Comfort and Joy (1984)

100% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(505 ratings)

Writer/director Bill Forsyth's follow-up to his best film, Local Hero, is another comic exploration of a man undergoing a personal crisis. In Local Hero, the American played by Peter Riegert finds himself enchanted by the people and ambience of a Scottish village he has been dispatched to purchase… More Writer/director Bill Forsyth's follow-up to his best film, Local Hero, is another comic exploration of a man undergoing a personal crisis. In Local Hero, the American played by Peter Riegert finds himself enchanted by the people and ambience of a Scottish village he has been dispatched to purchase for an oil company. In Comfort and Joy, Alan (Bill Paterson) is a Glasgow radio disc jockey whose air name is the chirpy Dickey Bird. After Maddy, his girlfriend (Eleanor David), walks out on him at Christmas, he's spurred to re-evaluate his life. Looking for more meaningful work than spinning pop tunes and offering inane chatter to his geriatric listeners, Alan decides to make a radio documentary. He chances upon a local rivalry between two ice cream companies, who are sabotaging each other's trucks in an effort to monopolize the market. Attracted to Charlotte (C.P. Grogan), the daughter of one of the company owners, Alan finds himself playing peacemaker rather than documentarian. That this cold war takes place in the dead of a bitter Scottish winter is only one of Forsyth's many sly touches. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Bill Forsyth, Maggie Greenwald
Written By: Bill Forsyth
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1984 Wide
On DVD: Nov 2, 2004

Critic Reviews

Adam Lippe, Examiner.com
Like most Forsyth films, Comfort and Joy is warm and gentle without being cloying or maudlin. And it somehow avoids off-putting levels of cynicism. Like its main character, Alan, it's just the right amount of not important.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A perfect film for New Year's celebrations with its messages about personal renewal and starting afresh.

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Cast

            Bill Paterson as Alan

            Eleanor David as Maddy

            Clare Grogan as Charlotte

            Alex Norton as Trevor

            Patrick Malahide as Colin

            Rikki Fulton as Hilary

            Roberto Bernardi as Mr. McCool

            Peter Rossi as Paulo

            Katy Black as Sarah

            Robin Black as Lily

            Robert Buchanan as Trevor's Workman

            Gilly Gilchrist as Rufus

            Caroline Guthrie as Gloria

            Johnny Irving as Bob Hope Look-Alike

            Ona McCracken as Nancy

            Billy McElhaney as Renato

            David O'Hara as Engineer

            George Rossi as Bruno

            Douglas Sannachan as Trevor's Workman

            Elizabeth Sinclair as Fiona

            Alan Stuart as Fight Arranger

            Teri Lally as Shop Assistant

            Arnold Brown as Psychiatrist

            Alistair Campbell as Keith

            Ron Donachie as George

            Ray Jeffries as Removal Man

            Iain McColl as Archie

            Alan Tall as Trevor's Workman

            Billy Greenlees as Trevor's Workman

            Charles Kearney as All-Night Deejay

            Bill Patterson
            
            Dixie Carter
            
            Nancy McKeon
            
            Paul Dooley
            
            Steven Eckholdt
            
See full cast

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