X
- 1983
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
- 1983
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
Summary 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.
Directed By: Bill Forsyth
Written By: Bill Forsyth
- 1983
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
- 1983
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
Local Hero
6.5
Where to Watch
Summary 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.
Directed By: Bill Forsyth
Written By: Bill Forsyth
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
84
100% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
84
100% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It has a claim to be the last movie with the authentic spirit of the Ealing comedies; although with a longer perspective we can also see how it’s also indirectly influenced by producer David Puttnam in its high-minded spirit of Anglo-American amity.
Here is a small film to treasure, a loving, funny, understated portrait of a small Scottish town and its encounter with a giant oil company.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 19 User Ratings
6.5
58% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
32% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
11% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 19 User Ratings
6.5
58% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
32% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
11% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Local Hero is almost magical, it is so unexpected. It is whimsy raised a power or two by the skills of a filmmaker who looks at life slightly askew. He sees enchantment in small, off- center encounters, and gets the enchantment onto the screen. [05 Apr 1983, p.D5]
The gift of this charming, low-key excursion is more intangible, yet you may find that its surprisingly complex moods linger with a bittersweet afterglow. [28 Feb 1983, p.79]
Local Hero, which concerns the frustrations of a Texas oilman's attempts to buy up an idyllic Scottish village, ranks as a lyrical anti-urban comedy in the great tradition of films like I Know Where I'm Going and Whisky Galore!; and its essential triumph is to prove that comedy can still contain a gentle, almost mystical, aspect without necessarily being old-fashioned.
The film has an original, feathery charm.
Forsyth's trademark surprises are a little less fresh and a little more predictable than in Gregory's Girl: the entire enterprise, while not stale, is labored. [04 Mar 1983]
Production Company
Enigma Productions,
Goldcrest Films International,
Celandine Films
Release Date Feb 17, 1983
Duration 1 h 51 m
Rating PG
Tagline A beautiful coastline... A rich oil man wants to develop it. A poor beach bum wants to live on it. An entire town wants to profit by it. And a real-live mermaid wants to save it... Only one of them will get their way.
Awards
BAFTA Awards
• 1 Win & 7 Nominations
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
