hero " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

See more awards » Photos Edit Storyline Oil billionaire Happer sends Mac to a remote Scotish villiage to secure the property rights for an oil refinery they want to build. Mac teams up with Danny and starts the negotiations, the locals are keen to get their hands on the 'Silver Dollar' and can't believe their luck. However a local hermit and beach scavenger, Ben Knox, lives in a shack on the crucial beach which he also owns. Happer is more interested in the Northern Lights and Danny in a surreal girl with webbed feet, Marina. Mac is used to a Houston office with fax machines but is forced to negotiate on Bens terms. Written by Matthew Stanfield <mattst@cogs.susx.ac.uk> 18 February 1983 (USA) See more » Also Known As: A kisvárosi hõs See more » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia When Victor first radios the general store, he announces himself as "Vulgar Boatman". This is a subtle pun on the title of the popular Russian tune known in English as, "Song of the Volga Boatmen". See more » Goofs Mac's facial hair is constantly changing between shots throughout the film.

See more » Quotes (United States) – See all my reviews I first saw this film in 1985 only because I had heard that Mark Knopfler did the soundtrack. After watching Local Hero, however, I was ready to pack my bags and move to a picturesque seaside village on the coast of Scottland. I fell in love with this movie. There is subtle humor, gorgeous scenery, a great story, and memorable characters. When the TV show Northern Exposure came out, I was amazed at the similarities between the show and Local Hero. An American professional accustomed to fast paced city living finds himself in a quirky town in the middle of nowhere. Even the resemblance of Peter Riegert playing Mac and Rob Morrow as Fleishman is striking. But when the episode of Northern Exposure aired where the famous Russian comes to town and performs in the local bar while the female store owner swoons, I nearly laughed myself off the couch. There was an identical scene in Local Hero. Local Hero captured a certain magic and mystery; haunting and poetic while remaining lighthearted and warming. One could not blame the creators of Northern Exposure for wanting to capture that same magic, but they could have been just a little more original.

I love Bill Forsythe's movies. He is truly a master of the simple movie that tells a terrific story. Less is more. Also, Mark Knopfler delivers some of his finest music ever. 48 of 55 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Amazon.com: Local Hero (1983): Burt Lancaster, Peter Riegert, Fulton MacKay, Denis Lawson: Amazon Digital Services LLC By skunktrain on December 27, 2002 Format: DVD Verified Purchase I am dating myself woefully, but I remember seeing this film when it came out in theatres. I trekked some distance (via bus) down to some theatre in Hollywood (I'm from another part of L.A.) because it wasn't showing anywhere nearby. I wanted to see it *that* bad. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. When I finally got a DVD player, one of the first DVDs I got was "Local Hero". It's definitely on my "must-have" list. The story is simple -- materialistic Peter Reigert is sent to a small Scottish village to try to negotiate a land deal for his rich, eccentric boss (Burt Lancaster, who is outstanding).

He arrives in Scotland as a guy who is only obsessed with business deals, his car, and his posessions back in Texas, but soon he learns there are more important things in life. The townsfolk are absolutely wonderful, all in their own unique, eclectic way. Denis Lawson particularly shines as "jack of all trades" who holds several positions in the community, including innkeeper. The oddness and beauty of this film takes time to unfold, and it is best just to sit back and watch it happen. Everyone seems to have a story, everyone is eccentric in some way. I especially loved Burt Lancaster and his interaction with his "therapist", who takes the job *far* too seriously. Lancaster plays one of the most likeable and unique characters onscreen. Reigert too, is endearing. He so wants to be "normal" that he can't even admit that he might use a shampoo for dry or greasy hair. "Normal. EXTRA normal.", he says, when asked what kind of shampoo he needs. What an uptight guy he seems at first, but he soon mends his ways. The score by Mark Knopfler is among one of my favorites too.

Read more › FILM - 'LOCAL HERO,' HOUSTON-TO-SCOTLAND ODYSSEY - NYTimes.com FILM: 'LOCAL HERO,' HOUSTON-TO-SCOTLAND ODYSSEY By JANET MASLIN Published: February 17, 1983 GENUINE fairy tales are rare; so is film-making that is thoroughly original in an unobtrusive way. Bill Forsyth's quirky disarming ''Local Hero'' is both, and it's also proof that Mr. Forsyth's other feature film released here, ''Gregory's Girl,'' was more than a happy accident. The Glasgow-born Mr. Forsyth has put Scottish comedy on the map, for whatever that's worth. He has also developed a dryly whimsical style, very close to a deadpan at times, that allows the strangest events or personages to glide by almost unnoticed. ''Local Hero'' contains a mermaid, an enchanted village and a possibly magical rabbit. No undue fuss is made about any one of them. ''Local Hero,'' which opens today at Cinema 1, doesn't begin on a very promising note. It starts in Houston, a place toward which Mr.

Forsyth, who wrote and directed the film, has no outstandingly fresh attitude. The tale begins at the headquarters of gigantic Knox Oil, where it is learned - at a meeting in which everyone present has to whisper, because Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster), the board chairman, is snoozing - that the company plans to replace a charming little Scottish fishing village, called Ferness, with an oil refinery. A Knox employee called Mac MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) is delegated to fly to Ferness to buy the place, and he is chosen because his name makes it sounds as if he's well suited to the chore. MacIntyre isn't a Scot; he's the son of Hungarian immigrants who thought MacIntyre was a Hungarian name. That makes about as much sense as anything else that goes on here. Once MacIntyre arrives in Scotland, odd things start to happen - nothing dramatic, nothing you can put your finger on, but undeniably strange. He and a traveling companion, a young Scottish employee of Knox named Danny Oldsen (Peter Capaldi), are en route to Ferness when their car hits a rabbit in a heavy fog. They stop the car in the middle of the road and sleep inside.

The next morning, the fog is gone, the rabbit is sitting in the back seat, and the travelers are ready to proceed. But something indefinable has changed. It's as though they have entered into a dream. Certainly the postcard-perfect town of Ferness has its delightfully dreamlike qualities. Every time Mac and Danny venture out of their inn, the same motorcylist barrels by and nearly runs them down. The inn itself is managed by Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson), who also functions as the accountant next door, and who has a different personality to suit each job. (The accountant is unctuous, the innkeeper vaguely rude.) There is an omnipresent baby whose parents are never identified; a black African minister named Macpherson with an all-white congregation; a lone punk-rock groupie with a red-blue-and-green teased hairdo; and two beautiful women who probably function as muses, named Stella and Marina (Jennifer Black and Jenny Seagrove). Marina swims with exceptional grace. She has, as Danny notices but doesn't mention when he kisses her knee one afternoon, webbed feet.

Ferness casts its spell over Mac, who arrives there jealously guarding his battery-powered briefcase, and eventually becomes one of the place's more relaxed denizens. It ought to have a similar effect on the audience, and seduce the viewer just as gradually. The charm and humor of ''Local Hero'' are so very understated that they may seem elusive at first, but they are undeniably powerful. The less Mr. Forsyth explains, the more appealingly odd the movie seems, and it manages to be open-ended but not annoyingly cryptic. Besides, even the occasional bits of information about the townspeople aren't very helpful. The more you find out about Ferness - why, say, the entire population of the village is seen sneaking out of the church as MacIntyre, who has come to buy the church, momentarily turns his back - the less you know. The best thing that Mr. Forsyth does with actors is to induce them to behave as though nothing would surprise them. Everyone here has that air, particularly Mr. Riegert.

His performance, which begins as a send-up of young corporate hotshots' demeanor, winds up as that of the movie's straightest straight man, the one who'll barely blink when someone else squirts lemon in his eye. Mr. Lancaster is less steadily present, appearing mostly at the film's beginning and at its end, but he brings with him sufficient authority when, say, he descends on Ferness out of the skies (via helicopter) and immediately begins ordering everyone around. Of course, Ferness isn't the sort of place where anyone takes orders terribly seriously. ''Local Hero'' is a funny movie, but it's more apt to induce chuckles than knee-slapping. Like ''Gregory's Girl,'' it demonstrates Mr. Forsyth's uncanny ability for making an audience sense that something magical is going on, even if that something isn't easily explained. ''Local Hero'' is rated PG (''Parental Guidance Suggested''). It contains some sexually suggestive scenes. Oily Fairyland LOCAL HERO, written and directed by Bill For- syth; edited by Michael Bradsell; music by Mark Knopfler; produced by David Puttnam; released by Warner Bros.

At the Cinema 1, Third Avenue and 60th Street. Running time: 110 minutes. This film is rated PG. Happer .................................Burt Lancaster Local Hero (Roadshow) (1983) Local Hero (Roadshow) (1983) English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) Widescreen Aspect Ratio Action In or After Credits No NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here . Plot Synopsis ���� Scottish director Bill Forsyth made his reputation with the quirky 1981 film Gregory's Girl. The story of an awkward teenage romance won him much praise worldwide and foreshadowed his talents as a writer as well as a director. ��� The jewel in the crown for Forsyth came a couple of years later with the release of Local Hero. This unassuming gem has not lost any of its initial charm and in many ways is even more relevant today than when it was made in 1983. Local Hero is rich in eccentricity, with an offbeat fascination that is totally alluring.

I've seen this film in various formats about twelve times so far, and never become�tired of its�deadpan humour and lingering beauty. ��� A brief synopsis of the plot cannot do any justice to the vast assembly of wonderful characters and situations in Forsyth's screenplay, but here goes anyway. ��� The quaint little fishing village of Ferness in Northern Scotland is the focus of the Houston based oil giant Knox Oil. The company has plans to build an enormous oil refinery in the area and subsequently needs to acquire every property in a wide radius of the�village. ��� The man at the top and owner of Knox Oil is Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster), who seems more interested in discovering new comets and celestial bodies than the operation of his company. Happer is also having abuse therapy with Moritz (Norman Chancer), a psychatrist who's in need of some therapy himself. ��� Young company highflier MacIntyre, or Mac�(Peter Reigert), is recommended for the task of negotiating the acquisition of the land in Ferness. Happer summons MacIntyre to his palatial office not to discuss business, but to instruct Mac on observation of the northern skies.

He gives Mac his private number and requests urgent notification of any unusual developments in the night sky. ��� On his arrival in Scotland, Mac is greeted by Danny Oldsen (Peter Capaldi), a company representative from Aberdeen. At local headquarters, Mac meets engineers and Marina (Jenny Seagrove), a marine biologist with mermaid-like features. Marina has dreams of creating an institute for marine research in the area, and for this reason is deliberately kept in the dark about the refinery plans. Mac is shown a model of the planned refinery, which reveals the immense scale of the proposed venture. The complete transformation of the current landscape would�also have a�significantly negative�impact on the environment. ��� MacIntyre and Danny rent a room at the local inn, which is run by Gordon and Stella Urguhart (Denis Lawson and Jennifer Black). In his effort to begin negotiations, Mac soon finds out that in a small village, some people take on many roles. ��� Without Mac's knowledge, the locals call a series of meetings and are all thrilled by the possibility of becoming instant millionaires. All are very willing to give up their properties except one. Old Ben (Fulton Mackay) lives in a run-down shack on the beach - his beach.

Ben and previous generations of his family have owned miles of the beach for four hundred years and he refuses to sell. ��� The northern skies erupt in plumes of cosmic colour as the Aurora Borealis puts on a show for MacIntyre. In screams of elation, Mac relays a commentary of the colourful display to Happer, via his only connection�with his corporate world - the red phone box. ��� Mac's yuppie lifestyle of luxury sports cars and electronic gadgets begins to become insignificant. As the fascination and lure of village life and the natural beauty of his surroundings gets under his skin, his passion for closing the deal gradually begins to waver. ��� In an effort to find a resolution, Happer decides to make the journey to Ferness himself to meet with Ben face to face. These two seemingly very different men meet privately in Ben's shack, talking, drinking�and laughing for many hours. Naturally, this brings bewildered reactions from the anxious few gathered outside. Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration . Transfer Quality Video ��� The video transfer for Local Hero is acceptable, considering the�absence of 16x9 enhancement. At long last that old VHS copy can be trashed.

��� The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is not 16x9 enhanced. ��� The transfer exhibits some softness at times, but is generally quite sharp and clear. Some minor film grain is evident�occasionally during�scenes of low light. Blacks were clean and bold, with no low level noise . Shadow detail was a mixed bag in terms of quality, although�generally detail held up�quite well. ��� Colours used in the film are very subtle and subdued. Colours appeared to be very natural and faithful to the film. ��� There were no MPEG artefacts evident in this transfer. Film-to-video artefacts were well controlled. I noticed a couple of minor examples of edge enhancement , but found no evidence of aliasing on my system. Film artefacts were occasionally noticed, but were thankfully infrequent. ��� There are English subtitles for the hearing impaired on this DVD. The subtitles are easy to read in bold white and are reasonably accurate. ��� This is a single sided, single layered disc, so there is no layer change to negotiate. Video Ratings Summary ��� The audio transfer is very basic, but perfectly adequate.

��� There is only one audio track available on this DVD; English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s). ��� I had no problems hearing and understanding dialogue, even with the many accents in the film. Audio sync was very accurate throughout. ��� The original music score by Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler is magnificently atmospheric. He has perfectly captured the very essence of the film in his music. The score comprises a mixture of beautifully haunting themes with the occasional hint of traditional music. The score is completed nicely with the�stirring theme Going Home. This well-known piece plays over the end credits. I've had this film soundtrack in my CD collection for many years and testify to its excellence as a stand-alone collection of music. ��� The surround channels were not used. ��� The subwoofer came to life with fighter planes flying over at 19:03 and 32:47. It was also active in enhancing bass elements�of the music score. Audio Ratings Summary Overall Extras ��� The overall presentation of Local Hero�on this�DVD edition is let down by a considerable lack of decent extras.

Menu ��� The�main menu is very basic, has 16x9 enhancement and features a looped�sample of Mark Knopfler's Going Home. After some brief�initial animation�the menu�quickly becomes static. Biographies ��� Static screen, text based biographies, with no audio for Burt Lancaster, Peter Riegert, Bill Forsyth and Mark Knopfler. Picture Gallery - A View In Black And White. ��� A very small collection of nine black and white images from the film. R4 vs R1 NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible. ���� The R1 version of Local�Hero offers nothing in the way of extras, but does�feature 16x9 enhancement�of the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It also features French subtitles as well as English. ���� These features are�considerably�more�than the minor extras offered on this R4 version, therefore the R1 version wins in this comparison. ����The�UK R2 version of Local Hero appears to identical to this R4 version in every way, except for the cover art.

Summary ����One of the�great films of the eighties, Local�Hero has not lost an ounce of its charm over the years. The subtle humour and eccentric characters�in Forsyth's�screenplay are perfectly contrasted�with the stunning cinematography of Chris Menges. Mark Knopfler's stirring music score is also a wonderful asset to the film. Highly Recommended. ��� The transfers are quite good, although�16x9 enhancement would have been a huge bonus. ��� The extras on this DVD are negligible. Movie Review - - FILM: 'LOCAL HERO,' HOUSTON-TO-SCOTLAND ODYSSEY - NYTimes.com FILM: 'LOCAL HERO,' HOUSTON-TO-SCOTLAND ODYSSEY By JANET MASLIN Published: February 17, 1983 GENUINE fairy tales are rare; so is film-making that is thoroughly original in an unobtrusive way. Bill Forsyth's quirky disarming ''Local Hero'' is both, and it's also proof that Mr. Forsyth's other feature film released here, ''Gregory's Girl,'' was more than a happy accident. The Glasgow-born Mr.

Forsyth has put Scottish comedy on the map, for whatever that's worth. He has also developed a dryly whimsical style, very close to a deadpan at times, that allows the strangest events or personages to glide by almost unnoticed. ''Local Hero'' contains a mermaid, an enchanted village and a possibly magical rabbit. No undue fuss is made about any one of them. ''Local Hero,'' which opens today at Cinema 1, doesn't begin on a very promising note. It starts in Houston, a place toward which Mr. Forsyth, who wrote and directed the film, has no outstandingly fresh attitude. The tale begins at the headquarters of gigantic Knox Oil, where it is learned - at a meeting in which everyone present has to whisper, because Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster), the board chairman, is snoozing - that the company plans to replace a charming little Scottish fishing village, called Ferness, with an oil refinery. A Knox employee called Mac MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) is delegated to fly to Ferness to buy the place, and he is chosen because his name makes it sounds as if he's well suited to the chore.

MacIntyre isn't a Scot; he's the son of Hungarian immigrants who thought MacIntyre was a Hungarian name. That makes about as much sense as anything else that goes on here. Once MacIntyre arrives in Scotland, odd things start to happen - nothing dramatic, nothing you can put your finger on, but undeniably strange. He and a traveling companion, a young Scottish employee of Knox named Danny Oldsen (Peter Capaldi), are en route to Ferness when their car hits a rabbit in a heavy fog. They stop the car in the middle of the road and sleep inside. The next morning, the fog is gone, the rabbit is sitting in the back seat, and the travelers are ready to proceed. But something indefinable has changed. It's as though they have entered into a dream. Certainly the postcard-perfect town of Ferness has its delightfully dreamlike qualities. Every time Mac and Danny venture out of their inn, the same motorcylist barrels by and nearly runs them down. The inn itself is managed by Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson), who also functions as the accountant next door, and who has a different personality to suit each job.

(The accountant is unctuous, the innkeeper vaguely rude.) There is an omnipresent baby whose parents are never identified; a black African minister named Macpherson with an all-white congregation; a lone punk-rock groupie with a red-blue-and-green teased hairdo; and two beautiful women who probably function as muses, named Stella and Marina (Jennifer Black and Jenny Seagrove). Marina swims with exceptional grace. She has, as Danny notices but doesn't mention when he kisses her knee one afternoon, webbed feet. Ferness casts its spell over Mac, who arrives there jealously guarding his battery-powered briefcase, and eventually becomes one of the place's more relaxed denizens. It ought to have a similar effect on the audience, and seduce the viewer just as gradually. The charm and humor of ''Local Hero'' are so very understated that they may seem elusive at first, but they are undeniably powerful. The less Mr. Forsyth explains, the more appealingly odd the movie seems, and it manages to be open-ended but not annoyingly cryptic. Besides, even the occasional bits of information about the townspeople aren't very helpful.

The more you find out about Ferness - why, say, the entire population of the village is seen sneaking out of the church as MacIntyre, who has come to buy the church, momentarily turns his back - the less you know. The best thing that Mr. Forsyth does with actors is to induce them to behave as though nothing would surprise them. Everyone here has that air, particularly Mr. Riegert. His performance, which begins as a send-up of young corporate hotshots' demeanor, winds up as that of the movie's straightest straight man, the one who'll barely blink when someone else squirts lemon in his eye. Mr. Lancaster is less steadily present, appearing mostly at the film's beginning and at its end, but he brings with him sufficient authority when, say, he descends on Ferness out of the skies (via helicopter) and immediately begins ordering everyone around. Of course, Ferness isn't the sort of place where anyone takes orders terribly seriously. ''Local Hero'' is a funny movie, but it's more apt to induce chuckles than knee-slapping. Like ''Gregory's Girl,'' it demonstrates Mr.

Forsyth's uncanny ability for making an audience sense that something magical is going on, even if that something isn't easily explained. ''Local Hero'' is rated PG (''Parental Guidance Suggested''). It contains some sexually suggestive scenes. Oily Fairyland LOCAL HERO, written and directed by Bill For- syth; edited by Michael Bradsell; music by Mark Knopfler; produced by David Puttnam; released by Warner Bros. At the Cinema 1, Third Avenue and 60th Street. Running time: 110 minutes. This film is rated PG. Happer .................................Burt Lancaster Mac .....................................Peter Riegert Ben .....................................Fulton Mackay Urquhart .................................Denis Lawson Moritz .................................Norman Chancer Oldsen ..................................Peter Capaldi Geddes ...................................Rikki Fulton Watt ......................................Alex Norton Marina .................................Jenny Seagrove Stella ..................................JenniferBlack Victor ............................Christopher Rozycki Rev.

Macpherson ....................Christopher Asante 1000+ images about Bill Forsyth's Local Hero '83 on Pinterest | Local hero, Peter capaldi and Warner bros Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas Bill Forsyth's Local Hero '83 Written and directed by Bill Forsyth, Local Hero is still hailed as one of the must-see masterpieces of British film. "Genuine fairy tales are rare. So is filmmaking that is thoroughly original. Local Hero, a disarming, funny movie, is both." 105 Pins53.59k Followers Local Hero (Film) - TV Tropes Local Hero You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share WMG Film poster depicting Mac, left, and Happer, right. A rather charming film directed by Bill Forsyth and starring Peter Riegert, Denis Lawson, Peter Capaldi and Burt Lancaster . This thoughtful comedy follows an American oil company executive, "Mac" MacIntyre (Riegert), who is sent to negotiate with the local inhabitants of the Scottish town of Ferness because their home lies on prime coastline for new petroleum and chemical processing facilities.

This film provides examples of: Abhorrent Admirer : At the Céilidh Danny is pursued - rather aggressively - by a female punk. He finds her abhorrent mainly because she's not Marina. Airplane Arms : Danny at one point, combined with a truly Girly Run . All Men Are Perverts : Danny is constantly thinking about sex. Either for himself, or wondering about the sex lives of other characters. Danny: What are you thinking about? Mac: Girls. Naked girls. In fish tanks.note This after just seeing Marina in a one piece swimsuit diving into the pool at the Institute. Danny: Me too. And Starring : "And Burt Lancaster." In spite of the poster's picture, he's not the main character, but he is the biggest name. Awesome Music : In-universe example: everyone is excited to listen to Victor sing "Lonesome Cowboy". Bilingual Bonus : Russian speakers will chuckle at Victor and his lady's argument, culminating in Gordon dismissing her by saying in English, "Silly bitch." Bittersweet Ending : Everyone got what they wanted, except Mac, who deeply regrets having to leave the idyllic town of Ferness.

The film ends with him calling the town, so maybe he at least gets to maintain a friendly correspondence with the folks who live there. Captain Obvious : "You speak languages?" Conspicuous Trenchcoat : The trenchcoat itself, coupled with the fact that Danny has been sent to discreetly meet Mac at the airport and has the sign for Knox Industries half-hidden in the coat. He tries to unobtrusively shove the sign into everyone's faces as they disembark from the plane. He comes off looking like a really conspicuous, inept spy... or a flasher. Cool Car : Mac carries a picture of his Porsche 930. Covers Always Lie : The poster text is wrong. In the end, everyone wins. The only one who doesn't get what he wants, McIntyre, isn't mentioned on the poster. Also, Burt Lancaster has only a small, supporting role, whereas he is featured most prominently in the poster. Critical Psychoanalysis Failure : The odd subplot and interplay between Happer and his psychologist Moritz, who veers into Stalker with a Crush territory. Crosses the Line Twice : What happens to the rabbit.

Cute Clumsy Girl : A rare male example in Danny, though he's not so much clumsy as awkward to the point of cuteness. Deconstruction : Of the typical "big business vs. small town" plot. The townspeople are quite happy to accept Knox Industries' offer to buy them off so they can build a refinery on the site of the village. Eccentric Millionaire : Felix Happer again, CEO of Knox Industries. Faux Reigner : Mac, unintentionally. He gets the assigment because the management think he's Scottish. Actually, his parents were Hungarian immigrants who took the name MacIntyre because they thought it sounded more American. The Reverend Murdo McPherson turns out to be an African who "came here as a student and never got away." Foreign Queasine : It's an utterly usual dish, but not from Mac's perspective. "You don't eat things with names!" Funny Background Event : The entire population of the town sneak out of the church behind Mac and Danny. Danny notices and does some hilarious double takes .

Gainax Ending : Marina may be a mermaid, Ben may be descended from the original owners of the oil company that wants to build over his beach, and the last shots of the film are a transition from the busy energy of Houston to a shot of the phone in the small town's only phone booth ringing forlornly. Genre-Busting : It successfully keeps oscillating between comedy and drama... and then there's Marina's webbed toes. Get Out : Happer to Moritz. Constantly. Girly Run : Danny. The scene where he and Mac skip stones on the beach reveals that he's just generally a complete spaz. A God Am I : Norman and his rambling about "unfreezing the Arctic Circle" and diverting the Gulf Stream. Not taken too seriously. Hidden Depths : Everyone in town, even the most seemingly one-dimensional. The punk girl, for instance, admits she's chasing Danny even though he's obviously not right for her because he's someone different from the boys in Ferness. One of the townspeople begins to sob that despite being on the verge of being filthy rich, it hasn't made him feel any different.

Hot Scientist : Marina, and while Mac only Male Gazes her once, Danny becomes enamored with her, at one point kissing her {webbed} feet. I Ate WHAT?! : Mac and Danny are dismayed to learn they're currently eating the rabbit they'd hoped to nurse back to health. Loners Are Freaks : Deconstruction . Mac is constantly isolated in the beginning of the film - for example, he communicates with his coworker at the office over the phone, despite being in the same floor divided by a glass pane. However, Mac doesn't see anything wrong with his life - he prefers Telex to face-to-face interaction - but after spending time in Ferness, he realizes his life is quite empty and starved. Unfortunately for him, he returns to that lonely life, with only photos and sea shells left from his trip. He even calls the town after he returns home. Whether he'll at least strive to get more out of life is anyone's guess. Look Both Ways : Every time he leaves a building, Mac is almost run down by a guy on a dirt bike. Keep in mind the town has maybe two streets. Mac becomes aware of this and at one point holds Danny back a few seconds before the dirt bike rides past.

According to this documentary, it was not only a Running Gag , but also basically Truth in Television . Meaningful Name : Marina and Stella. Marina is obvious (the sea), but since Danny suggests to Happer a "Sea and Sky Institute", Stella (star) is more meaningful. Pop-Star Composer : Mark Knopfler is the composer. Real Estate Scam : Knox Industries and their plan to buy out the town. Subverted in that both Knox and the townspeople are more than happy to do the deal. As Victor states, "You can't eat scenery." Most of the movie is Gordon and Mac haggling over just how much the townspeople are to be paid. Scenery Porn : Ferness is green. As Happer says, "I could grow to love this place." Society Marches On : Americans in Ronald Reagan 's America were probably shocked and amused at Soviet citizen Victor's capitalistic views ("I'm a cash man, Gordon..."). From a modern perspective, we now know Soviet citizens were constantly looking for the extra buck. Stranger in a Familiar Land : Mac obviously feels out of place when he returns to his modern, Houston apartment.

Tastes Like Friendship : Mac shares a chocolate bar with Danny when they're stranded in their car overnight. Troll : Ben Knox, may be one, judging by the head game he plays with Mac, offering to sell the beach for 1 US dollar for every grain of sand he can hold in his hand. When Mac starts offering buckets of sand, he recinds his one-time offer. Local Hero | SCOTTISH TOURIST SCOTTISH TOURIST Go to top Local Hero is a 1983 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starring Peter Riegert, Denis Lawson, Fulton Mackay, and Burt Lancaster. Produced by David Puttnam, the film is about an American oil company representative who is sent to the fictional village of Ferness on the west coast of Scotland to purchase the town and surrounding property for his company. For his work on the film, Bill Forsyth won the 1984 BAFTA Award for Best Direction. Go to top “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 his Houston apartment.

The film then cuts back to a shot of the phone booth in Ferness; the telephone rings unanswered and Mac’s lost, top of the range (1980s) digital watch remains in a rock pool; alarm faltering for the start of trading on one of the main markets as the music of Mark Knopfler’s “Going Home” plays out to the credits. Local Hero | Variety Print February 15, 1983 | 11:00PM PT After making the grade internationally with the sleeper hit, "Gregory's Girl," Scottish writer-director Bill Forsyth has broken the sophomore sesh jinx the only way he could, by making an even better film. After making the grade internationally with the sleeper hit, “Gregory’s Girl,” Scottish writer-director Bill Forsyth has broken the sophomore sesh jinx the only way he could, by making an even better film. While modest in intent and gentle in feel, “Local Hero” is loaded with wry, offbeat humor and is the sort of satisfying, personal picture that is becoming an increasingly rare commodity these days.

David Putnam’s first production since “Chariots of Fire” has little in the way of obvious commercial hooks, and Warners will have to give it a chance to breathe if it’s to make its way in the world, but good reviews followed by word of mouth could built it into a steady b.o. Essentially, a comedy about a serious situation, pic is dominated by a constantly surprising sense of whimsicality which never becomes predictable and therefore catches the viewer off guard throughout. Basic story has Peter Riegert, rising young executive in an enormous Houston oil firm, sent to Scotland to clinch a deal to buy up an entire village, where the company intends to construct a new oil refinery. Given the ecological consciousness that’s spread in recent years, first switch on normal expectations is that, far from being resistant to the idea of having their surroundings ruined by rapacious, profit-minded Yankees, local Scots can hardly wait to sign away their town, so strong is the smell of money in the air. Naturally, negotiations take somewhat longer than expected, which means that Riegert can’t help but become involved in the affairs of the natives. But there is no predictable romance, no convulsive occurrence to push the film into false melodrama.

Basically, whole story is comprised of delightful human moments, with just enough narrative push to keep it moving. Back in Houston, oil magnate Burt Lancaster keeps up to date on the deal’s progress with occasional phone calls to Riegert, but is more concerned with his prodding, sadistic psychiatrist and his obsessive hobby of astronomy, which seems to dictate everything he does. Character is a looney conception, and Lancaster gives it a marvelously bonkers reading, although ending of the film falls somewhat flat due to the illogical nature of the man’s climatic decisions. Almost in the manner of classic American comedies of the 1930s, pic is overflowing with memorable supporting characters.

There’s Riegert’s Scottish oil company counterpart, whose accent is so thick one thinks they might not be able to communicate well in English, but who turns out to speak over a half-dozen languages; the local personal, a man named Macpherson, who happens to be black African; the manager and cook of the village’s only inn, who wears another hat as the chief negotiator of the deal; a beautiful young woman with a special interest in the sea, who physically seems to have begun a transformation into a mermaid, and a visiting Russian sailor with an active interest in Western investment markets and a very unusual style as a country-western singer. Just when it appears that Riegert has finally struck a deal with the locals, a major snag crops up and Lancaster himself turns up on the beach to iron things out. Although it’s been well prepared for, ending nevertheless comes off a unconvincing, given the economic imperatives of the oil business. Riegert’s underplaying initially seems a bit inexpressive, but ultimately pays off in a droll performance. As his Scottish buddy, the gangling Peter Capaldi is vastly amusing, and Denis Lawson is very good as the community’s chief spokesman.

Two main women present, Jenny Seagrove as the aptly named Marina and Jennifer Black as Lawson’s warm wife, are terrifically attractive and provide ample fantasy material for Capaldi and Riegert, respectively. Pic not only benefits from the beautiful Scottish setting, but from the remarkable contrast between it and Houston. In look and temperament, two locales could hardly be more dissimilar, an aspect which quietly underlines one of the film’s important themes. Given a larger canvas, director Forsyth has in no way attempted to overreach himself or the material, keeping things modest and intimate throughout, but displaying a very acute sense of comic insight. Tech work is fine, and a lot of imagination has gone into the fabulous design of Lancaster’s penthouse abode. Local Hero

Question: What 1983 Scottish film, starring Peter Riegert, Denis Lawson, Peter Capaldi and Burt Lancaster, was directed by Bill Forsyth with music by Mark Knopfler?
Answer: Local Hero