“I wonder what the poor people are doing tonight.” This weekend is the 30th anniversary of one of the best-loved films in British cinematic history. There are louder movies than Local Hero, comedies with bigger laughs and more telegraphic intentions. But one of the reasons Bill Forsyth’s pocket masterpiece has earned a place in so many hearts is the gentleness of wry wit, the modesty of its wisdom, and underpinning it all a profound humanity.
This weekend we celebrate the birthday of Local Hero in the company of its writer-director Bill Forsyth and its two stars, Denis Lawson and Peter Riegert. Make sure you’re there to blow out the candles. Until then, here are three questions.
- How many 10ps you need to call Houston from a remote Scottish fishing village?
- How many grains of sand you can hold in your hand?
- How many Gs in “bugger off”?