The Flying Scotsman [2007]

Click here to view more information and buy this item..







Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days

Product Specifications

Editorial Review

Silver-screen sports stories rarely revolve around the big and brawny, but the small and scrappy, like Sean Astin in Rudy or Toby Maguire in Seabiscuit. For Scottish cycling sensation Graeme Obree (Trainspotting's Jonny Lee Miller), the biggest obstacle isn't physical, but financial--and psychological. From 1993 to 1995, when most of The Flying Scotsman takes place, he's a bike-shop owner and courier who dreams of turning pro (Laura Fraser plays his supportive spouse). After Rev. Baxter (Brian Cox returning to his native Scotland) sets him up with supplies, and fellow courier Malky (The Lord of the Rings' Billy Boyd) agrees to manage him, Obree sets out to break the one-hour world record. He starts by building a bicycle from spare parts, a move that recalls Anthony Hopkins' eccentric racer in The World's Fastest Indian.

Obree's money woes are further complicated by a battle with manic depression, which is handled sensitively, if superficially, i.e. it isn't made clear whether he ever receives treatment. Though he'll break several records before the film is over, the World Cycling Federation (represented by former James Bond villain Steven Berkoff) makes him jump through several demeaning hoops to get there. As for Miller, he's convincing as a cyclist (Obree serves as one of his stand-ins), though Boyd provides the bulk of the charisma. Nonetheless, the real-life champ deserves recognition for his achievements, and Mackinnon's movie is as a sympathetic testament to a true talent. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

To view more information and buy this item, click on the "View full details in Amazon" button on the right, or click here.

People who bought this item also bought...