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Shooting Fish is a 1997 British romantic crime comedy film directed by Stefan Schwartz and co-written with Richard Holmes. Starring Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend as two con men with Kate Beckinsale as their unwilling assistant, the film was produced by Winchester Films and partly funded by National Lottery money administered through the UK Arts Council. Shooting Fish aimed to transfer well to international markets that were keen on British films following the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral.
| Shooting Fish | |
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Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Stefan Schwartz |
| Produced by |
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| Written by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Stanislas Syrewicz |
| Cinematography | Henry Braham |
| Edited by | Alan Strachan |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Entertainment Film Distributors |
Release date |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ?2.135 million |
| Box office | ?4 million |
The film was released in the United Kingdom on 17 October 1997 and in the United States on 1 May 1998.
Screenplay
Dylan (Dan Futterman) and Jez (Stuart Townsend) are two orphans who meet in their twenties and vow to achieve their shared childhood dream of living in a stately home. In pursuit of this dream they spend their days living in a disused gas holder, spending as little money as possible and conning the upper classes out of their riches. During one of their biggest cons, their lives are touched by Georgie (Kate Beckinsale), who needs money to save the Down's syndrome foundation that her brother attends. When a con goes wrong, the two find themselves in jail to be released only after their entire fortune is rendered useless because of a recall of £50 notes. It is down to an elaborate plan involving Dylan, Jez, and (if they can persuade her) Georgie, to break them out of jail in order to save their dream.
- Dan Futterman as Dylan
- Jacob Macoby as 8-year-old Dylan
- Stuart Townsend as Jez
- Myles Anderson as 8-year-old Jez
- Kate Beckinsale as Georgie
- Dominic Mafham as Roger
- Tom Chadbon as Mr. Greenaway
- Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Ross
- Peter Capaldi as Mr. Gilzean
- Geoffrey Whitehead as Horse owner
- Ralph Ineson as Mr. Ray
- Nicola Duffett as Mrs. Ray
- Annette Crosbie as Mrs. Cummins
- Nicholas Woodeson as Mr. Collyns
- Jane Lapotaire as Dylan's headmistress
- Rowena Cooper as Jez's teacher
The film was shot in the autumn of 1996 (August–October). Most filming took place at Shepperton Studios and outside street locations in north London. Alexandra Palace features in one notable scene. The gas holder in which Dylan and Jez live no longer exists, having been situated in Mill Hill East up to the early 2000s. The crematorium scene was filmed in Garston, west Hertfordshire. The film would eventually make its nationwide screening in October 1997.
The film held its own commercially in the UK. Reviews at the time singled out Townsend for praise but felt the narrative contained one twist and turn too many. Others suggested the film was merely an 'Ealing Comedy' in modern form and lacked modern characterization. The 'soft comedic focus' however had been a deliberate plan by the production team who wanted to avoid the socio-political realism in comedies like Brassed Off and The Full Monty.
A Time Out review (1997) said, "A succession of cameos provides light relief, and the film's saved by the amiable performances of Futterman, Beckinsale and, especially, Townsend."
Beckinsale was awarded Best Actress for her performance in Shooting Fish at the Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival.
Stefan Schwartz, the director, was looking for an essential nineties feel to the film. The era of Britpop was at its height and this was reflected in a stylish and striking array of tracks for a light comedy film:
The original 112-minute version of Shooting Fish was released on VHS in the UK in 1998, running to 107 minutes due to PAL speed-up. When released on DVD (and re-released on VHS) in 2001, however, it ran to 99 minutes, equivalent to 103 minutes theatrically. This is apparently the US cinema version, having removed some scenes and dialogue aimed more specifically at British audiences (such as some references to Margaret Thatcher). As of September 2014 it has not been re-released uncut, or in the Blu-ray format.
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