The Girl in the Picture (1985 film)
| The Girl in the Picture | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Cary Parker |
| Written by | Cary Parker |
| Produced by | Paddy Higson |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Ron Geesin |
Production companies | Antoine Productions National Film Trustee Limited |
| Distributed by | Rank |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 mins |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Girl in the Picture is a 1986 Scottish film directed by Cary Parker and starring John Gordon Sinclair.
Plot
Alan, a Glaswegian photographer, is keen to get back with his former girlfriend Mary. Meanwhile, his assistant Ken is smitten by a girl he knows only through her photograph.
Cast
- John Gordon Sinclair as Alan
- Irina Brook as Mary
- David McKay as Ken
- Gregor Fisher
- Rikki Fulton
- Simone Lahbib
Production
The film was written and directed by Cary Parker, an American from Atlanta. He fell in love with a woman from Glasgow he met at the University of Georgia and moved with her to Scotland. He worked as an assistant editor and wanted to direct (he had made short films in the US), but was asked for a script. Parker wrote the script for The Girl in the Picture and obtained finance.[1] Finance came from Rank and the National Film Finance Corporation.[2]
The producer was Paddy Higson who had worked on other Scottish filmed comedies such as That Sinking Feeling, Gregory's Girl, Living Apart Together and Restless Natives. She made the film through her own company, Antoine Productions, which she established in 1983 with her husband (who died shortly afterwards).[3]
The film starred John Gordon Sinclair, who had been in Gregory's Girl. Higson said "“We tried very hard to come up with someone other than John Gordon Sinclair for the star part. But no one else could have done it so well.”[4] The female lead was Irina Brook, daughter of Peter Brook.
Filming started April 1985 and took place in Glasgow.[5]
Reception
The Evening Standard wrote "everyone who likes Gregory's Girl should like this slighter romantic sequel."[6]
The Guardian called it "slight but charming."[7]
The Observer wrote "there is a feeling of calculation, of inauthenticity, of looking at the world through someone else's rose coloured glasses."[8]
The Glasgow Herald called it "a modest light romantic comedy which ends up drowning in its own charm."[9]
References
- ^ Cain, Scott (13 September 1986). "Local lad makes good (film)". The Atlanta Journal - Weekend edition. p. 17.
- ^ Malcolm, Derek (27 March 1986). "Punch up on a pension". The Guardian. p. 15.
- ^ Hardy, Forsyth (1990). Scotland in film. Edinburgh University. p. 196.
- ^ Gilbey, Ryan (24 April 2025). "Paddy Higson obituary". The Guardian.
- ^ "Gregory gets his girl in focus". Daily Record. 12 April 1985. p. 13.
- ^ Walker, Alexander (27 March 1986). "Gregory's still baffled by love". Evening Standard. p. 25.
- ^ "Best films". The Guardian. 3 April 1986. p. 13.
- ^ French, Philip (30 March 1986). "What makes an Oscar winner?". The Observer. p. 25.
- ^ Russell, William (10 May 1986). "Problem of living up to Forsyth legacy". The Herald (Glasgow ed.). p. 10.
External links