On A Clear Day
by Gaby Dellal
List Price:
Our Price: $13.49
You Save: $1.49 (10%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $4.68 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Brenda Blethyn, Jamie Sives, Peter Mullan, Ron Cook, Sean McGinleyDirector: Gaby Dellal
Brand: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 99 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-07-11
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of On A Clear Day
DVD Review: Very good movie
Summary: 5 Stars
We've been seeking out movies which are made in western Europe, they are very entertaining and different from movies produced in the U.S. "On A Clear Day" does not disappoint. There are several other movies of this type you should seek out; Waking Ned Devine, Saving Grace are but two.DVD Review: Pleasant undemanding fare
Summary: 3 Stars
Here's a movie to watch after a long, hard day when you're in the mood for something pleasantly uplifting that doesn't demand too much.
Frank loses his job in a Glasgow shipyard and finds himself at a loss. He decides to swim the English Channel. Of course, Frank has his problems. He's not a very communicative man -- he and his wife barely speak. He's alienated from his son whom he blames for the death of another child many years before.
But with the help of his motely chums (the usual collection of lovable eccentrics without which no British film is complete) Frank confronts his ghosts, mends his life and accomplishes his dream.
Totally predictable but well-acted, this is a nice enough way to spend an evening. More than that, it aint.
DVD Review: INSPIRATIONAL, FUNNY, FAMILY FRIENDLY--AND OUR HOUSE LOVES THE BRITTISH ACCENTS
Summary: 5 Stars
A DVD for you if you are aging, have lost a job, dealing with a handicap, struggling with a major problem, enjoy Scotland or England, are a water lover, if you enjoy watching movies with a spouse (or need to), or if you just like a really good comedy/drama/feel-good movie without Hollywood's toppings of sex, blood, and death. It's five stars of pure enjoyment with a heart-hug ending.
We watched with the English subtitles on. Wendy's review stated that her copy had no captioning. It does help with certain areas when the heavier British accent is hard to catch. I didn't have to rely on it much but we watch a lot of British, Irish, Scottish, and BBC movies. If you have a problem with that, make sure your purchase has the captions.
Yes, I agree with everyone, Frank (Peter Mullan)is an outstanding character and superbly casted. But I also felt that his wife, Joan (Brenda Blethyn) also was excellent. Both of them display a drive within that spells inspiration to others in similar situations--that being, reaching an age when something else has to begin to mark life's milestone.
Another point of inspiration is the young little swimmer at the pool. If he's an actor that is not really handicapped then he deserves a major award for the acting. If he's truly handicapped, then he deserves a bigger than major award for displaying his own true inspiration and for the accomplishments of doing the film. To his ability, sorry I don't know his name, I shout "YES!" As he did with each pool length.
You also will fall in love with the antics, and roles of the group of pals that assist Frank in the Channel swim attempt. Each fellow seems to have their own personal "channel" to swim or face. Will each succeed? Did Frank and Joan? I'll not be the spoiler.
"On a Clear Day" will perk up any cloudy day. Something for everyone. The only disappointment I can share having is the fact there is no extras to add to the film's length of pleasing entertainment. I know how to swim that channel--I'll end this review and watch the movie another ti...
DVD Review: A Real Gem
Summary: 5 Stars
"On a Clear Day" is another overlooked film from the UK which does not disappoint. If you have seen and liked "Dear Frankie", "Waking Ned Devine", "Greenfingers", "The Full Monty", "The Snapper", or "The Van" small but well crafted British films that deal with the day to day challenges of the human condition with equal amounts of humor and drama then you will enjoy this film as well. DVD Review: What to do next?
Summary: 4 Stars
When you're fiftyish and have just lost your job, what do you do next?
If you're Frank in "On A Clear Day," then you swim the English Channel, and confront some nasty personal demons. This wee, warm Scottish flick does a great job balancing out comedy and melancholy, with a bit of family strife thrown in. It's just a small-scale, sweet little film.
A Scottish shipyard is laying off workers, and Frank (Peter Mullan) suddenly finds himself without a job. His wife Joan (Brenda Blethyn) starts training to be a bus driver, and his relationship with his son Rob (Jamie Sives) remains chilly, as it has been ever since his other son's death. Frank becomes increasingly depressed and antsy, unsure what to do next.
But while on a "booze cruise" with his friends, inspiration strikes -- he'll swim the Channel. He keeps his plans a secret from his family, but allows Chinese-Scot Chan (Benedict Wong) to be his trainer, with his pals as moral support. But his secret alienates his wife and son even further, and as he faces the biggest swim of his life, Frank will have to overcome his worst, most haunting memories of the sea.
"One Clear Day" is basically a heartwarming little family dramedy, which avoids the usual cliches and schmaltz, even in scenes where it could have easily become goopy. It takes a pretty talented director to handle things like government layoffs and racism without being heavy-handed, or dealing with emotional trauma without being soppy about it.
The plot seems even more colourful against the grey skies and seas of Scotland -- there are sad flashbacks and some melancholy moments, but Dellal balances it out with kooky good-ol'-lads comedy, such as Danny joyously careening around on a tiny motoboat. And the dialogue is nothing short of hilarious, whether it's bawdy jokes or banter ("Shark. Thirty-five footer." "Fell off my bike. Two-wheeler!").
Mullan has a very challenging role -- his character has repressed his grief, and doesn't want to let anyone see his problems. So Frank is gruff, secretive, but has moments of unbridled delight. Blethyn and Sives round out the family beautifully, as Frank's loving wife and emotionally starved son -- the beach scene with the three of them is enchanting.
But the supporting cast is also great -- Jodhi May has a small, good role as Rob's wife, and Ron Cook and Sean McGinley are snappily solid as two of Frank's pals. And Billy Boyd simply steals every scene he's in, as the perpetually upbeat, charmingly troublesome Danny. But comedy isn't his only skill: his best scene would have to be when Danny sadly confesses that he's always wanted to be like Frank.
"On A Clear Day" is a sweet, small Scottish movie with plenty of heart and joking-around, and the ability to warm your heart without turning your stomach. Definitely worth swimming to.
Description of On A Clear Day
It s the ultimate personal challenge swimming the English Channel. But as Frank Redmond (Peter Mullan Braveheart Trainspotting) plunges headlong into his new life his friends get swept up in his quest filling his training with laughter and camaraderie as he prepares for the most extraordinary test of human endurance.On a Clear Day is an inspirational and heartwarming story of family friends and one amazing adventure that will stay with you forever!System Requirements:Running Time: 99 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?DRAMA Rating:?PG-13 UPC:?025192885228 Manufacturer No:?28852An independent film from Britain, On a Clear Day tells the story of a man trying to come to terms with his past by setting a goal for the future: to swim across the English Channel. Frank (Peter Mullan) is a stoic man who tells his young grandson, "Things aren't meant to be fixed nowadays." After working all his life, the Glasgow shipbuilder finds himself middle-aged and jobless. His loving wife Joan (two-time Academy Award nominee Brenda Blethyn) tries to lessen the financial burden by learning to become a bus driver. Frank's relationship with his househusband son Rob (Jamie Sives) is distant at best. And though he doesn't speak of his other son, who drowned decades ago, Frank thinks of him often. Director Gaby Dellal reveals a gentle touch in the film's quieter moments. But she's just at home balancing the melodramatic moments (Rob confronting his father in a swimming pool) with comic relief (Frank's friendship with a woebegone group of men, including optimistic Danny, played by Billy Boyd from The Lord of the Rings). In the end, it's less important whether Frank's goals are met than mending his broken relationships. The finale is touching in the way it all plays out, because some things are meant to be fixed. --Jae-Ha Kim
General DVDs
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in General DVDs
Jeff Dunham: Spark of InsanityDUNHAM,JEFF; Release date: 2007-09-18; DVD
Best price: $8.14
Price in other shops:
Pushing Daisies - The Complete First SeasonRelease date: 2008-09-16; DVD
Best price: $18.99
Price in other shops:
How I Met Your Mother - Season ThreeRelease date: 2008-10-07; DVD
Best price: $22.46
Price in other shops:
30 Rock: Season 2Release date: 2008-10-07; DVD
Best price: $24.74
Price in other shops:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Three-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition)FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL: SE (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $17.74
Price in other shops:
Sex and the City - The Movie (Full Screen Edition)Release date: 2008-09-23; DVD
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops:
The Office: Season FourOFFICE, THE: SEASON FOUR (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-09-02; DVD
Best price: $25.99
Price in other shops:
Hocus PocusBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2002-06-04; DVD
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops:
Very Special Christmas SpecialRelease date: 2008-11-18; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Sex and the City - The Movie (Special Edition)Release date: 2008-09-23; DVD
Best price: $19.84
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Mrs. Palfrey at the ClaremontWESTLAKE ENTERTAINMENT INC; Release date: 2006-12-12; DVD
Best price: $4.20
Price in other shops:
The Jane Austen Book ClubSony; Release date: 2008-02-05; DVD
Best price: $11.71
Price in other shops:
CranfordWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-05-20; DVD
Best price: $25.82
Price in other shops:
Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger AbbeyWGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2008-01-22; DVD
Best price: $13.81
Price in other shops:
Waking Ned DevineRelease date: 1999-06-01; DVD
Best price: $4.13
Price in other shops:
Saving GraceRelease date: 2000-12-19; DVD
Best price: $14.90
Price in other shops:
Death at a FuneralTWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2008-02-26; DVD
Best price: $10.68
Price in other shops:
Miss PotterRelease date: 2007-06-19; DVD
Best price: $13.35
Price in other shops:
Becoming JaneBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2008-02-12; DVD
Best price: $12.60
Price in other shops:
Dear FrankieMORTIMER,EMILY; Release date: 2005-07-05; DVD
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops: