Clockwise (film)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2008) |
| Clockwise | |
|---|---|
 theatrical release poster by Tom Jung | |
| Directed by | Christopher Morahan |
| Written by | Michael Frayn |
| Produced by | Michael Codron |
| Starring | John Cleese |
| Cinematography | John Coquillon |
| Edited by | Peter Boyle |
| Music by | George Fenton |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date | March 1986 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,476,356[1] |
Clockwise is a 1986 British comedy film starring John Cleese, directed by Christopher Morahan, written by Michael Frayn and produced by Michael Codron. The film's music was composed by George Fenton.
For his performance Cleese won the 1987 Peter Sellers Award For Comedy at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. Most urban scenes were shot in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, while rural scenes were largely shot in Shropshire.[2]
Plot
Brian Stimpson (Cleese), headmaster of Thomas Tompion Comprehensive School, has been elected to chair the annual Headmasters' Conference. Extremely disorganised as a young man, Stimpson is now obsessively organised and punctual, and his school runs "like clockwork". He is the first headmaster of a comprehensive school to chair the Headmasters' Conference, that honour usually being reserved for heads of the more elitist private schools.
Despite repetitive rehearsal of his speech and preparations for the journey to the conference, his ordered world unwinds as a series of misadventures plague him en route. His troubles begin as he inadvertently misses his train and loses the text of his speech. As he cannot find any other transportation, he commandeers the car of one of his pupils, Laura Wisely (Sharon Maiden), to make the rest of the journey. As further unfortunate events unfold, Stimpson and Wisely severely damage and eventually lose the car. Now desperate to reach the conference on time, they resort to stealing the sports car being driven by a used car salesman, belonging to a client.
Stimpson finally arrives at the conference in the ripped suit of the car salesman and gives an improvised, abrasive speech to the shocked headmasters. Finally, he directs all of the headmasters to stand and sing the hymn "To Be a Pilgrim", as he often would to his own pupils. He is then accosted by his disappointed wife, Laura's worried parents and several other parties he had hurt over the course of his journey. The film ends as he is led away by several policemen.
Cast
- John Cleese as Brian Stimpson
- Penelope Wilton as Pat
- Alison Steadman as Gwenda Stimpson
- Stephen Moore as Mr. Jolly
- Sharon Maiden as Laura Wisely
- Geoffrey Palmer as Headmaster
- Peter Cellier as Headmaster
- Joan Hickson as Mrs. Trellis
- Pat Keen as Mrs Wisely
- Constance Chapman as Mrs. Wheel
- Ann Way as Mrs. Way
- Tony Haygarth as Ivan with the tractor
- Michael Aldridge as Prior
- Sheila Keith as Pat's mother
- Mark Burdis as Glen Scully
- Nadia Sawalha as Mandy Kostakis
- Richard Ridings as Policeman at crash
- Alan Parnaby as Policeman at phone box
References
Notes
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clockwise.htm
- ^ Clockwise Locations' at Gloucestershire On Screen
External links
