Film: Local Hero
Director: Bill Forsyth
Country: UK
Released: February 1983
Runtime: 111 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Goldcrest / 20th Century Fox
Influenced: Wes Anderson, Alexander Payne, Lone Scherfig, Aki Kaurismäki, Danny Boyle
Inspired by a chance meeting between director Bill Forsyth and an American oil executive in a small Scottish village, Local Hero is a classic comedy about what happens when two opposing cultures clash. Those two cultures are corporate America and a small, remote fishing village in Scotland. Forsyth's film is very much in the tradition of Ealing Comedies involving plucky locals, most notably Sandy Mackendrick's Whisky Galore! (1949). Local Hero's narrative centres around Mac MacIntyre (Peter Riegert), a young and ambitious oil executive from Texas who is sent by his eccentric boss, Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster), to a remote Scottish coastal village called Ferness (the actual locations were Pennan, north of Aberdeen, and Camusdarrach, on the opposite coast near Fort William).
In one of many funny early scenes, we see Happer asleep in the boardroom at the Knox Oil offices in Houston, as one of his colleagues makes the mistake of initially saying they intend to buy the whole of Scotland, only to then downgrade their ambitions to Ferness Bay. The purpose of MacIntyre's mission – he's chosen for the task on the basis he's of Scottish descent, whereas in fact he's of Hungarian heritage – is to negotiate the purchase of the village for a new oil refinery, which Happer believes will enrich his company. Once in Ferness, Mac encounters the quirky villagers, including Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson), the local innkeeper and much else besides. The villagers are initially excited about the prospect of becoming rich through the oil deal, but as they bond with Mac, they start to question whether sacrificing their picturesque village for wealth is the right choice.
Mac also meets with eccentric local Ben Knox (played by the marvellous Fulton Mackay), who bamboozles him with his folksy wisdom. Knox ultimately stands in the way of the deal owing to his long-established ownership of the beach. Initially, Mac and his Scottish colleague Danny Oldsen (played by Peter Capaldi in a breakthrough screen role) fail to see their beautiful surroundings, notably in a dreamy night scene on the beach, when all the two Knox Oil executives can imagine is a world without oil ("no automobiles, heat, polish, ink, nylon, detergents, perspex, polythene, dry cleaning fluid, waterproof coats..."). As Mac spends more time in Ferness, however, he begins to appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the warmth of the community. He becomes torn between his loyalty to the oil company and his growing affection for Ferness. Oldsen also develops a growing attachment to the village, especially through his friendship with marine biologist Marina (Jenny Seagrove).
Meanwhile, Happer decides to travel to Scotland to see the progress of the deal, but his experiences there – especially his off-screen encounter with Ben Knox – lead him to reconsider the project. This negotiation scene and the ceilidh are two of my favourite moments in the film, the latter featuring a cameo appearance from John Gordon Sinclair, star of Forsyth's other great Scottish film, Gregory's Girl (1981). Two other notable mentions should go to the involvement of legendary British producer David Puttnam and musician Mark Knopfler, whose soundtrack includes the film's beautiful title theme, Going Home. Local Hero received critical acclaim upon release for its mix of humour, endearing characters and thoughtful messaging about the importance of community and nature. The movie's impact can be seen in subsequent works that explore similar themes of environmental consciousness and the effects of modernisation on small communities. Local Hero also deserves praise for its picturesque cinematography, capturing the rare beauty of the Scottish landscape.
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