Ratcatcher (1999) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

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James' family live in a poor neighborhood of Glasgow in the late 1970s. While they wait for relocation to a nicer part of town, James makes do with playing by the canal with Margaret Anne and Kenny. Margaret Anne is older, and willing to sleep with the local boys for a bit of affection, while Kenny loves animals, but is slow-witted. As the garbage piles up during a prolonged strike by the garbage collectors, James dreams of a better life and tries to escape the realities of his family and personal tragedies. As his family's dream of moving to a new home slowly fades, James also finds himself increasingly estranged from his loved ones and surroundings. The only place where he can find any solace is in a half-constructed housing subdivision in the pastoral suburbs--a bus journey away--for it is here where James feels he truly belongs.

Cast & Crew

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Lynne Ramsay

Tommy Flanagan

Mandy Matthews

William Eadie

Michelle Stewart

Lynne Ramsay

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Drama

Release Date

1999

Production Company

Aon/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services; Arri Group; Arts Council of England; BBC News & Global; Bbc Films; Cts Studios; Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc.; Hammerhead Productions, Inc.; Le Studio Canal Plus; London Editing Machines; Malde & Company; Mcdonald & Rutter; Merchant/Ivory Productions; National Film Trustee Company Ltd; Panavision, Ltd.; StudioCanal; Technicolor; Videosonics Cinema Sound

Distribution Company

FIRST LOOK/FIRST LOOK PICTURES; A-Film Distribution; Bbc Films; Diaphana Distribution; Diaphana Distribution; Diaphana Films; First Look Pictures; Istituto Luce-Cinecitta; Kairos Films; PathT International

Location

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 37m

Synopsis

James' family live in a poor neighborhood of Glasgow in the late 1970s. While they wait for relocation to a nicer part of town, James makes do with playing by the canal with Margaret Anne and Kenny. Margaret Anne is older, and willing to sleep with the local boys for a bit of affection, while Kenny loves animals, but is slow-witted. As the garbage piles up during a prolonged strike by the garbage collectors, James dreams of a better life and tries to escape the realities of his family and personal tragedies. As his family's dream of moving to a new home slowly fades, James also finds himself increasingly estranged from his loved ones and surroundings. The only place where he can find any solace is in a half-constructed housing subdivision in the pastoral suburbs--a bus journey away--for it is here where James feels he truly belongs.

Director

Lynne Ramsay

Cast

Tommy Flanagan

Mandy Matthews

William Eadie

Michelle Stewart

Lynne Ramsay

Leanne Mullen

John Miller

Jackie Quinn

James Ramsay

Anne Mclean

Craig Bonar

Andrew Mckenna

Mick Maharg

James Montgomery

Thomas Mctaggart

Stuart Gordon

Stephen Sloan

Molly Innes

Stephen King

John Commerford

Jimmy Grimes

Anne Marie Lafferty

Bessie Mcdonald

Leanne Jenkins

Ian Cameron

Brian Steel

Dougie Jones

Joe Mccrone

James Watson

Stephen Purdon

Marion Connell

Robert Farrell

Donnie Mcmillan

Lisa Taylor

Anne Marie'S Friend

Crew

Pani Ahmadi-moore

1st Assistant Editor

Tim Alban

Derek Anderson

Animal Handler (Creature Feature/Animals Provider)

David Arch

Score Conductor

John Armstrong

Assistant Director

Burt Bacharach

Song ("What'S New Pussycat")

Tim Bain

Assistant Location Manager

Su Bainbridge

Production Coordinator

Rachel Baker

Philip Barber

Construction Manager

Philip Barber

Construction Manager

Nick Barrett

2nd Unit Camera Operator (2nd Unit)

James Baxter

2nd Unit Construction (2nd Unit)

Orin Beaton

2nd Unit Boom Operator (2nd Unit)

Steve Begg

Visual Effects Supervisor

Gillian Berrie

Lucy Bevan

Assistant (To Sarah Radclyffe)

Julie Bills

Nigel Bosworth

Helen Boyes

Special Thanks (Glasgow Film Office)

Andrea Calderwood

Executive Producer

Peter Callaghan

Grange Calverley

Song ("Roobarb & Custard")

Jerry N Capehart

Song ("C'Mon Everybody")

Fiona Carlin

Jens Christensen

Foley Recordist & Editor

Ursula Cleary

Art Director'S Assistant

Eddie Cochran

Song Performer ("C'Mon Everybody")

Felicity Cottrell

Laura Cromar

Hal David

Song ("What'S New Pussycat")

Claire Davies

Make-Up Assistant

Paul Davies

Sound Supervisor

Mark Devlin

Production Assistant

Chris Dibble

Recording & Mixing Engineer

Alistair Dobson

Francesca Dowd

Post-Production Coordinator

Anneli Downing

Assistant Director

Nick Drake

Song Performer ("Cello Song")

Nick Drake

Jim Elliot

Gavin Emerson

Bertrand Faivre

Robert Fernandes

Richard Flynn

Sound Recordist

Richard Flynn

Dialogue Editor

Jeremy Forster

Vanessa Foster

Assistant Editor

Henry Gallagher

Peter Gallagher

Associate Producer

Anna Gillespie

Bob Godfrey

Song Performer ("Roobarb & Custard")

Martina Gormley

Derek Gray

Storyboard Artist

Billy Halleran

Craig Halley

Wardrobe Assistant

George Hamer

Orchestra Contractor

Simon Hay

Trainee Assistant Editor

Paul Heasman

Stunt Coordinator

Roddy Hogg

Gill Horn

Costume Designer

Leigh Hurst

Production Assistant

Ewan Imrie

Hugh Johnson

Dubbing Assistant

Tom Jones

Song Performer ("What'S New Pussycat")

Claudia Kalindjian

Willy Kelly

Nick Kennedy

Rob Kennedy

Stand-By Carpenter

Ian Kettles

Julian Kildear

Christine Killen

Alwin Kuchler

Director Of Photography

Sotira Kyriacou

Assistant Editor

Pat Lally

Special Thanks (The Right Honourable, The Lord Provost Of Glasgow)

David Love

Iain Macdonald

Christine Maclean

Production Executive (Bbc Scotland)

Paul Macnamara

Trish Malone

Assistant (To Barbara Mckissack)

Alan Marshall

Andrea Matheson

Assistant Art Director

Julian May

2nd Assistant Editor

Ruth Mccance

Development Executive (Pathe Pictures)

Nick Mccarthy

1st Assistant Director

Kenny Mcghee

Barbara Mckissack

Executive Producer

Martin Mcnee

Art Department Assistant

Amanda Millen

Production Assistant

Mazhar Mirza

Steven Mochrie

Casting Assistant

Nicki Monina

Assistant (To Andrea Calderwood)

Matt Mooney

Jane Morton

Production Designer

Mark Murdoch

Assistant Director

Jack Myles

Legal & Business Affairs (Pathe Pictures)

Elaine Nichols

Wardrobe Supervisor

Robina Nicholson

Louise Noble

Wardrobe Assistant

Melissa Norman

Director'S Assistant

Annie O'leary

Pauline Ogle

Location Manager

Carson Parks

Song ("Something Stupid")

Daniel Pettipher

Domino Compositer

Steve Philps

Rachel Portman

Rachel Portman

Score Orchestrator

Tracey Pryor

Sarah Radclyffe

Executive Producer

Lynne Ramsay

Margaret Reeves

Art Department Assistant

Fiona Riddick

Art Department Assistant

Dee Rimbaud

Art Department Assistant

Phil Rymer

Legal Advisor (Mariott Harrison)

Anastasia Shirley

Anastasia Shirley

Cathy Shirley

Make-Up Assistant

Paul Shirley

Frank Sinatra

Song Performer ("Something Stupid")

Nancy Sinatra

Song Performer ("Something Stupid")

Tracey Skelton

Assistant Director

Leslie Smith

Tony Stanton

Shaw Statham

Production Accountant

Jack Stew

Robin Stone

Hazel Storey

Production Buyer

Stef Swiatek

Mark Thornton

Tom Townend

2nd Unit Camera Operator (2nd Unit)

Tom Townend

Stills Photographer

Helen Tulley

Legal Advisor (Hammond Studdards)

Sylvie Vallade

Assistant Editor

Mark Waddell

Richard Walker

Malcolm Webb

Simon Wheeler

Art Department Assistant

Jon White

Sonali Wijeyaratne

Legal & Business Affairs (Pathe Pictures)

Stuart Wilson

2nd Unit Sound Recordist (2nd Unit)

Karen Wood

Script Supervisor

Lucia Zucchetti

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Drama

Release Date

1999

Production Company

Aon/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services; Arri Group; Arts Council of England; BBC News & Global; Bbc Films; Cts Studios; Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc.; Hammerhead Productions, Inc.; Le Studio Canal Plus; London Editing Machines; Malde & Company; Mcdonald & Rutter; Merchant/Ivory Productions; National Film Trustee Company Ltd; Panavision, Ltd.; StudioCanal; Technicolor; Videosonics Cinema Sound

Distribution Company

FIRST LOOK/FIRST LOOK PICTURES; A-Film Distribution; Bbc Films; Diaphana Distribution; Diaphana Distribution; Diaphana Films; First Look Pictures; Istituto Luce-Cinecitta; Kairos Films; PathT International

Location

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 37m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Winner of the Silver Hugo Award for Best Director at the 1999 Chicago International Film Festival.

Released in United States 2000

Released in United States Fall October 13, 2000

Released in United States November 1, 2000

Released in United States November 1999

Released in United States October 1999

Shown at London Film Festival November 3-18, 1999.

Shown at New Directors/New Films in New York City March 24 - April 9, 2000.

Shown at Rotterdam International Film Festival January 26 - February 6, 2000.

Shown at the Chicago International Film Festival (in competition) October 6-21, 1999.

Feature directorial debut for short filmmaker Lynne Ramsay who received the 1999 BAFTA award for Most Promising Newcomer. Also nominated for Best British Film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Released in United States 2000 (Shown at New Directors/New Films in New York City March 24 - April 9, 2000.)

Released in United States 2000 (Shown at Rotterdam International Film Festival January 26 - February 6, 2000.)

Released in United States October 1999 (Shown at the Chicago International Film Festival (in competition) October 6-21, 1999.)

Released in United States Fall October 13, 2000

Released in United States November 1999 (Shown at London Film Festival November 3-18, 1999.)

Released in United States November 1, 2000 (Los Angeles)

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