Funny Bones (1995)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Peter Chelsom

Writers:

Peter Chelsom (writer)
Peter Flannery (writer)

Release Date:

31 March 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Tommy Fawkes wants to be a successful comedian but his Las Vegas debut is a failure. He goes back to Blackpool...

Plot Keywords:

Comedian | Blackpool | Egg | Bizarre | Brother Brother Relationship

Awards:

8 wins

Cast

Oliver Platt	...	Tommy Fawkes
Jerry Lewis	...	George Fawkes
Lee Evans	...	Jack Parker
Leslie Caron	...	Katie Parker
Richard Griffiths	...	Jim Minty
Sadie Corre	...	Poodle Woman
Oliver Reed	...	Dolly Hopkins
George Carl	...	Thomas Parker
Freddie Davies	...	Bruno Parker
Ian McNeice	...	Stanley Sharkey
Christopher Greet	...	Lawrence Berger
Peter Gunn	...	Nicky
Gavin Millar	...	Steve Campbell
William Hootkins	...	Al
Terence Rigby	...	Billy Man

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and a scene of tragic violence.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14A | Australia:M | Germany:12 (bw) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK

Company:

Hollywood Pictures

Trivia:

Most of Oliver Reed's part was removed during editing.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the final scene, while the camera is showing the police at the base of the pole, a spotlight is throwing a very clear shadow of the camera, complete with 'rubber ducky' antenna on the actors.

Quotes:

Stanley Sharkey: It's all getting very French. And I don't like it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#11.4)" (1998)

A very multi-faceted film

When I first saw this film I thought that it was brilliant. At first it seemed to have an amateurish quality about it, but this turned out not to be true. What I thought was amateurish about it turned out to be the sound. The ever present ocean seems to add to the sound quality as if the viewer were really there, experiencing what actually happened.

This is undoubtedly one of Oliver Platt's best roles. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the intriguing Mr.Fawkes. Lee Evans was also unbelievably riveting in his portrayal as the mentally disturbed young man.

This film is very representative of the small town in Britain with it's quiet undisturbed population that seems to be frozen in time, in contrast to Fawkes's father's life in America, which is busy and ever-changing, where the most important thing in life is money, as opposed to memories being just as important back in the small British town.

The best part of the film is watching (in small parts) the unravelling of the horrific event that had happened so many years before and turned the young man (played by Lee Evans) into the person he is today.

A riveting watch. See it.