Story of movie Looking For Eric Film :
Looking for Eric is a 2009 British-French film about the escape from the trials of modern life that football and its heroes can bring for its fans. It was written by screen writer Paul Laverty and directed by the English director Ken Loach. The film's cast includes the former professional footballer Eric Cantona and the former bass guitarist with The Fall, Steve Evets.
| Looking for Eric | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ken Loach |
| Produced by | Rebecca O'Brien |
| Written by | Paul Laverty |
| Screenplay by | Paul Laverty |
| Starring | Eric Cantona Steve Evets Lucy-Jo Hudson Matthew McNulty Gerard Kearns Stephanie Bishop John Henshaw Stefan Gumbs |
| Music by | George Fenton Band The Emperors of Rhythm |
| Cinematography | Barry Ackroyd |
| Edited by | Jonathan Morris |
Production company | Wild Bunch Film4 Productions |
| Distributed by | Icon Film Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom France Belgium Italy Spain |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £4m |
| Box office | $11,546,932 |
Loach said of the film, "We wanted to deflate the idea of celebrities as more than human. And we wanted to make a film that was enjoying the idea of what you and I would call solidarity, but what others would call support for your friends really, and the old idea that we are stronger as a team than we are as individuals."
Screenplay
This article needs an improved plot summary. (November 2015) |
Eric Bishop is a football fanatic postman whose life is descending into crisis. Looking after his granddaughter is bringing him into contact with his ex-wife, Lily, whom he abandoned after the birth of their daughter. At the same time, his stepson Ryan is hiding a gun under the floorboards of his bedroom for a violent drugs baron. At his lowest moments, Bishop considers suicide. But after a short meditation session with fellow postmen in his living room, and smoking cannabis stolen from his stepson, hallucinations bring forth his footballing hero, the famously philosophical Eric Cantona, who gives him advice. His relationship with Lily improves dramatically. Bishop finds the gun and confronts his stepson. Ryan admits to his involvement with the drugs gang, and Bishop attempts to return the gun to the gangster. He is forced to keep it himself, however, when a Rottweiler is set on him in his car. The gangster then posts footage on YouTube of Bishop's humiliation. The entire family is then arrested by the police on a tip-off but they fail to find the gun as it is hidden in the fridge, under a chicken. Eric Cantona then advises Bishop to seek help from his friends and to 'surprise' himself. Bishop organises 'Operation Cantona', sneaking dozens of fellow Manchester United fans – wearing Cantona masks (including Cantona himself) – into the gangster's house and humiliating him and his family, threatening to put the video of their operation onto YouTube, in turn. The film ends at Bishop's daughter's graduation day, where the family reunites in peace. In the post-credit scene, a teaser is shown for the sequel Looking for Cherry.
- Steve Evets as Eric Bishop
- Eric Cantona as Himself
- Stephanie Bishop as Lily
- Gerard Kearns as Ryan
- Stefan Gumbs as Jess
- Lucy-Jo Hudson as Sam
- Cole and Dylan Williams as Daisy
- Matthew McNulty as Young Eric
- Laura Ainsworth as Young Lily
- Max Beesley as Eric's Father
- Kelly Bowland as Ryan's Girlfriend
- Julie Brown as Nurse
- John Henshaw as Meatballs
- Justin Moorhouse as Spleen
- Des Sharples as Jack
- Ian Littler (extra)
- Steven Cherry (extra)
The film was shot on location in Greater Manchester by Loach's company Sixteen Films.
The film competed in the main competition at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. It had its UK premiere on 1 June in Lowry Outlet Mall in Salford Quays, attended by Eric Cantona, and was the gala presentation at the opening night of the Sydney Film Festival on 3 June.
The film was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 12 June. The film was scheduled to be shown at the Melbourne International Film Festival, but five days before opening night Loach withdrew it because the film festival was "in receipt of financial support from the State of Israel".
The book for Looking For Eric is published by Route Publishing. It includes the full screenplay, extra scenes, colour photographs from the film and on set, and introductions from Paul Laverty, Ken Loach, Eric Cantona and production notes from the cast and crew.
In July 2014, Looking for Eric had an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film won the Magritte Award for Best Film in Coproduction.
Roger Ebert, who had praised many of Ken Loach's previous works, gave the film two stars out of four. He said that he was surprised by the break from Loach's previous social realism, although he also said that Cantona was successful in his role. Ebert said that "Steve Evets uses a Manchester accent so thick that many of the English themselves might not be able to understand it. Eric Cantona, who is French, is easier to understand." Ebert had in the past defended Loach's use of Yorkshire dialect in the film Kes, which prevented the film from attaining a national release in the USA as it was not widely understood.
