I remember being enthralled by both the book and this film when I was little. Stephanie Beacham performs brilliantly as the evil Miss Slighcarp. She is well supported by Mel Smith, Jane Horrocks and Richard O'Brien (really likable as James and totally unrecognisable here from his "Rocky Horror" persona). The plot moves quickly and despite not faithfully mirroring the story of Joan Aiken's novel manages to portray all the characters just as they were depicted in the text. I continue to enjoy watching this as an adult - some fans of the book may be unhappy with some of the added material but as a fan of Joan Aiken myself, I think this adaptation and the actors' performances do great justice to her writing.
Reviews
2 Reviews
The Mighty Celt
(2005)
Excellent performances from stellar cast!
29 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This film is reminiscent of Ken Loach's "Kes" (1969) but without the 'grim up North' tone.
The plot centres around Donal (Tyrone McKenna), a teenager who loves animals and enjoys helping Good Joe (Ken Stott) run his kennel full of greyhounds. He persuades Joe to buy a dog, who Donal is convinced is a winner and later names The Mighty Celt.
Gillian Anderson is convincing as Donal's mother who is unsettled when her old flame, ex-IRA man O (Robert Carlyle) shows up and becomes friends with her son.
The film is both tear-jerking and uplifting and the performances from the cast make for an excellent production.
The plot centres around Donal (Tyrone McKenna), a teenager who loves animals and enjoys helping Good Joe (Ken Stott) run his kennel full of greyhounds. He persuades Joe to buy a dog, who Donal is convinced is a winner and later names The Mighty Celt.
Gillian Anderson is convincing as Donal's mother who is unsettled when her old flame, ex-IRA man O (Robert Carlyle) shows up and becomes friends with her son.
The film is both tear-jerking and uplifting and the performances from the cast make for an excellent production.
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