Local Hero

Released 1983
Stars Burt Lancaster, Peter Riegert, Fulton Mackay, Denis Lawson, Norman Chancer, Peter Capaldi, Rikki Fulton, Jenny Seagrove
Directed by Bill Forsyth

Local Hero is a fragment of cinematic whimsy - a genial dramatic comedy that defies both our expectations and those of the characters. The film stars Peter Reigert as Mac MacIntyre, a deal closer for Knox Oil who is picked by the corporate head, Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster), to travel to Scotland and buy up an entire fishing village where the company can build a refinery. MacIntyre is chosen because of his name, even though he does not, in fact, have any Scottish ancestry. And, before he leaves, his boss gives him a secondary duty, which, in some ways, seems more important to Mr. Happer than the primary job: MacIntyre is to keep his eyes on the night sky, watching for new, previously-undiscovered comets. Happer has decided that the best way to immortalize his name is to get it attached to a celestial body.

Summary by James Berardinelli

This movie starts with the deal-closer for an American oil company heading to Scotland to take advantage of the locals. His task is to buy their bay as cheaply as possible so it can be turned into an enormous oil refinery and waystation. He's a materialistic man with an eccentric boss heading to an enchanted land, and you can just see the plot wheels turning. But a funny thing happened on the way to the typewriter, so to speak. Instead of a village of people opposed to losing their community, the people are thrilled to get rich. Whoa, what's happening here? Aren't they supposed to vehemently protest and do their darndest to win the oil man over? Won't he fall in love with the place and fight for the community? Well, kind of. Yes, Mac falls in love with the place, but he still wants to do his job. His heart's not in it, but it's his job. He feels guilty for how his company's using the locals, but they don't feel used at all. As I was watching this gentle film that showcases the beauty of both nature and man while lightly chiding man for his greed, I was wondering what the conflict was. If a story doesn't have a conflict, it's not a story--it's a slice of life. It's not until the final act that we encounter a conflict, and it's something we expected from the beginning: an obstacle from one of the locals. It was smart to save this obstacle for the end, because it allowed the movie to breathe and to create a different rhythm than we expected. It allows the film to envelop us in the seaside's atmosphere; in God's Country so breath-taking, it's impossible to imagine destroying it. Then old man Happer literally swoops in to save the day, but he has bigger things on his mind as well... his legacy. Watching this movie, it's difficult to imagine how people can exploit nature as we do. I know we're dependent on oil, but can't we afford to be civilized about it? --Bill Alward, February 15, 2002