Oct. 20, 2008 — “The Flying Scotsman” released on DVD
You'll be able see the Graeme Obree story on the big screen beginning Friday if you live in Seattle, Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington DC.
Those are the “selected cities” where theaters will show “The Flying Scotsman,” a movie about the Scot who twice broke the bicycling world record for distance covered in an hour.
Here in the Seattle area, theaters showing the movie this weekend are AMC Pacific Place 11, Renton Village 8 and Lakewood Town Center 12; Regal Bella Botega 11, South Sound Cinema 10, Alderwood 7 Cinemas, and South Hill Mall 6; Landmark Metro Cinemas; Bellevue Galleria Stadium 11; and Galaxy Tacoma 6.
Other showtimes
For other cities, go to the MovieTickets.com advanced search page, type in your zip code, the name of the movie and the date. It may prompt you again for the date, which would be May 4.
Cycling fans should enjoy the story of an amateur cyclist who builds a unique bicycle and conditions his body to compete on the world level for a title coveted by the likes of Francesco Moser, Chris Boardman and 5-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain.
For everyone else (i.e., your date), it's the story of an underdog who overcomes incredible odds to achieve his goal.
The movie stars Jonny Lee Miller, ex-husband of Angelina Jolie. He actually did most of the cycling in the movie.
Reviews
Reviews have been mixed. The Seattle Weekly says it suffers from “a terminal case of the cutes crossed with the labored earnestness of a disease-of-the-week melodrama.” Obree suffered from bi-polar disorder.
The TimesOnline of Auckland, New Zealand counters: “The Flying Scotsman is a hard film to find fault with. The writing is excellent …” Even the Catholic News Service issues a positive review.
The Washington Post generally loves the movie:
“Miller is key to the film's success, with his earnest, sweet-faced looks and evident dark side. Skinny enough to wear an unforgiving Lycra skinsuit, he plays Obree with just the right understated intensity, a believable competitor who fights back fiercely with his wits and a few tight-lipped words.”
I'll certainly go see it to make up my own mind. On it's face, the Obree story seems like it would make a compelling film. He scrounged parts to make his bicycles and raced as an amateur against professionals. He suffered from depression, although he never sought help until later in life.
The movie is based on Obree's autobiography, “The Flying Scotsman, Cycling to Triumph through My Darkest Hours” released in 2003.
Something that I've read about alot in the reviews and synopses is how Obree used parts from washing machines to make his bikes. Obree later said he only used a small part from a washing machine once, and he regretted ever telling that to a reporter because people became fixated on it. Even so, that tale still lives on in the movie.
For more, see “The Flying Scotsman” website for MGM has a trailer and read about Obree at BBC.
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