Rita, Sue and Bob Too

Rita, Sue and Bob Too
Directed by	Alan Clarke
Produced by	Oscar Lewenstein Sanford Lieberson
Written by	Andrea Dunbar
Starring	Michelle Holmes Siobhan Finneran George Costigan Lesley Sharp Kulvinder Ghir
Distributed by	Channel 4
Release date(s)	1986
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Rita, Sue and Bob Too is a 1986 British film directed by Alan Clarke about two West Yorkshire teenaged schoolgirls who have a sexual fling with a married man. It was adapted by Andrea Dunbar, based on two of her stage plays; Rita Sue and Bob Too (1982) and The Arbor (1980). Its portrayal of 'ordinary' people's lives made it a cult film soon after its cinematic release.

Plot

Rita and Sue are two working class girls from a rundown council estate in Bradford. About to finish their final year at school, they are generally disillusioned with life and their circumstances. In their spare time, they earn money babysitting for Bob and Michelle, a relatively affluent couple living in a large detached house in a more desirable part of town. Without Michelle's knowledge, Bob embarks on an affair with both Rita and Sue, who take it in turns to have sex with him in his car on the Moors surrounding Bradford. When Michelle eventually finds out, she leaves Bob - but not before confronting Rita and Sue outside their homes in front of their families and neighbours. When Bob later develops a preference for Rita, the two girls fall out. Rita then decides to move in with Bob, whilst Sue begins seeing Aslam, a Pakistani boy from the local taxi firm where she works. She moves in with him at his sister's house, but subsequently leaves him after he becomes too controlling and starts beating her. Rita and Sue then reconcile and Sue moves in with Rita and Bob and the three embark on a ménage à trois.

Cast

• Siobhan Finneran as Rita
• Michelle Holmes as Sue
• George Costigan as Bob
• Lesley Sharp as Michelle
• Kulvinder Ghir as Aslam
• Willie Ross as Sue's Father
• Danny O'Dea as Paddy
• Maureen Long as Rita's Mother
• Patti Nichols as Sue's Mother

Filming locations

• Buttershaw – The Boulevard council estate - (Rita's house; Sue's flat).
• Baildon – (Bob & Michelle's house on Bramham Drive; moorland scenes).
• Haworth – (the school trip).
• Shipley – (the scene where the girls finish babysitting and are walking home past the garage)
• Bradford – Alexandra St, just behind Rand Street (Great Horton, near the University) the house Sue moves to with Aslam. Luna Cabs (Leeds Road) where she works and meets him.

External links

• Rita, Sue and Bob Too at the Internet Movie Database
• Rita, Sue and Bob Too at AllRovi
• Rita, Sue and Bob Too at Rotten Tomatoes
• British Film Institute Screen Online