Local Hero

Riegert plays a cynical, yuppy oil-firm executive waiting to be softened up by exposure to the warmth and eccentricities of a small Scottish community. He is dispatched to the coastal town by his greedy boss (Lancaster), with the aim of buying up land for commercial exploitation, so destroying an area that includes a stretch of environmentally sensitive coastland.

Almost at once the place, with all its quirky inhabitants and stark beauty, begins to work its magic on not only the young man but also his boss when he in turn shows up in town.

After the cult success of That Sinking Feeling and the international hit that was Gregory's Girl, Forsythe revives the spirit of the great Ealing comedies, with particular reference to Whisky Galore! He serves up a heart-warming slice of Caledonian charm, graced by one of the majestic cameo performances delivered by the elderly Lancaster whenever called upon.

This essence of the feelgood movie served as an entree for the director's sojourn in Hollywood, which saw his career hit something like a terminal decline. But Local Hero, his cosiest and most accomplished film, is a gem and almost enough to give sentimental whimsy a good name.