How many times have you watched Local Hero?

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I just watched it for the first time. I'm a Burt Lancaster fan.

At least 20 times, I love the movie and the Mark Knofler soundtrack. I first watched it in 1985 in San Jose, Costa Rica (with subtitles) during a vacation there. I have not seen it in a few years but will today.

I was living with a buddy at the time and home sick as a dog laying on the couch. I found a bottle of Jack Daniels in the cupboard and was sipping on that when this movie came on HBO. I was instantly enchanted. I will always remember this first time watching the movie and that final shot of the local red phone box ringing while Mark Knopfler's beautiful and haunting melody "Going Home" plays as the credits roll.

Peter Riegert's character Mac is awesome. I believe it's the most beloved and iconic movie character he's ever played. He certainly won me over. About three years later (after watching the movie numerous times on TV) I finally bought the DVD after searching high and low for it everywhere. There's just something wonderful and magical about Local Hero, and I never get tired of watching it. I also bought Mark Knopfler's awesome soundtrack.

It was great to discover that we aren't the only ones who love Local Hero. Others of a more critical nature also praise the film...

In his review in the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert gave the film his highest four stars, calling it "a small film to treasure." He gave particular praise to writer-director Bill Forsyth for his abilities as a storyteller.

In his review in Movie Gazette, Gary Panton called the film a "magical, intelligent comedy." Panton praised the cinematography as "little short of amazing" and that Local Hero was "Bill Forsyth's finest work of all, this is a perfect film."

On the aggregate web site Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a rare 100% positive rating from top critic reviews (based on 31 reviews), and an 88% positive rating from audience reviews (based on 6,916 reviews).

Despite it being his first film score, Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler enjoyed considerable success with his soundtrack for Bill Forsyth’s film; so much so that he began incorporating the Going Home theme into the encore of Dire Straits concerts. Although the exact figure is unknown, the soundtrack did end up selling more than the film, which made $5.9 million in America.

Hats off to everyone involved in making this truly magical and magnificent film. :)


-- "Mulder, toads just fell from the sky!"

lol, it's my Desert Island film, so I've lost count.

I first saw it as a rental in Florida, during a dark period of my young life when family had 'rescued' me from ex husband. I was recovering from depression, and at 29 back with mom & dad. We dined at the cool new Thai restaurant and rented the VHS next door, and loved it. My mom and I visited a town so much like this when traveling in Scotland in the 70s.

No idea. I remember watching Siskel & Ebert review it, I would have been 13 or 14. I didn't really think much of it, but my mom was all over it and couldn't wait to see it. She rented it probably about a year later. I watched it and fell in love with it. I must have rented it on VHS two or three times over the years. Then I bought it when it released on DVD ages ago, no idea how many times I watched it. Not that many, I'll go a number of years between watches. I just bought the Criterion blu-ray and watched it over the weekend. I've probably seen at least 10 times.

I saw it when it was originally released. It was okay, but I didn't love it. I have not seen it again, and I probably never will.

LOL scrolling through this post I realised that I replied to it 11 years ago saying that I had seen Local Hero at least nine or ten times. It's a lot more than that now! This is one of my comfort films.