THE FLYING SCOTSMAN
UK, 2006, 103 minutes, Colour.
Jonny Lee Miller, Billy Boyd, Laura Fraser, Morven Christie, Brian Cox, Steven Berkoff.
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon.
This is a welcome Scots film. They will know the story of Graeme Obree, the 1990s cycling champion and be pleased that it has now been brought to the screen. Members of the other countries of the United Kingdom will welcome him as British. But, it probably helps to know a little of his career and his hard-fought victories and some of his personal struggles.
This is a film that one could recommend for a general audience but, sadly, Graeme Obree has suffered from depression that made him feel suicidal. In fact, the film opens (powerfully but discreetly) with his main depressive episode and returns to it later. However, back we go to his childhood and then his career from 1993-1995.
Graeme was bullied when he was at school which undermined his self-confidence and his self-esteem. However, his policeman father gave him a bike for Christmas and it made all the difference. He could outride his tormentors by riding fast. But it also gave him a sense of exhilaration and he discovered a talent.
The film moves quickly to 1993 when his heyday of winning was over. He is lovingly married to Anne and has a small child. He works as a bike courier in Glasgow. However, his mind keeps ticking over about how to improve his riding technique with the laws of thermodynamics. His mind also keeps ticking over about how to improve the structure of his bikes by the laws of physics.
He was fortunate to find supportive friends. Those in the film are composites of several real characters in his live. One is his friend and manager, Malkey. Another is a supportive older man, Baxter, who he discovers is a minister of the church of Scotland.
History records that Obree tried to break the hour cycle ride, failed and tried again the next morning and succeeded. His bike was built from scratch – and included many scrap parts, along with the ball bearings from the home washing machine. When his record was soon broken, he tried again and succeeded as well as breaking some shorter race records.
The World Cycling Federation took dim views of his winning and altered rules constantly to try to mean-mindedly exclude him.
One of the strengths of the film is that Graeme and Anne Obree were on the set, Graeme doing some of the riding and the couple coaching the actors who portray them.
Jonny Lee Miller trained powerfully to be able to ride and act the part of Grame Obree. Often a sullen-seeming and taciturn performer, he fits this role particularly well and communicates the torment of his depression. Laura Fraser is sensible and vigorous as Anne. The role of Malky is played by an actor who engaged world audiences as a hobbit friend of Frodo, Billy Boyd. Another pleasant surprise is Brian Cox as the sympathetic minister who has experienced sadness in his life but who is able to make an emotional breakthrough that enables Graeme to enter counselling and gain more control of his life.
This is a modest film. Everyone of us has ridden a bike so we can identify with the cycling even if it is in categories way above our competence. But it is a human drama with strong positive values.
1.A satisfying sports film? Inspirational? Celebration of talent? Struggle and achievement?
2.A Scots audience response, UK response? Beyond? Response to sport films? To cycling films? Knowledge of cycling or not necessary?
3.The true story, the technical advice from Graeme Obree and his wife?
4.Scotland, Glasgow, the countryside? The velodromes, the continental atmosphere, Latin America, the visit to France? The camerawork, especially for the cycling? The musical score?
5.The title, the media title, Graeme Obree and his career, success?
6.The opening, the woods, the riding on the interior velodrome, the rope – and the return later to this sequence, Graeme’s fall, his being found, going to the hospital?
7.The background of depression, it not being named? His condition, the background of bullying when a child, self-image, esteem, his parents and the gift of the bike? Moods and being in the grip? Defeats? Treatment by the World Cycling Association? Suicidal? Anne and her support? Baxter and his friendship, the talk, the possibility of therapy? Friendship as important?
8.Graeme Obree as a character, Jonny Lee Miller’s screen presence? The riding? The athleticism? The determination? As a young boy, the bullies, the taunts, his father as a policeman, giving him the bike, outriding his tormentors? The later confrontations with them, what they did with their life – and the later offer of help?
9.Passing over his initial success, the audience having to take it for granted? And his marriage and child? His love for Anne, her being his manager? Her work as a nurse? His cycling and delivering messages, speed, the wrong parcel? The meeting with Malky, the talk, friendship? Anne and her friendship with Katie?
10.Graeme’s ambition, the shop closing down, Baxter coming in, the ride and the bet, his winning but falling? Baxter’s support, his search for the parts for Baxter’s bike? Baxter’s workshop? Malky and their friendship, becoming his manager? The detail of the building of the bike? Malky, raising the money, failures, the sponsor – and his changing clothes for his sport and Malky’s embarrassment? Success?
11.Aerodynamics and physics, the Superman stance, the building of the bike, posture, the parts from the washing machine? The practice? The money and going to Norway, the World Cycling Association, the Italian champion, the sardonic official? The bad ride? Determination, the night and the difficulty sleeping, exercise, sleeping in? Trying again, few present, the Italian congratulating him, his success?
12.The short time as champion, being beaten? Malky and the new bike, his difficult reaction? Using it? Deciding to go in for the short sprints after his success with the hour cycling? Success? Sponsors and fame? The media?
13.The clash with the association, their mean attitude, their meetings and discussions, continually changing the rules, the applications of the rules, the red flags when his chest was touching the handlebars, his fall?
14.The despair, the moods, the attempt to kill himself?
15.Baxter, his discovery that he was a minister, his support (and watching TV during the notices in church)? Engineering the visit, the talk, Graeme unburdening himself about his life? The first step to therapy?
16.The short time of his achievement, his ultimate success and world records? An ordinary man, determined? Scots gruff, support and friendship? Achievement? Inspiration?
