The Flying Scotsman
by Douglas Mackinnon
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DVD details
Actor: Crawford McInally-Kier, Jan Plazalski (II), Jonny Lee Miller, Joseph Carney, Sean Brown (III)Director: Douglas Mackinnon
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 103 minutes
Published: 2003
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-18
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of The Flying Scotsman
DVD Review: Great Cycling Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very good movie, about a man who against all odds succeeded in pro cycling. This movie kept me enthralled from start to finish. The parts of the movie that talked about his bouts with bipolar disorder hit home for me as I dated a girl who suffered from this, and they were shown with more accuracy than in any other movie I've seen.
All in all, I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought that I would. I watched it for the bicycling, but the story kept me hooked.
DVD Review: Both Ends Burning
Summary: 3 Stars
Based on the Graeme Obree autobiography of the same name, the movie (starring Jonny Lee Miller as Obree) juxtaposes the innovations developed by the gifted athlete/inventor with his battles against personal demons that were poised on every lap to derail a cycling career.
Utilizing a revolutionary position for his arms and using washing-machine parts on his bike - "Old Faithful" - Obree set the world distance record for one hour in 1993 and 1994, along with capturing a world championship in individual pursuit. The film focuses on the singular vision of Obree in developing new riding techniques and its consequences when he becomes a sensation on the international stage, along with delving into the psychological scars from being bullied as a youth.
The idea of bike as an escape mechanism - he flees the bullies on a bike and is in solitude when on the track as an adult - is fascinating, but ultimately cannot speed past the movie cliches of an underdog against the establishment and falls flat with some unsettling attempts at comic relief.
The velodrome scenes carry a special intensity, but the story may ultimately stall for those who do not know the back story of Obree and the real-life politics in world class cycling.
DVD Review: minor but enjoyable sports movie
Summary: 3 Stars
***1/2
*SPOILERS*
"The Flying Scotsman" tells the story of Graeme Obree, a championship cyclist from Glascow, who, in the mid 1990s, twice broke the world speed record using a bike he'd constructed out of washing-machine parts. To achieve his success, Obree had to wage battle against not merely the leaders of the World Cycling Federation - who considered him an upstart and thus did everything they could to try to keep him from competing - but his own personal demons brought on by childhood trauma and clinical depression.
This slight but engaging film boasts an intriguing locale, smooth direction by Douglas Mackinnon and endearing performances by Johnny Lee Miller, Billy Boyd, Laura Fraser and Brian Cox. These serve as effective counterweights to all the sports-underdog, hometown-hero-makes-good cliches inherent in the story.
For the movie makes it clear that Obree did indeed become something of a folk hero for the citizens of Scotland, who are often forced to play second-fiddle to their more haughty neighbors to the south. For a brief but shining moment, however, the nation of Scotland stood atop the world of competitive cycling, all thanks to its Favorite Son, Graeme Obree.
DVD Review: Great Motivating Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Great movie. wish they would have talked in the end about what he is doing today. Let a few friends borrow it already & they also had the same thoughts, good movie.DVD Review: For biking enthusiasts
Summary: 4 Stars
Whoever bikes and heard about the achievements of Obree must watch this movie. The filmaking is just above average but cleary shot with the heart.
Description of The Flying Scotsman
Based on the incredible true story of amateur cyclist Graeme Obree, who breaks the world one-hour record on a bike he made out of washing machine parts.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
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