Local Hero (1983)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Best movie ever!

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

I have seen this movie more times than any other. I watch it nearly every year. I love everything about it and loving Scotland probably helps. The various characters, the scenery, Knopfler's beautiful music, the humour, the dialogue, the longing. I came to visiting the seaside town where some of it was filmed, but regrettably didn't. Maybe one day.

This movie ranks as No.37 on the BFI Top 100, and that is what probably led me to watch it. I'm happy I did!When a Texas oil company decides to establish a refinery in Scotland, the company head, Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster) sends one of his Scotsman, Mac (Peter Riegert), there to buy the land from the locals. 'Mac' accepts the job even though he would rather just enjoy his life in Houston. Part of Happer's instructions to Mac is to watch the skies over Scotland for comet activity in the constellation Virgo since Happer's real bliss is astronomy--and having a comet named after him. After arriving in the Scottish village to make the deal, Mac is told by the town's jack-of-all-trades official that he would have to check it out with the locals.While waiting for the results, Mac takes in the local color and evolves from a stuffy executive to a guy in touch with the locals. But, while he waits for 'the town' to make its decision, he is unaware that everyone there is dreaming of leaving the village and getting rich from the Americans. The important lone holdout is an old beach comber, Ben Knox (Fulton Mackay), who owns an important part of the needed land. When negotiations with Knox fail, Happer comes to Scotland to push the deal forward, with unusual results. This is a gem in which the viewer is taken for a fun roller-coaster ride. While watching it, I was reminded of other pretty good British comedies with similar plots, later movies like: Waking Ned Devine (1998) and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995).

I may watch this film again and again and all the time it is like going home and be with friends.One of my favourite films, and music is perfect. Love it.Only one thing was very surprising for me....sea lions in Scotland....It will leave you with a big smile on your face.Amazing film.Everything I love about Scotland is in this film.All the characters are very real and you just want meeting them again and again.And beautiful nature of Arisaig and Morar ...you go there and you see itall is real.

This laid-back comedy takes a company executive from the fast lane in the oil capital of Houston, to the wilds of the north Scotland coast. "Local Hero" is a sort of tale of redemption or rediscovery of the important things in life. Peter Riegert is MacIntyre and Peter Capaldi is Oldsen. They are the two Knox oil company advance men. Mac is ordered to Scotland from his job in Houston, and he meets Oldsen in Edinburgh. Burt Lancaster is Felix Happer, the company owner and boss. His character is the epitome of power and wealth where he lives almost in seclusion – at least from the working class of his company. But in his penthouse office and home, Happer has the latest technology to pursue his fascination with astronomy. His ceiling is a planetarium. He has a visiting psychologist who seems to be a neurotic in his own right. He has a problem that we don't ever have explained. While powerful and wealthy, he doesn't live the high life. His passion and interest, aside from the occasional hand in operating his company, is the heavens. So, when he send Mac to Scotland to acquire an entire community and bay for Knox Oil to develop a huge oil drilling and refining project, he tells Mac to watch the sky and to report directly to him on what he sees. The story then settles in on the small community on the north end of Scotland. Several local characters are played superbly by a supporting cast, many of whom have sizable roles. Denis Lawson is Urquhart, the local hotel and tavern operator, public accountant, and acknowledged spokesman for the town. Jennifer Black plays Urquhart's wife or mistress (and owner of the hotel and tavern). Fulton Mackay is Ben, the permanent beachcomber and owner of the beach. Numerous other characters add color and fun to the scene. Warner Brothers filmed "Local Hero" in more than two dozen locales in Scotland. The scenic shots are fantastic. And some of the shots with the Aurora Borealis (real or special effects) and night sky shots are very good. The locals hope to get rich off their land, but if the project doesn't go through they'll be just fine continuing in their laid-back, but honest working lifestyle. One of the main fishing catches in the village is lobster. Mac asks one of the fishermen if they ate them. "Too expensive," he replied. He says they get shipped out where folks in the fine restaurants of Edinburgh and London have them for dinner. The local town has a couple of quirky characters as well. This quirky and easy going comedy gives a nice little slice of what life can be like in small communities away from the big cities. And how much one can enjoy such life out of the fast lane.