Born Equal

Last updated

Born Equal
Written byDominic Savage
Directed by Dominic Savage
Starring Robert Carlyle
Colin Firth
Peter O'Connor
Nicholas Burns
Anne-Marie Duff
Emilia Fox
Theme music composerRupert Gregson-Williams
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersRuth Caleb
Lucy Hillman
CinematographyDanny Cohen
EditorDavid G. Hill
Running time83 minutes
Original release
Network BBC One
Release17 December 2006 (2006-12-17)

Born Equal is a television film produced for the BBC. Written and directed by Dominic Savage, it stars Colin Firth, Robert Carlyle, David Oyelowo, Anne-Marie Duff and Emilia Fox, and explores aspects of poverty, race, inequality, homelessness, immigration and class in modern Britain by following the stories – at times intertwining – of several people living in London.

Contents

Plot

City banker Mark lives with his pregnant wife Laura in a large house in an upper-middle-class neighbourhood. Although he has just made a fortune in a financial deal, Mark refuses to give money to a beggar in an underground station, but later regrets this behaviour and begins to feel guilty about his success and opulent lifestyle. Another day, he returns to find the homeless man and gives him 100 pounds. Mark then resolves to use his wealth to help the indigent and volunteer as an outreach worker. As the film develops, it becomes clear that his newfound concern for the poor is also a form of escapism from his materialistic wife, and that he feels trapped and frightened by his life.

Robert, a convicted murderer, is released from prison and moves into a hostel in Swiss Cottage. There he meets the pregnant Michelle, who has been relocated with her young daughter by a social worker to protect them from her abusive husband. Robert and Michelle form an intriguing relationship, while Robert continues looking for his mother, whom he has not seen for many years.

In the hostel also lives a Nigerian immigrant family – journalist Yemi, his wife Itshe, and their daughter. Yemi works as kitchen help in a restaurant and Itshe as a house cleaner. They desperately need to raise 5,000 pounds to bring Yemi's father from Nigeria to London, before the political gangs who forced them into emigrating kill him.

Mark begins to collaborate with Sally, the social worker who placed Michelle in the hostel, and helps to allot 17-year-old runaway Zoe a room there. He soon becomes very close to the teenager. One night at the hostel, Zoe kisses him, but he rejects her advances and returns home to his wife, who seems distraught by his absences and is convinced that he is having an affair.

Robert finds out that his mother died while he was in prison and breaks off his relationship with Michelle.

Mark and Laura manage to settle their differences in a restaurant: he explains the reasons of his being away and apologizes for having been so cruel in his neglect. While driving home after the dinner out, Mark almost hits Robert, who is walking back to the hostel. Enraged by the near-accident, Robert follows them and stabs Mark to death when he comes to the door.

Cast

Production

Since Born Equal was commissioned to mark the 45th anniversary of Ken Loach's Cathy Come Home , [1] it started as a film about homelessness. But as the project developed, director Dominic Savage decided to broaden his focus and deal with social inequality: "I knew then that one of the issues I really wanted to deal with was the extremes of difference in people's lives – and, in a place like London, those extremes can be experienced within just a few streets. People can be in hugely different worlds but sharing the same space." [2] The working titles were London, [3] The London Project[ citation needed ] and To Have and Have Not.[ citation needed ] The film was neither scripted nor rehearsed: all the actors had to improvise on set, a method Dominic Savage considers "the most organic way of making a film but also the most risky (...)". [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Carlyle</span> Scottish actor

Robert Carlyle is a Scottish actor. His film work includes Trainspotting (1996), The Full Monty (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Angela's Ashes (1999), The Beach (2000), 28 Weeks Later (2007), and Yesterday (2019). He has been in the television shows Hamish Macbeth, Stargate Universe, Once Upon a Time and COBRA. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Full Monty and a Gemini Award for Stargate Universe, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work in Human Trafficking (2005).

<i>Spooks</i> (TV series) British television drama series (2002–2011)

Spooks is a British television spy drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 to 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a colloquialism for spies, and the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid. In the United States, the show is broadcast under the title MI-5. In Canada, the programme originally aired as MI-5, but later aired on BBC Canada as Spooks.

<i>Once Were Warriors</i> 1990 book by Alan Duff

Once Were Warriors is New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence in New Zealand. It was the basis of a 1994 film of the same title, directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Rena Owen and Temuera Morrison, which made its U.S. premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival. The novel was followed by two sequels, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1996) and Jake's Long Shadow (2002).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Oyelowo</span> British actor (born 1976)

David Oyetokunbo Akanji Animamuma Chukwudi Oyelowo is a British actor, director, and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award. In 2016, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Walsh (builder)</span> English TV presenter and celebrity builder

Tommy Walsh, is an English television personality, presenter and celebrity builder best known for the gardening and do-it-yourself television shows Ground Force (1997–2005) and Challenge Tommy Walsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Duff (British politician)</span> British politician

Sir Robert William Duff, known as Robert William Duff Abercromby until 1862, was a Scottish Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1861 to 1893 and was Governor of New South Wales from 1893 to 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne-Marie Duff</span> British actress

Anne-Marie Duff is an English actress and narrator.

"Thou Shalt Not Kill" is the premiere episode of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 13 May 2002. The episode was written by series creator David Wolstencroft and directed by Bharat Nalluri. "Thou Shalt Not Kill" focuses on MI5's activities in stopping an anti-abortion group who have smuggled 20 explosive devices to be used against family planning doctors. The episode title is a reference to the sixth Commandment.

Duncan Duff is a British stage, television and film actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London 1985 - 1987. He is best known for His role in Not Going out as Pete and for A Quiet Passion (2016), Wild Target (2010), Big Kids (2000), and Hamish Macbeth (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nichola Burley</span> English actress (born 1986)

Nichola Ann Burley is an English actress. She is best known for her roles in Born Equal, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Goldplated, Death Comes to Pemberley, Donkey Punch and StreetDance 3D.

Lucy Barker is a fictional character that appears in some versions of the story Sweeney Todd. Lucy is the wife of barber Benjamin Barker, who is unjustly imprisoned by Judge Turpin, who wants Lucy for himself. After Turpin sexually abuses her, Lucy attempts suicide with poison, but survives and goes insane. Years later, Benjamin Barker, now calling himself "Sweeney Todd", returns to London and his neighbor, Mrs. Lovett tells Todd about Lucy poisoning herself, but leaves out that Lucy lived. He later finds Lucy as a beggar woman; not recognizing her, he slits her throat, before killing Mrs. Lovett.

"Looking After Our Own" is the second episode of the British espionage television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 20 May 2002. The episode was written by series creator David Wolstencroft, and directed by Bharat Nalluri. The episode focuses on MI5's efforts in bringing down right-wing leader Robert Osbourne, who is believed to be planning a series of race riots across the UK.

"One Last Dance" is the third episode in the first series of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 27 June 2002. It was written by Simon Mirren, and directed by Rob Bailey. In the episode, Kurdish rebels raid a Turkish Consulate while Zoe Reynolds is performing a routine bugging operation there. The raid is later revealed to be a distraction by a rogue faction group. The episode's plot is based on the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1980. After the original broadcast, it was seen by over 7 million viewers in the UK.

<i>Spooks</i> (series 1) 1st series of the British television show Spooks

The first series of the British spy drama television series Spooks began broadcasting on 13 May 2002 on BBC One, and ended on 17 June 2002. It consists of six episodes. Spooks follows the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). Among the storylines, main character Tom Quinn faces dilemmas living a double life with his girlfriend, who at first does not know he is really a spy, and Tessa Phillips is running phantom agents for monetary gain. Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner, Esther Hall, Heather Cave, Hugh Simon and Greame Mearns are listed as the main cast.

<i>Spooks</i> (series 3) Third series of the British spy drama television series Spooks

The third series of the British spy drama television series Spooks began broadcasting on 11 October 2004 on BBC One, and ended on 13 December 2004. It consists of ten episodes which continue to follow the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). It also sees the departure of three principal characters: Tom Quinn is decommissioned in the second episode, Zoe Reynolds is exiled to Chile in the sixth episode, and Danny Hunter is killed in the series finale. In addition to Macfadyen, Hawes and Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Rupert Penry-Jones, Nicola Walker, Hugh Simon, Shauna Macdonald and Rory MacGregor are listed as the main cast.

"Smoke and Mirrors", known as "Pit of Secrets" in the United States, is the tenth and final episode of the second series, and the 16th episode overall of the British television series Spooks. It first aired on BBC One on 11 August 2003. The episode was written by Howard Brenton, and directed by Sam Miller. In the episode, Tom Quinn is being framed by thought-to-be-dead CIA agent Herman Joyce, as revenge for what happened to his daughter. After its original broadcast, the finale was seen by seven million people, a third of the television audience during its time slot. The episode, particularly due to its cliffhanger, received critical acclaim.

<i>Nina</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

Nina is a 2016 American biographical film written and directed by Cynthia Mort. The film focuses on American musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone, portrayed by Zoe Saldaña. The film also stars David Oyelowo, Ella Thomas, and Mike Epps. It has a limited release beginning April 22, 2016, and through video on demand by RLJ Entertainment. The film received strong criticism, including the casting of Saldaña in the lead, and Simone's family refused to endorse it. Saldaña later said she regretted accepting the lead role.

Yemi Osunkoya is a New York-based Nigerian fashion designer and the founder and creative director of Kosibah Creations - a couture bridal and eveningwear fashion brand. His haute couture brand, "Kosibah" label was named after his mother's name "Cosiba", which, in the Republic of Benin, represents the "day name" of a female child born on a Sunday. His company Kosibah Creations designs luxury bridal gowns and evening wears for high-value women across the UK, Nigeria, South Africa, US and Caribbean.

References

  1. ↑ Savage, Dominic (1 December 2006). "People need to see the poverty gap". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Born Equal". BBC Home. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Dominic Savage Interview". LoveFilm.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Born Equal – showing on Sunday 17 December at 9pm on BBC One". BBC Home. Press Office. 15 October 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.