| | | The True Story of the Unlikely Champion That Inspired a Nation.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, Sensormatic, English, French, Spanish, Subtitled
The Flying Scotsman is a true story based on the inspirational and remarkable Scottish cyclist, Graeme Obree. In 1993, this unemployed amateur broke the world one-hour record on a bike of his own revolutionary design, which he constructed out of scrap metal and parts of a washing machine. Shortly after Graeme broke the record, he lost his title when another cyclist beat his time. This only served to motivate Graeme to break the record again, while also battling mental illness.
"Gets your heart pumping!" Chicago Tribune
"A thrilling cinematic film...Jonny Lee Miller is at his best." Empire
"It's an underdog story with teeth." Kyle Smith, New York Post
"A sports bio movie that I really enjoyed about a sport and sports hero I barely knew existed..." Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
"Boasts exciting competitive track cycling footage." Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Editor's Note
THE FLYING SCOTSMAN follows the standard blueprint for a sports film: underdog overcomes obstacles to become a champion--but adds the element of the hero's real-life mental illness to make an engaging drama. Jonny Lee Miller (TRAINSPOTTING) plays Graeme Obree, a Scottish cyclist who is seemingly past his prime. He has gone from winning races to running a losing bike shop, but he can't be called a quitter. When he learns his old rival will race for a record, Graeme decides to get back in the game. His wife (Laura Fraser, A KNIGHT'S TALE), a fellow avid cyclist (Billy Boyd, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING), and a friend (Brian Cox, RUNNING WITH SCISSORS) all join him in his quest. Though his opponent's bike boasts $500,000 in engineering, Graeme builds his from scratch, even dismantling a washing machine to make the perfect bike. In addition to his lack of a designer cycle, Graeme also struggles with a mental illness that makes it difficult for him to get out of bed, much less try for a world record. But despite his troubles, Graeme is stubborn and driven, and Miller ably captures the zeal of the real-life athlete. Cox may be best known as a villain in films such as X2, but it's fascinating to see him play such a sympathetic character here.For those who love sports movies (or even just dramas in general), THE FLYING SCOTSMAN begs comparison to CHARIOTS OF FIRE. For most people, cycling doesn't hold the thrill of the typical spectator sports such as basketball or baseball, and one might assume that extends to the movie as well. But thanks to its strong characters and the novelty of a film about cycling, THE FLYING SCOTSMAN deserves a look. It could have benefited from developing the mental illness aspect of the plot, but it still adds an interesting element to what would've been a standard film.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: TCFHE/MGM |
| Release Date: 2/17/2009 |
| Running Time: 96 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2007 | | Catalog ID: 108490 | | UPC: 00027616084903 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen/Standard 2.35:1/1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Nominee (2006) | | | BAFTA Awards, Scotland, Jonny Lee Miller, Best Actor in a Scottish Film | | | BAFTA Awards, Scotland, Laura Fraser, Best Actress in a Scottish Film | | | BAFTA Awards, Scotland, Douglas Mackinnon, Best Director | | | BAFTA Awards, Scotland, John Brown, et. al., Best Screenplay | | | BAFTA Awards, Scotland, The Flying Scotsman, Best Film |
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| | Professional Reviews | Sight and Sound
"[A]n inspirational yarn with soundtrack to match, professionally made and solidly performed....A meatily physical film of considerable surface and with a committed central turn..." 07/01/2007 p.50Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "An outstanding, irresistible true-life British drama....Delicate and affecting..." 11/23/2007 p.107 Empire
4 stars out of 5 -- "Miller is on good form, and Billy Boyd, as his friend and manager, is utterly winning....Intensely likeable and very inspiring." 12/01/2007 p.210 Variety 7 of 10
A cyclist overcomes his maverick professional status and crippling personal demons to seize a championship and break records in "The Flying Scotsman," a sincere but shallow drama based on a real-life story. Though its underdog elements were embraced with warmth by the partisan opening-night crowd at the Edinburgh fest, perfunctory approach to a script blending "The World's Fastest Indian" and "Shine" can't quite kickstart the emotional engines necessary to break away from the pack...There's a breathless, almost panicky feel to the screenplay by John Brown, Simon Rose and Declan Hughes that results in an unfortunately superficial treatment of both Obree's achievements and impediments...Martin Phipps' workmanlike score is occasionally used in heavy-handed fashion. Otherwise, finished production gives little indication of apparent behind-the-scenes financial turmoil. - Eddie Cockrell
Reel.com 6 of 10
Director Douglas Mackinnon's The Flying Scotsman is a sincere but routine drama that's too constrained by formula to completely succeed. The film is based on a true story that's rather remarkable, but like so many biopics, the movie drains the inspiration out of its non-fiction events by shaping them into a rigidly constructed framework that has more in common with other movies than anything resembling real life. One can see why the tale attracted the attention of Mackinnon and his writers, given its darker variation on populist underdog films like Rocky and Breaking Away...In the end, however, even Miller and Cox's terrific performances, along with those of Billy Boyd as Obree's best friend and Laura Fraser as his wife, can't overcome the sense of contrivance created by the biopic format...A few touching moments aside, The Flying Scotsman is never quite as impressive as the man whose life it honors. - Jim Hemphill
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