THE VIRGIN OF LIVERPOOL

UK, 2003, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ricky Tomlinson, Imelda Staunton, Paul Barber, Johnny Vegas.
Directed by Lee Donaldson.

The Virgin of Liverpool is a knockabout British comedy set, obviously, in Liverpool itself. It received very little release in its time – although it stars the ever popular Ricky Tomlinson (The Royle Family and many of Ken Loach films including Riff Raff) as well as Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake). Comedian Johnny Vegas also has a featured role as does Paul Barber who was one of the troupe in The Full Monty.

The film shows ordinary life in Liverpool, amongst an ordinary family - farcical aspects, serious aspects, aspects of pathos. Grandma sees a vision of a statue of Mary weeping. She is supported by her granddaughter, Joanne. However, not everybody agrees with this – and there is a great deal of discussion, comedy, questions about apparitions, the nature of faith. It has to be said that the parish priest, Father Keane, is very little credit to the priesthood.

The film is in the tradition of British television comedies - but with a stronger cast and trying to deal with some serious issues within the farce and comedy.

1. The appeal of the film? The comic touches? For people from Liverpool, UK, outside? The language, the accents, the local references, the humour?

2. The city of Liverpool, visually, the buildings, streets, cathedrals, churches, the river - a character in the film? The characters very much at home in Liverpool?

3. The range of songs, the old-fashioned songs, the singalongs? Capturing the mood of the humour?

4. The nature of the humour, serious, ordinary people, street-wise, the religious jokes - and the blend of superstition and faith? The danger for borderline jokes for people who take religion very seriously?

5. The title, other weeping statues around the world, the reaction, church, people, publicity, pilgrims, the exploitation of the phenomenon, stigmata etc? Faith?

6. The visual jokes - with the borderline touch? The verbal humour, the farce, knockabout, ironic?

7. The background of the Liverpool buses, Frank and Winston and their driving, Cecil and his changing the schedules, going from numbers to colours, the maps, his serious speeches, their confusion, the chaos on the road and the roundabout, the arguments, his keeping in contact by phone and feeling frustrated? His pursuing the buses, especially in the police car? Giving the people the sack?

8. The family, the focus on the street, its ordinariness, the nosy neighbours and Sylv telling them off and arguing? Catholicism, going to church?

9. The parish priest, with his biretta in the pulpit, droning on, cigarettes and drinks, having lunch with the clergy - and Joanna pushing him into his beer? His lackadaisical attitude, tanning himself in the confessional, reading magazines and eating sweets, not listening, Joanna confronting him in his home, offering the sweets and ignoring her? The contrast when he saw an opportunity to exploit the statue and get it back in the church?

10. The focus on the statue itself, the title of the film, the story about the grandma seeing it weep, Joanna and her devotion to her grandmother, seeing the statue being tossed out? Her friendship with Wesley, their plan, rescuing it from the garbage? Her attempts to find a place for it, the humour, the seriousness? Having it in the house? The reaction of each member of the family, Doreen and her husband? Seeing it as dominating, intrusive? Steven and his bringing home the girls for sex, the masturbation sequence? Taking it to the shop, Doreen putting the sponge so that it would weep? Weeping in the house, the pilgrims, the nuns from France, the gospel singers and the charismatic touch, the woman with the stigmata, Winston and his selling sausages on the road? The inspectors coming from Tax and the City of Liverpool to complain about breaches of regulations, health regulations? Frank and his trying to get rid of the statue, giving it to his boozy friend, leaving it on the bus, taking it into the S & M room? Its going into the river, Sylv diving in to rescue it, Frank diving in to rescue her, the helicopter rescue? Joanna and her seeking advice, putting it on her grandmother's grave? The final weeping of the statue - for the happy and religious ending?

11. Joanna and her age, genuine, care, her grandmother, her friendship with Wesley, her letter to the paper, the weeping statue, its going to church, the revelation of the sponge? Her being upset with the family, her finally running away, getting advice, coming back? On her grandmother's grave?

12. Frank, his exasperation at work, tension with Sylv, getting the sack? Having to stay at home, his jealousy of the manager of the bingo club and the background of Sylv standing him up and marrying Frank? His jealousy talk with his friends? Antagonism towards the statue - yet reverence? Finally getting rid of it?

13. Sylv, her devotion to Frank, to the children? Going to bingo, having to fill in and sing? Her offering to do the cleaning jobs? Her success in Cabaret, going to Sheffield? Her making her own decisions, standing up against Frank? Her relationship with Doreen, sharing things? The disgust at Steven's behaviour, her reverence? Coming back, Joanna missing, her grief? The statue gone, diving into the water, swimming? Being rescued? The reconciliation - and her tears at the grave?

14. Steven, puberty, not wanting the statue, mocking his brother and sister? His preoccupation with sex, bringing the girls home, their superstitious reaction and screaming when seeing the statue? The masturbation? The magazine and hiding it behind the dartboard and the sister seeing it?

15. Doreen, support, at bingo? Getting the Viagra for her husband and the jokes in the church? His knocking the statue over and revealing the truth? Her putting in the sponge to get more customers?

16. The slob, bingo, drunk, messing things up, dancing and singing in the bus? Having drinks with Frank? His ambitions to call numbers (and some of them coming up on screen)?

17. The bingo manager, his liking for Sylv, Frank's jealousy, the confrontation, Frank punching him? Offering the Sylv the job in Cabaret? The range of clients and the joy of the singalong?

18. Wesley and his grandfather, the Rastafarians in Liverpool, inconsistencies, pot-smoking? A happy life, selling the sausages outside the front gate - and the final joke about his being colour-blind?

19. The total effect of this kind of knockabout comedy with human warmth and raising questions of piety, devotion, faith?