The Pebble and the Boy

Last updated
The Pebble and the Boy
Directed byChris Green
Written byChris Green
Produced by Michael Knowles
Jo Mifsud
Starring
CinematographyMax Williams
Production
company
NOW Films
Release date
  • 27 August 2021 (2021-08-27)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Pebble and the Boy is a 2021 British comedy drama film written and directed by Chris Green. The film centres on the mod subculture and stars Patrick McNamee, Sacha Parkinson, Patsy Kensit and Ricci Harnett. It was released on 27 August 2021.

Contents

Plot

The film starts with John, a teenager living in Manchester, learning that his father (who he barely knew) has died in a scooter accident. Deciding as a tribute he will take his father's ashes to Brighton, he embarks on a road trip from his home in Manchester, riding his father's prized Lambretta. [1] On the way, he stays at a friends of his Dad's, and meets his daughter Nicki (Sacha Parkinson), a feisty contrast to his rather understated character, who decided to accompany him on the trip, keen to get to a Paul Weller concert in Brighton.

After staying at a night at a pub, and befriending some bikers (Stuart Wolfenden) and (Emma Stansfield ) Nicki decides to visit another mod friend of John's Dad, Ronnie (Ricci Harnett) and Sonia (Patsy Kensit). They stay at their house overnight, where, after telling John about his father, they start drinking and taking drugs. Late in the night, Ronnie inexplicably flips out in a jealous rage, talking about someone called Ali causing trouble with his wife. Ronnie tries to stop them from leaving, however he gives them money for their trip, which he gives to his son Logan, who accompanies them on his scooter.

They continue on their scooters, encountering various incidents as they travel until they get to Brighton.

At Brighton they go to a shop where they see a picture of John's dad on the wall, a front page newsclipping. They decided to get a copy of it, but instead get another article that shows that John's Dad was in a violent incident and was put in jail. John is shocked at learning this about his father, and despondent about the fact that no one had told him.

John, Nicky and Logan spend more time in Brighton, meeting some more mods, eventually learning the full story of his father. [2]

Cast

Production

The film was shot in 2021, and delayed for release substantially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Various Mod tracks from classic 80's bands are used on the soundtrack, including the Jam, Paul Weller, Secret Afair, The Chords , The Style Council and The Electric Stars . . The director, Chris Green, had spent 10 years getting the project off the ground, [3] and he had been a mod himself in the 1980s [4]

Reception

The film generally received positive reviews. Rich Johnston, writing for Bleeding Cool referred to it as "an infectious film". UK Film Review gave it four out of five stars, saying "An emotional road trip movie loaded with classic jams and stylish fashion". [5] Blazing Minds also gave it a four out of five stars, calling it a "quintessential comedy drama of Mod culture and music". [6] Maryam Philpot, writing for the Reviews Hub, gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars saying "fairly unsurprising road movie but as a celebration of when you’re young and a soundtrack of classic hits, it’s a journey worth taking." [7]

We Are Cult said that it was a "celebration of older mod culture but tries to put this in the context of the modern world. It is not just nostalgia.” and overall "An enjoyable film for the August bank holiday" [8]

The Guardian however, gave the film two out of five stars, "Not even a storming soundtrack of mod classics can save a humdrum scooter-to-Brighton caper" [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mods and rockers</span> Conflict of two British youth subcultures

Mods and rockers were two conflicting British youth subcultures of the late 1950s to mid 1960s. Media coverage of the two groups fighting in 1964 sparked a moral panic about British youth, and they became widely perceived as violent, unruly troublemakers.

<i>Quadrophenia</i> (film) 1979 film

Quadrophenia is a 1979 British drama film, based on The Who's 1973 rock opera of the same name. It was directed by Franc Roddam in his feature directing debut. Unlike the adaptation of Tommy, Quadrophenia is not a musical film, and the band does not appear live in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mod (subculture)</span> Subculture in England

Mod, from the word modernist, is a subculture that began in late 1950s London and spread throughout Great Britain, eventually influencing fashions and trends in other countries. It continues today on a smaller scale. Focused on music and fashion, the subculture has its roots in a small group of stylish London-based young men and women in the late 1950s who were termed modernists because they listened to modern jazz. Elements of the mod subculture include fashion ; music and motor scooters. In the mid-1960s when they started to fade out, the subculture listened to rock groups with jazz and blues influences such as the Who and Small Faces. The original mod scene was associated with amphetamine-fuelled all-night jazz dancing at clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patsy Kensit</span> British actress and pop singer

Patricia Jude Kensit is an English actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Birds Eye frozen peas. She went on to appear in films such as The Great Gatsby (1974), Gold (1974), Alfie Darling (1975), Hennessy (1975), The Blue Bird (1976) and Hanover Street (1979). Balancing a dual career as both an actress and a singer, in 1983 Kensit formed and became the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder. The group released several singles, including the top 20 hits "I'm Not Scared" and "Cross My Heart", before disbanding in 1989.

<i>Absolute Beginners</i> (novel) 1958 novel by Colin MacInnes

Absolute Beginners is a novel by Colin MacInnes, written and set in 1958 London, England. It was published in 1959. The novel is the second of MacInnes' London Trilogy, coming after City of Spades (1958) and before Mr. Love and Justice (1960). These novels are each self-contained, with no shared characters.

<i>Angels and Insects</i> 1995 American film

Angels and Insects is a 1995 romantic drama film directed by Philip Haas and starring Mark Rylance, Patsy Kensit, and Kristin Scott Thomas. It was written by Philip and Belinda Haas with A. S. Byatt after her 1992 novella Morpho Eugenia. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.

<i>Black Snake Moan</i> (film) 2006 film by Craig Brewer

Black Snake Moan is a 2006 American film written and directed by Craig Brewer and starring Christina Ricci, Samuel L. Jackson, and Justin Timberlake. The film focuses on a Mississippi bluesman who holds a troubled local woman captive in his house in an attempt to cure her of nymphomania after finding her severely beaten on the side of a road. The title of the film derives from the 1927 Blind Lemon Jefferson song. The film draws numerous references to the Mississippi Blues movement, particularly in its title and soundtrack. Black Snake Moan garnered mixed to positive reviews from critics, and was a box-office bomb, grossing only $10.9 million against a $15 million budget.

<i>College Road Trip</i> 2008 American film directed by Roger Kumble

College Road Trip is a 2008 American family comedy film directed by Roger Kumble and starring Martin Lawrence, Kym Whitley, Raven-Symoné, Brenda Song, Margo Harshman, and Donny Osmond. The film centers on college-bound teen Melanie Porter (Raven-Symoné), who goes on a road trip to different universities with her family, including her overprotective father. The film was released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on March 7, 2008. The film garnered negative reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faye Morton</span> Fictional nurse in BBC TV medical drama

Faye Morton is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Patsy Kensit. The character first appeared on-screen on 30 January 2007 in the series nine episode "Into the Dark". Kensit had made a former unrelated guest appearance on Holby City's sister show, Casualty, in 2001.

<i>Rise of the Footsoldier</i> British gangster film series

Rise of the Footsoldier is a British gangster film franchise written and directed by Julian Gilbey, Will Gilbey, Ricci Harnett, Zackary Adler, Andrew Loveday and Nick Nevern, distributed by Optimum Releasing. The franchise and its first two films are based on true events featured in the autobiography of Inter City Firm hooligan turned gangster Carlton Leach before later films focus on the lives of drug dealers Pat Tate and Tony Tucker who were gunned down in the Rettendon murders in 1995.

<i>Walking Back</i> 1928 film

Walking Back is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Rupert Julian and an uncredited Cecil B. DeMille. Prints of the film exist.

Sacha Louise Parkinson is an English actress, known for her role as Sian Powers on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.

Ricci Harnett is an English actor, writer and director, best known for his lead role as Carlton Leach In the 2015 film Rise of the Footsoldier: Part II. Other credits include The Object of Beauty (1991), 28 Days Later (2002), Rise of the Footsoldier (2007), Breathe (2009), Psychosis (2010), Turnout (2011), Vendetta (2013), Top Dog (2014).

<i>Bad Karma</i> (2002 film) 2001 American film

Bad Karma is a 2001 film directed by John Hough. Patsy Kensit stars as a mental patient who believes she is the reincarnated lover of Jack the Ripper, and that her psychiatrist is the reincarnated mass murderer. Damian Chapa and Amy Locane are also in the film, which is adapted by Randall Frakes from the 1997 Douglas Clegg novel of the same name.

<i>A Boy Called Dad</i> 2009 British film

A Boy Called Dad is a 2009 British drama film, produced by Made Up North Productions. It is the feature film debut of director Brian Percival, screenwriter Julie Rutterford, producers Michael Knowles and Stacey Murray, and co-producer Mark John. It stars Ian Hart and Kyle Ward as father and son.

<i>Twenty-One</i> (1991 film) 1991 British film

Twenty-One is a 1991 British-American drama film directed by Don Boyd from a script co-written with Zoë Heller. Patsy Kensit stars as the 21-year-old protagonist. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in February 1991. It was released theatrically later that year in the United States on 4 October, followed by a British release on 1 November.

Reginald Stephen Traviss is an English film director and writer. He came to public attention in the UK in 2006 with the theatrical release of his debut feature film Joy Division which starred Ed Stoppard, Bernard Hill, Tom Schilling, Bernadette Heerwagen and Ricci Harnett. He followed up his World War Two drama with Psychosis (2010), a psychological thriller that starred Charisma Carpenter, Ricci Harnett and Justin Hawkins. Traviss directed Screwed, a prison drama based on the 2008 book Screwed: The Truth About Life as a Prison Officer, by a former prison guard writing under the pseudonym Ronnie Thompson. The film, released theatrically in the UK in June 2011, starred Noel Clarke, James D'Arcy, Frank Harper and Kate Magowan.

<i>Bitter Harvest</i> (1993 film) 1993 American film

Bitter Harvest is a 1993 thriller drama film directed by Duane Clark and starring Stephen Baldwin, Patsy Kensit and Jennifer Rubin. The film was released on November 3, 1993, and was filmed at Greenfield Ranch in Thousand Oaks, California.

To Be Someone is a British film loosely related to the 1979 film, Quadrophenia. The film is directed by Ray Burdis and written by Pete Meadows.

<i>Renegades</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Daniel Zirilli

Renegades is a 2022 British crime action thriller film directed by Daniel Zirilli, starring Nick Moran, Lee Majors, Ian Ogilvy, Louis Mandylor, Michael Paré, Danny Trejo, Patsy Kensit and Billy Murray.

References

  1. ↑ "Our Ladies review: Raucous and very funny take on Alan Warner's Oban/Edinburgh novel The Sopranos". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  2. ↑ Johnston, Rich (2021-08-23). "The Pebble And The Boy, Review: They Didn't Die Before They Got Old". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  3. ↑ Griffiths, Dave (2021-08-26). "HEAVY Cinema" . Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  4. ↑ Higgins, John (2021-08-24). "Interview Special: Chris Green: 'The Pebble And The Boy'". Film and TV Now. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  5. ↑ Olson, Chris (2021-08-17). "The Pebble and the Boy Film Review". www.ukfilmreview.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  6. ↑ Woodham, Karen (2021-08-16). "Film Review: The Pebble and the Boy". Blazing Minds. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  7. ↑ "Film Review: The Pebble and the Boy". The Reviews Hub. 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  8. ↑ "Love on the pier: 'The Pebble and the Boy' (2021) » We Are Cult". We Are Cult. 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  9. ↑ "The Pebble and the Boy review – mod nostalgia scraped thin". The Guardian. 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
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.