Local Hero
1983
***½
Director: Bill Forsyth
Cast: Peter Riegert, Burt Lancaster, Fulton Mackay, Denis Lawson, Norman Chancer, Peter Capaldi, Rikki Fulton, Alex Norton, Jenny Seagrove, Jennifer Black
An American oil company finds the perfect location for a refinery in western Scotland and sends their representative to purchase the land in and around the village of Ferness. The lonely and matter-of-fact businessman predictably clashes with the laid-back and close-knit rural community but, even more predictably, falls in love with it. However, this melancholic comedy wins you over with its subtle humour and lovely characterisation. Soundtrack by Mark Knopfler.
