Little Voice (1998)

Director:

Mark Herman

Writers:

Jim Cartwright (play)
Mark Herman (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 December 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Music

Tagline:

Finding your own voice can be magic.

Plot:

The pathetically shy LV lives the life of a recluse listening to her late fathers old records in her room and in the process driving her abusive...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Shy | Ghost | Fire | Pigeon

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Brenda Blethyn	...	Mari Hoff
Jane Horrocks	...	LV
Ewan McGregor	...	Billy
Philip Jackson	...	George
Annette Badland	...	Sadie
Michael Caine	...	Ray Say
Jim Broadbent	...	Mr. Boo
Adam Fogerty	...	Bouncer
James Welsh	...	Bouncer
Karen Gregory	...	Stripper
Fred Feast	...	Arthur
Graham Turner	...	LV's Dad
George Oliver	...	Pawnbroker
Virgil Tracy	...	Loan Advisor
Dick Van Winkle	...	Money Lender

Also Known As:

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:MG6 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L | USA:R (certificate #35929) | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes directed the original London stage version of the play, entitled "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" which was written especially for Jane Horrocks.

Quotes:

Mari Hoff: Come on, knock out a bit, make way for a woman in lust.

Movie Connections:

Features "Bruce's Price Is Right" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Tub Thumping

Raw emotional power from every performance, beautiful in so many ways.

This is a wonderful film that showcases not only the music, but also a full roster of powerful performances. Every one is excellent, but it's the two most subtle of them all that steal the show.

Jane Horrocks has proven that she can be so much more than Bubbles, the airheaded secretary from AbFab. She's more than a match for every other powerful actor on the screen, and considering her co-stars that's quite an accomplishment. Her chemistry with the wonderful Ewan McGregor is remarkable; the story of their characters could have made a gentle, beautiful love story on its own, but as it is, their attraction gives hope for both of these gentle, quiet characters. I would've liked to see more attention paid to McGregor's character, but that could simply be because where McGregor is concerned, there can't really ever be enough.

Michael Caine is deserving of his Golden Globe. Showy as his role undeniably is, he never pushes it too far. This performance is another example of his versatility and his formidable onstage presence.

Brenda Blethyn has become one of my favourite actors since I saw Secrets & Lies; here again, she's a wrecked mother who lives in a dream world, but with added layers of violence and neglect toward her only child. She can speak volumes with her thickly-shadowed black eyes and an omnipresent cigarette. We never get the full story on her relationship with her late husband, LV's beloved father, but the tension and the words unsaid are brought to a boil in a key scene between Blethyn and Horrocks.

Come Oscar time, it would be wonderful to see Little Voice get some recognition.