On a Clear Day (2005)

Frank determines to salvage his self-esteem and tackle his demons by attempting the ultimate test of endurance - swimming the English Channel.

Director:

Gaby Dellal

Writer:

Alex Rose

Stars:

Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Sean McGinley

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Mullan	...	Frank
Brenda Blethyn	...	Joan
Sean McGinley	...	Eddie
Jamie Sives	...	Rob
Billy Boyd	...	Danny
Ron Cook	...	Norman
Jodhi May	...	Angela
Benedict Wong	...	Chan
Anne Marie Timoney	...	Michelle
Shaun Dingwall	...	Observer
Tony Roper	...	Merv the Perv
Paul Ritter	...	Mad Bob
Andrew MacLennan	...	Andrew
James MacLennan	...	James
Irene Ann Burt	...	Vera

Storyline

After decades of laboring as a Glasgow shipbuilder, Frank Redmond, a no-nonsense 55-year-old working-class man, suddenly finds himself laid off. For the first time in his life, he is without a job or a sense of direction, and he's too proud to ask for guidance. His best mates - rascally Danny, timid Norman and cynical Eddie - are there for him, but Frank still feels desperately alone. An offhand remark from Danny inspires Frank to challenge himself. Already contemplating the state of his relationships with loving wife Joan and all-but-estranged son Rob, Frank is determined to shore up his own self-confidence. He will attempt the near impossible - swimming the English Channel. As Frank plunges headlong into his new daily life, his astonished friends are swept along with him. Prodded by stalwart fish-and-chips shop owner Chan, the men support Frank, train him - and keep their goal secret from his wife and son. Frank is unable to confide in those closest to him, but as the big day and ...

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Plot Keywords:

swimming | swimming the english channel | self esteem | love | working class | 

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Taglines:

This Spring, dive head first into life.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

An einem klaren Tag

Filming Locations:

Dover, Kent, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$48,602 (New Zealand) (26 May 2006)

Gross:

$358,948 (New Zealand) (7 July 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baker Street, Forthcoming Productions, Glasgow Film Finance

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The toy that Rob takes away from his son at school is Thunderbird 2, based on the television series Thunderbirds. Ron Cook played Parker in the theatrical remake Thunderbirds.

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Goofs

In the pub scene with Danny and Rob, in one shot, Danny places the glass down, and the next shot, it is back in his hand.

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Quotes

Mad Bob: [showing off long scar on his arm] Shark. Thirty-five footer.
Danny Campbell: [showing off small scar on elbow] Fell off my bike. Two-wheeler.

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Soundtracks

"For he is a jolly good fellow"
(traditional)

User Reviews

Like a student's quilt, with great pieces that aren't quite put together very well. Huge promise for the future, though!

This movie has strengths and weaknesses. Some of the strengths are its attempt to tell a 'real' story, without recourse to shtick, cliché, or pop-star trickery so common on TV and in movies these days. It seems obvious that the writer and director had visions of something deep, meaningful, as well as entertaining. Another strength is the reliance on the humans, and their real-world behaviors, fears, and hopes (etc.) for the 'current' flow of the movie. The camera lingers, the dialogue is written to enlighten us about the emotions (pleasant as well as despairing) of the characters. It may be said this is a character driven movie, perhaps? And, all of the cast do a commendable job of providing us with the characters' humanity and depth.

Some of the weaknesses, however, are how all of the individual components of the writer and director's vision are executed. Many of the threads of the story simply go nowhere--- not that we necessarily need a big plot-ish conclusion to everything. But we do need some sense, anyway, of what various expositions mean. Sure, we could accept a bit of non-convention, and even artiness, but some of the elements of this story never were stitched together with any other parts of the movie. Worse, those orphaned parts were never really stitched up as themselves--- i.e., they never really completed themselves, nor made any real sense in and of themselves. Without discussing plot details, let me breezily mention the parts with Chan, the Chinese chippy guy, for example. These had neither a start, nor a finish--- we simply saw one brief middle, as it were.

Overall, this is a pleasant movie--- but it isn't a great one. I looked up the director and the writer online, and didn't find much. If they are young, or young-ish, this effort might bode well. That is, this movie resembled a good student-like product from young and promising film makers. Young, in their careers anyway, regardless of their actual calendar year age, but very talented. People to watch in the future.

'On A Clear Day' made me think of quilt makers. Imagine a master-to-be quilt maker; a quilt making artist whose work will be celebrated in the UK and America, and featured on PBS and BBC documentaries and featured in museums, etc. And then imagine this future master's last 'student' project, when she was 17 years old or so, before the magic clicked and she got great. This student work shows genius and promise, both undelivered as of now. That's what 'Clear Day' is like--- a quilt whose individual pieces are great, showing bright and future success, but not put together very well, showing immaturity and a student just beginning to blossom. Oh, the cast was great, and they obviously did everything they were asked to do, and they did it very well. The ill-fitting chunks weren't their fault--- they were just an artifact of the awkward and 'green' directorial efforts.

Go see it anyway--- support the growth of these folks! I gave this an encouraging 8 out of 10.