Director: Bill Forsyth
Starring: John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn, Clare Grogan
Running Time: 91 minutes
Synopsis: In a small Scottish town, gangly high school student Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) loses his forward spot on the football team to classmate Dorothy (Dee Hepburn). The school is agog about the girl outplaying the boys, but Gregory does not care: he falls hopelessly in love with Dorothy, and has to summon the courage to ask her out.
What Works Well: A simple coming-of-age romance is augmented by small time charm, quirky characters, and understated humour. Bill Forsyth lovingly observes the marginal details, where community members carry on with the oddities of daily life and Gregory is consumed by the eternal adolescent male dilemma of how and when to ask a crush for a first date. His equally goofy friends offer no help, while the girls surrounding them display relative maturity and patient bemusement. Gregory's younger sister Madeleine emerges as the calmest presence, steadying her brother's nerves with encouragement and practical tips.
What Does Not Work As Well: This is a really slight story: ambience and side notes are as important as the plot, but several scenes fail to rise above filler material.
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