Talk:Local Hero (film)

Untitled

removed:

• Ferness Village and Ferness Beach, portrayed as being side-by-side in the movie, are actually on opposite sides of Scotland.

reason: stated earlier in the article — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.227.212.203 (talk) 02:14, 6 February 2006 (UTC)

Happer's motivation

I watched the movie again. I don't agree that Happer has a strong need to name something after himself, but I'll leave it in, unless somebody else backs me up. Clarityfiend 08:46, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

This is a wonderul film which one can get more from every time one watches it. Another of the things that is special about it is that many scenes can be interpreted a number of ways. Here are a few points about Happer's desire to name things.

1. Many wealthy people like to have their names attached to things. This is not implicitly stated in the film but it is illustrated by the following points.
2. Happer tells Mac that he wishes his dad had thought to change the name of Knox Oil and Gas to Happer O&G when he bought it.
3. Any new comet discovered is named for the person who finds it and Happer has been looking for one for awhile.
4. You have to look close to see this one - When Happer leaves the office building after telling the police to "Shoot to Kill" his therapist a street sign that says Happer Blvd or Street can be seen behind him.
5. When Danny suggests that they call the science facility The Happer Institute it cements him as Happer's new right hand man in Scotland.

I can understand your interpretation Clarityfiend and understand that you may disagree with all of this.

To any fans of this film I strongly suggest that you go to the message boards at IMDb where fans of the film have found many interesting interpretations of things in it. One of my favorites is that the two women in the film are name Marina and Stella which is another way of saying the "Sea and the Stars".User:MarnetteD | Talk 17:37, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

Unconfirmed Trivia

I gleaned the following from IMDB threads:

The number of the phone booth is 01346 561210 (within the UK).

If anybody can substantiate, please add to the trivia section. Clarityfiend 21:13, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

Knox, Knox. Who's there?

"it is strongly suggested that Ben Knox is related to the Knox family from whom Happer's father bought Knox Oil and Gas" I don't recall this at all. Can somebody refresh my memory? Clarityfiend 05:12, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Hi Clarityfiend. I have found this film to be a bit of a rorsacht (sp?) test - the way one interprests a given scene may have more to say about you than about the movie. I questioned this edit when I read it also - and I know you take special care over this page so I was interested in how you would react to it. I feel that it is simply presented as a coincidence in the plot of the film and, as I wrote above, each viewer will, in their won mind, interpret whether there is a connection or not. I think that we should either tone this entry down or remove it based on a lack of evidence. What do you think? Nice title to your entry by the way. MarnetteD | Talk 18:44, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

I wasn't sure, since I've only seen it on TV, if some network idiot had cut a scene where all this was explained. But since that isn't the case, I'm going to weaken it and move it to trivia. Clarityfiend 19:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Brigadoon

I have always felt there to be more than a few parallels/allusions to the storyline of Brigadoon.

Have a look at http://en.wiki.x.io/wiki/Brigadoon tell me whether this seems a. not too speculative b. appropriate to Wiki, since I'm not aware of any citation that Forsyth was thinking along those lines, though it wouldn't be really be out of character at all!

It's a bit of a stretch. I've seen Brigadoon a couple of times and I never made the connection to Local Hero. The protagonists both long to return to isolated Scottish villages to the love they've found there, but that's about all the similarity I can recall. Without any sources, I can't see it meeting Wikipedia's criteria. Clarityfiend 20:54, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I heard a reference to this on Radio 4 recently. Forsyth described the film as 'Brigadoon meets Apocalypse Now'. Found confirmation online http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=111011&page=2

When I get time I will slip in a brief, referenced allusion to the whimsical surrealism of the film Billo72 17:49, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

Brigadoon again

There is a village which emerges out of the mist (remember the car breaking down in the mist for no apparent reason after they find Trudy the rabbit). There is a general air of the odd and surreal (the bewitching Aurora and a real live mermaid in the sea). The hero falls for/has a crush on a local (Stella Urquhart). There is the phone call 'home' which no-one answers and there is no sign of anyone around to ever take the call in the final scene, which is reminiscent of the 'return' to Brigadoon. Was it all a dream?

I agree though, without a citation it's not Wiki material.

Please don't forget to sign your discussion by typing 4 tildes at the end of your sentence. You make some interesting points and while I don't feel the same way about the comparisons I appreciate reading them. Just a couple of points.

1. The car didn't actually break down. They simply felt that driving on the narrow, unknown (to them), roads, not being able to see and it being so late that they should wait for morning. No one fixes the car when they drive on the next day.
2. Ferness doesn't move around.
3. One last one that I don't expect you or anyone else to agree with is that I think that Mac might have felt like Frodo on his return to the Shire (the book now, not the movie).

"Well here we are, just the four of us that started out together." said Merry. "We have left all the rest behind, one after another. It seems almost like a dream that has slowly faded." "Not to me" said Frodo. "To me it feels more like falling asleep again."

Cheers to all who enjoy this fine film. MarnetteD | Talk 22:00, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Danny Oldsen (Peter Capaldi)

I too love this film & have watched it many times, gaining something new from it each time. On again watching it today, I finally realized what had been nagging at me about the "Danny Oldsen" character. Peter Capaldi appears to either play the part deliberately using his facial resemblance and the now highly recognizable unique gait & awkward stances of Rowan Atkinson, right down to the fluttering fingers; or he does an amazingly coincidental "Atkinson" - or did Atkinson model his acting style on Capaldi? I find this intriguing as Rowan Atkinson was only just getting known in 1983 after beginning his career in "Not The Nine O'Clock News" in 1978 http://en.wiki.x.io/wiki/Not_the_Nine_O%27Clock_News & only just beginning the first "The Black Adder" in 1983.

I've looked for anything that would indicate the two worked together, went to school together or are related, but can't find anything. Capaldi is Scottish, Atkinson English.

Does anyone else notice the resemblance? If anyone has or watches it again to check out my curiousity as to, what are to me anyway, quite remarkable resemblances I'd be really interested in opinions and comments.Mally 03:50, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

Peter Capaldi said in a Parkinson interview that he based his movements on John Gordon Sinclair in Gregory's Girl; Sinclair played the role (Gregory) for which Capaldi was the first choice chrisboote 23:25, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

Mermaid like fin?

I have watched the film many times without seeing Marina's "mermaid-like fin". I know that she had webbed feet, but I wonder if this statement is actually correct? --82.41.42.96 10:53, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

I wondered about that too. I watched it quite recently and couldn't spot this. Perhaps somebody with the DVD could be bothered to freeze-frame it, and look, but otherwise, in the absence of a reference, we'd be best to remove the claim. – Kieran T ^(talk) 14:26, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

Absolutely the fin is there, after Marina has been told the good news about the Happer Institute chrisboote 23:26, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

Just watched the film tonight and sorry to say there is no fin. I freeze framed the scene in question and it is clearly her feet extending out of her wetsuited legs. The smaller the TV screen the more likely it is that you may interpret her the end of her dive as a fin but on my 16x9 it was easy to see her feet. Now if the powers that be would just give us a cleaned up and soundtrack enhanced DVD we could enjoy this film even more. MarnetteD | Talk 05:44, 5 August 2007 (UTC)

Telephone Box

I'm pretty sure there was always a red telephone box in the village and although the one in the film is fake, I'm not sure that one was installed afterwards to please fans! Should this statement in the article be at least referenced?

I got it from IMDb, so until there is better confirmation, I've removed it: In the film, MacIntyre communicates with Happer via a red telephone box opposite the hotel. The real telephone box in Pennan was in a different location. In response to the disappointment of visiting fans, one was installed (though not at precisely the same spot).[1] Clarityfiend 14:24, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Hello Clarityfiend. As I am sure that you are aware IMDb's info is, unfortunately, more often unreliable than they would like to let on. Not in the cast and production crew lists, but in the trivia and goofs section as those are created by fans and not rigorously fact checked by the owners of the website. Based on the question by the editor above I checked the locations website and attached the info to the note. I am not quite sure what your objection to it is as that website has pictures and info entered by people that actually went to the locations and talked to the locals. In my jouney to Scotland of a couple of summers ago I went to a few of the places they listed (though not Pennan) and found the sites info to be accurate. If you feel that you can put the note back in please do so, but if not I understand. MarnetteD | Talk 15:05, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

After taking out the unsubstantiated part, all that was left is that the real phone box is in a different spot, hardly a noteworthy observation. Also, the locations website is already in the external links. Clarityfiend 15:21, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Ah, I see what you were doing now and thanks for your reply. MarnetteD | Talk 15:39, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Local Hero still frame 041206.jpg

Image:Local Hero still frame 041206.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 23:43, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Local Hero still frame 029638.jpg

Image:Local Hero still frame 029638.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 23:43, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

Scottish or British?

Shouldn't it be described as a British film rather than as Scottish film? I'm not aware that we describe films made south of the border as being English films. Headhitter (talk) 21:57, 26 March 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for your question. If you will look at the whole article you will see that it is described as both. The lede mentions Scottish. The infobox mentions Great Britian and both are in the category section. Considering that the bulk of the creators and actors are Scottish it is appropriate to acknowledge that fact. While you won't find many films described as English (though that change is occasionally made) you will find Welsh and Irish films. Wikipedia has room enough for a wider understanding of this situation. MarnetteD | Talk 22:18, 26 March 2011 (UTC)

Except Local Hero was produced by English companies, and so is technically an English production. For this reason, British is a more appropriate description. Jay-W (talk) 14:11, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

Except the location of the production company is not the default for describing the country of a film. Scottish cast, director and locations are the hallmarks of this film. Being aware of how much this upsets some people I have done a little rewording to try and encompass both. MarnetteD | Talk 18:48, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

Oops I guess not - the lede looks good as it is. MarnetteD | Talk 18:50, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

Someone changed it again without any explanation[2] and while I manually reverted other parts of that anonymous and unexplained edit I did not restore the "Scottish" part. MOS:FILMCOUNTRY Correct me if I'm wrong or if policy has been changed but it was my understanding that the film nationality in Wikipedia was decided by the Production country that financed it and therefore this UK film would be marked as a "British" production.[3] -- 109.77.199.250 (talk) 17:14, 14 November 2024 (UTC)

Last Days of Dolwyn

Thematically, it's a re-make of Last Days of Dolwyn, is it not? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 49.182.132.151 (talk) 00:11, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

External links modified

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Son of The Maggie

Should it be mentioned that the film bears some strong parallels with The Maggie? "A story of a clash of cultures between a hard-driving American businessman and a wily Scottish captain." Pliny (talk) 08:36, 1 July 2017 (UTC)

Location of "Ferness" village church

@FirstDrop87: I have just noticed that an edit I made on 18 March 2015 was immediately reverted by User:FirstDrop87 with the reason stated being "Please provide a source." The amendment I made was to clarify the position that while the interior of the church was indeed filmed at Polnish, the exterior view of the church looking along the beach was filmed using a mock-up at Camusdarach. I support FirstDrop87's stated ambition "Fighting for ... proper citations" and make a point of always including them in any edit I make. In the case of the edit to this article, the citation already given for the locations in the previous version (and still given), namely does support my edit, so no extra citation is required. I have no desire to start reverting reverts, so could I ask FirstDrop87 to check this out and once satisfied that I am correct to please reinstate my amendment. Exbrum (talk) 12:24, 22 July 2019 (UTC)

No one has objected to this or implemented the change, so I have now done it myself with explicit citations. Exbrum (talk) 19:32, 18 September 2019 (UTC)

References