Green Street
Encyclopedia
Green Street is a 2005 British/American independent
drama film about football hooliganism
in England. It was directed by Lexi Alexander
and stars Elijah Wood
and Charlie Hunnam
. In the United States and Australia
, the film is called Green Street Hooligans, while in the United Kingdom it has the title Green Street after initially being called Hooligans. In other countries, it is called Football Hooligans or just Hooligans. In the film, an American college student (Matt Buckner — played by Elijah Wood) falls in with a violent West Ham
football firm (the Green Street Elite) run by his brother-in-law and is morally transformed by their commitment to each other. The story and screenplay were developed by former hooligan turned author Dougie Brimson
.
Throughout the film, the Green Street Elite fight other "firms" such as Tottenham Hotspur's Yid Army
, Birmingham City's Zulus
, Manchester United's Red Army
and Millwall's Bushwackers
.
A sequel called Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground
, was released straight-to-video in 2009.
) is thrown off his journalism course at Harvard University
after cocaine
is discovered in his room. However, the cocaine belongs to Jeremy Van Holden (Terence Jay
), his roommate. Buckner is afraid to speak up because the Van Holdens are a powerful family, and Jeremy pays him $10,000 for taking the fall. Matt moves to the United Kingdom
to live with his sister Shannon (Claire Forlani
), her husband Steve Dunham (Marc Warren
) and their young son, Ben (James Allison). There, Matt meets Steve's brother, Pete (Charlie Hunnam
), a loud and thuggish Cockney
who runs a local football hooligan firm - a group of football supporters that arranges fights after matches - and teaches at a local school. Steve asks Pete to take Matt to a football match between West Ham United
and Birmingham City
, though Pete reluctant to take a "Yank
" to a football match, because of the xenophobic nature of his friends. He is persuaded because Steve will only give the money Pete needs to Matt. After defeating Matt in a fight, Pete decides to take Matt to the football match, thinking the yank might learn a thing or two.
Matt meets Pete's friends and his firm in the Abbey, their local pub. The hooligans all befriend Matt, with the exception of Pete's right-hand man, Bovver (Leo Gregory
). After a few pints of lager, they head to Upton Park
for the match. After the match, Pete, Bovver, and the other firm members agree to go and fight some Birmingham
fans, but Matt decides that it is not for him and tells Pete he is going to take the train home. On his way back to the underground, Matt is jumped by three Birmingham fans, who nearly give him a 'Chelsea Grin
', but he is rescued by some GSE members, who are on their way to a larger fight. Though grossly outnumbered, the GSE manage to hold their ground until reinforcements chase off the Birmingham firm. Matt does well in his first true fight and is inducted into the GSE. After a row with Steve, Matt moves in with Pete, and the two exchange stories. The GSE firm then head to an away game against Manchester United. Matt was not meant to come but ends up sneaking onto the train. Whilst on the train they are pre-warned that 40 Manchester United firm members are waiting for them at the station. Bovver hits the emergency stop button which allows the GSE to get off at an earlier stop (Macclesfield). Having failed to find a taxi, they persuade a van driver to take them into Manchester. Matt sits in the front of the van with the driver; the rest of the GSE are in the rear. As the van approaches the Man Utd. fans, Matt tells them that they are moving equipment for a Hugh Grant film, so the fans let them through. When past them, he stops the van, opens up the back, and the GSE charge out to attack the Man U firm members. They win the fight and run away singing "There's your famous GSE!" It is soon revealed to Matt that the GSE's sworn enemy is Millwall's firm, led by Tommy Hatcher (Geoff Bell
), with whom Bovver makes negotiations after getting jealous of Matt. After one of the members of the firm see Matt meeting his father, a renowned journalist for The Times
, for lunch, they assume Matt is a "journo" as well. Bovver informs Pete of this, and, when Steve finds out, he goes to the Abbey to warn Matt. Matt finds out that Steve used to be "The Major" of the GSE but quit following a match against Millwall
, to which Tommy Hatcher brought along his 12-year-old son. The boy was killed in the ensuing fight by members of the GSE, causing Tommy Hatcher to "lose it," blaming Steve and the GSE for his son's death. After witnessing this unfortunate tragedy, Steve left football hooliganism for good.
At that moment, Bovver arrives, and there is a big argument in the Abbey, in which Bovver comes out humiliated. Infuriated, he goes to Millwall's local and asks Tommy Hatcher to ambush GSE at the Abbey. Initially reluctant, Tommy Hatcher agrees upon learning that Steve Dunham is there. The Millwall firm crash the Abbey, and petrol bomb
the bar. Upon arriving, Tommy Hatcher confronts Steve. Steve's attempt to convince Tommy Hatcher that he is no longer involved in the GSE only further reminds Hatcher of his son, and he stabs Steve in the neck with a broken bottle, telling him "If you die tonight, you and me are even." Bovver, who had been knocked out by Tommy Hatcher, comes round just in time to help Steve. At the hospital, Pete blasts Bovver for his betrayal. In the aftermath, the two firms meet near the Millennium Dome
for an all-out brawl. Matt and Bovver show up to fight for the GSE, but during the fight, Matt's sister, Shannon, turns up with their son, and are attacked by a Millwall hooligan. Matt and Bovver come to their rescue. Pete notices that Tommy Hatcher is approaching the car, and distracts Tommy by taunting him to "finish him off." When Tommy Hatcher declares to have finished with him, Pete then retorts that Tommy Hatcher was to blame for his son's death, having failed to protect him ("He was your SON!"). Tommy Hatcher, driven to insanity, attacks and kills Pete, all the while shouting out a variation of the words to the chant 'Only a poor little Hammer,' using it as an analogy for Pete's condition. The fight completely halts at this point, and Hatcher is eventually pulled off Pete by some of his friends as he breaks down in tears. Everyone on both sides gathers around Pete's dead body in shock, with Bovver sobbing at his side.
Matt returns to the United States and confronts Jeremy Van Holden in a restaurant toilet, where Jeremy is snorting cocaine. Jeremy arrogantly tells Matt to leave during a brief discussion in which he admits to his identity as the cocaine stash's true owner. Matt then pulls out a tape recorder and plays back what Jeremy just said, saying that it is his "ticket back to Harvard." Jeremy lunges at him to try to get the tape, but Matt casually reverses the attack and raises his fist as if to punch Jeremy. He does not do so, instead walking out with a smile as Jeremy collapses to the floor, defeated. The film ends with Matt walking down the street outside the restaurant singing "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
."
in the London Borough of Newham, where West Ham
's home stadium, Boleyn Ground
(more commonly known as Upton Park) is located. West Ham is supported by one of England's notorious hooligan firm
s: the Inter City Firm
(ICF). Although Green Street has received some criticism regarding the exaggerated level of violence shown between the firms in the movie, the cultural validity of the script is rooted in anthropological studies of firm behaviour.
gave the film a very favourable review. The film has developed a cult following in recent years.
The film was nominated for the William Shatner
Golden Groundhog Award for Best Underground Movie, other nominated films were Neil Gaiman
's and Dave McKean
's MirrorMask
, the award winning baseball documentary Up for Grabs
and Opie Gets Laid
.
was released straight-to-DVD
in March 2009.
The film does not star most of the main cast of the first film, but rather focuses on Ross McCall
, who played Dave in the first film. The plot has Dave, who was caught from the fight at the end of the first film, in a prison where he must fight to survive.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
drama film about football hooliganism
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
in England. It was directed by Lexi Alexander
Lexi Alexander
Lexi Alexander is a German film director and martial artist.-Career:In her childhood, she began kickboxing and karate. At the age of 19, she became world champion in both. She is represented by Endeavor Agency and Gotham Group in Los Angeles, United States.After this, she went to Hollywood...
and stars Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
and Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam
Charles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
. In the United States and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the film is called Green Street Hooligans, while in the United Kingdom it has the title Green Street after initially being called Hooligans. In other countries, it is called Football Hooligans or just Hooligans. In the film, an American college student (Matt Buckner — played by Elijah Wood) falls in with a violent West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
football firm (the Green Street Elite) run by his brother-in-law and is morally transformed by their commitment to each other. The story and screenplay were developed by former hooligan turned author Dougie Brimson
Dougie Brimson
Dougie Brimson is an English author and former football hooligan. He has been dubbed the Yob Laureate.-Background:After 18 years service with the Royal Air Force, including both the Falklands War and the first Gulf War, the ex-Sergeant engineer’s literary career began in 1996 when he wrote a book...
.
Throughout the film, the Green Street Elite fight other "firms" such as Tottenham Hotspur's Yid Army
Yid Army
This article is about the Yid Army hooligan firm. For the general supporters, see Tottenham Hotspur Yid Army.The Yid Army is the name of a football hooligan firm associated with English football club Tottenham Hotspur...
, Birmingham City's Zulus
Birmingham Zulus
The Birmingham Zulus are a football hooligan firm associated with English football club, Birmingham City. The Zulus first appeared in the late 1970s to early 1980s and the name came from a chant of "Zulu, Zulu" which was aimed at Manchester City fans in 1982...
, Manchester United's Red Army
Red Army (football)
The Red Army is a hooligan firm who follow English football club Manchester United. Although today the term Red Army is used mostly to refer to fans of the club in general, the hooligan firm have been one of the largest and most feared firms in British football...
and Millwall's Bushwackers
Millwall Bushwackers
The Millwall Bushwackers are a hooligan firm associated with Millwall F.C..-Background:The original firm associated with Millwall was known as F-Troop....
.
A sequel called Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground
Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground
Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground is a sequel to the 2005 film Green Street directed by Lexi Alexander.-Plot:...
, was released straight-to-video in 2009.
Plot
Matt Buckner (Elijah WoodElijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
) is thrown off his journalism course at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
after cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
is discovered in his room. However, the cocaine belongs to Jeremy Van Holden (Terence Jay
Terence Jay
Terence Jay is an American actor and musician. He is best known for costarring as Jeremy Van Holden in the 2005 film Green Street, playing alongside Elijah Wood, and for writing and performing several songs on the film's soundtrack, including the one played during the film's final sequence, "One...
), his roommate. Buckner is afraid to speak up because the Van Holdens are a powerful family, and Jeremy pays him $10,000 for taking the fall. Matt moves to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to live with his sister Shannon (Claire Forlani
Claire Forlani
Claire Antonia Forlani is an English actress.-Early life:Claire Forlani was born in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara , who was English, and Pierluigi Forlani, a music manager from Ferrara, Italy. At the age of 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to...
), her husband Steve Dunham (Marc Warren
Marc Warren
Marc Warren is an English actor, known for his British television roles as Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice and Dominic Foy in State of Play.-Career:...
) and their young son, Ben (James Allison). There, Matt meets Steve's brother, Pete (Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam
Charles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
), a loud and thuggish Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
who runs a local football hooligan firm - a group of football supporters that arranges fights after matches - and teaches at a local school. Steve asks Pete to take Matt to a football match between West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, though Pete reluctant to take a "Yank
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
" to a football match, because of the xenophobic nature of his friends. He is persuaded because Steve will only give the money Pete needs to Matt. After defeating Matt in a fight, Pete decides to take Matt to the football match, thinking the yank might learn a thing or two.
Matt meets Pete's friends and his firm in the Abbey, their local pub. The hooligans all befriend Matt, with the exception of Pete's right-hand man, Bovver (Leo Gregory
Leo Gregory
Leo Gregory is an English film and television actor. He has appeared in many films such as Green Street, Stoned, Act of Grace, Daylight Robbery, and Menace....
). After a few pints of lager, they head to Upton Park
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
for the match. After the match, Pete, Bovver, and the other firm members agree to go and fight some Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
fans, but Matt decides that it is not for him and tells Pete he is going to take the train home. On his way back to the underground, Matt is jumped by three Birmingham fans, who nearly give him a 'Chelsea Grin
Glasgow smile
A Glasgow smile refers to the wound that results from slashing a person's face from the edges of the mouth to the ears. The cut, which is usually made with a utility knife or a piece of broken glass, leaves a scar that makes the victim appear to be smiling broadly...
', but he is rescued by some GSE members, who are on their way to a larger fight. Though grossly outnumbered, the GSE manage to hold their ground until reinforcements chase off the Birmingham firm. Matt does well in his first true fight and is inducted into the GSE. After a row with Steve, Matt moves in with Pete, and the two exchange stories. The GSE firm then head to an away game against Manchester United. Matt was not meant to come but ends up sneaking onto the train. Whilst on the train they are pre-warned that 40 Manchester United firm members are waiting for them at the station. Bovver hits the emergency stop button which allows the GSE to get off at an earlier stop (Macclesfield). Having failed to find a taxi, they persuade a van driver to take them into Manchester. Matt sits in the front of the van with the driver; the rest of the GSE are in the rear. As the van approaches the Man Utd. fans, Matt tells them that they are moving equipment for a Hugh Grant film, so the fans let them through. When past them, he stops the van, opens up the back, and the GSE charge out to attack the Man U firm members. They win the fight and run away singing "There's your famous GSE!" It is soon revealed to Matt that the GSE's sworn enemy is Millwall's firm, led by Tommy Hatcher (Geoff Bell
Geoff Bell (actor)
Geoff Bell is an English actor.-Career:He has appeared in many films, mostly as a cameo appearance or as a supporting role.He has appeared in Girl with a Pearl Earring, Stardust, The Long Firm, Making Waves, The Business and RocknRolla.One of his most well-known films is Green Street, where he...
), with whom Bovver makes negotiations after getting jealous of Matt. After one of the members of the firm see Matt meeting his father, a renowned journalist for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, for lunch, they assume Matt is a "journo" as well. Bovver informs Pete of this, and, when Steve finds out, he goes to the Abbey to warn Matt. Matt finds out that Steve used to be "The Major" of the GSE but quit following a match against Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, to which Tommy Hatcher brought along his 12-year-old son. The boy was killed in the ensuing fight by members of the GSE, causing Tommy Hatcher to "lose it," blaming Steve and the GSE for his son's death. After witnessing this unfortunate tragedy, Steve left football hooliganism for good.
At that moment, Bovver arrives, and there is a big argument in the Abbey, in which Bovver comes out humiliated. Infuriated, he goes to Millwall's local and asks Tommy Hatcher to ambush GSE at the Abbey. Initially reluctant, Tommy Hatcher agrees upon learning that Steve Dunham is there. The Millwall firm crash the Abbey, and petrol bomb
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
the bar. Upon arriving, Tommy Hatcher confronts Steve. Steve's attempt to convince Tommy Hatcher that he is no longer involved in the GSE only further reminds Hatcher of his son, and he stabs Steve in the neck with a broken bottle, telling him "If you die tonight, you and me are even." Bovver, who had been knocked out by Tommy Hatcher, comes round just in time to help Steve. At the hospital, Pete blasts Bovver for his betrayal. In the aftermath, the two firms meet near the Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
for an all-out brawl. Matt and Bovver show up to fight for the GSE, but during the fight, Matt's sister, Shannon, turns up with their son, and are attacked by a Millwall hooligan. Matt and Bovver come to their rescue. Pete notices that Tommy Hatcher is approaching the car, and distracts Tommy by taunting him to "finish him off." When Tommy Hatcher declares to have finished with him, Pete then retorts that Tommy Hatcher was to blame for his son's death, having failed to protect him ("He was your SON!"). Tommy Hatcher, driven to insanity, attacks and kills Pete, all the while shouting out a variation of the words to the chant 'Only a poor little Hammer,' using it as an analogy for Pete's condition. The fight completely halts at this point, and Hatcher is eventually pulled off Pete by some of his friends as he breaks down in tears. Everyone on both sides gathers around Pete's dead body in shock, with Bovver sobbing at his side.
Matt returns to the United States and confronts Jeremy Van Holden in a restaurant toilet, where Jeremy is snorting cocaine. Jeremy arrogantly tells Matt to leave during a brief discussion in which he admits to his identity as the cocaine stash's true owner. Matt then pulls out a tape recorder and plays back what Jeremy just said, saying that it is his "ticket back to Harvard." Jeremy lunges at him to try to get the tape, but Matt casually reverses the attack and raises his fist as if to punch Jeremy. He does not do so, instead walking out with a smile as Jeremy collapses to the floor, defeated. The film ends with Matt walking down the street outside the restaurant singing "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" is a popular song which debuted in 1918 and was first published in 1919.-Creation:The music was written by John Kellette. The lyrics are credited to "Jaan Kenbrovin", actually a collective pseudonym for the writers James Kendis, James Brockman and Nat Vincent...
."
Cast
- Elijah WoodElijah WoodElijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
as Matt Buckner - Charlie HunnamCharlie HunnamCharles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
as Pete Dunham - Leo GregoryLeo GregoryLeo Gregory is an English film and television actor. He has appeared in many films such as Green Street, Stoned, Act of Grace, Daylight Robbery, and Menace....
as Bower - Claire ForlaniClaire ForlaniClaire Antonia Forlani is an English actress.-Early life:Claire Forlani was born in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara , who was English, and Pierluigi Forlani, a music manager from Ferrara, Italy. At the age of 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to...
as Shannon Buckner Dunham - Marc WarrenMarc WarrenMarc Warren is an English actor, known for his British television roles as Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice and Dominic Foy in State of Play.-Career:...
as Steve Dunham - Ross McCallRoss McCallRoss McCall is a Scottish actor notable for his role as T-5. Joseph Liebgott in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.-Career:...
as Dave - Rafe SpallRafe SpallRafe Joseph Spall is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the Edgar Wright films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz , alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. He had previously appeared alongside Pegg and Frost in a 2001 episode of Spaced...
as Swill - Kieran BewKieran Bew| website = http://vimeo.com/16285721Kieran Bew is an English actor, known for portraying Avi Gellman in Personal Affairs, and Gary Parr in BBC1's BAFTA award winning The Street.-Background:...
as Ike - Joshua Kennedy as Lad
- Richard HardenRichard HardenRichard John Harden is a former English first-class cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman, who played for Somerset , where he was awarded his county cap in 1989, and Yorkshire . He also had a couple of stints playing for Central Districts in New Zealand.-External links: at Cricinfo...
as Bar Tender - Sicamore Sampson as Regi
- Timothé Bosch as Jimmy
- Papple Jammers as Firefighter
- Geoff BellGeoff Bell (actor)Geoff Bell is an English actor.-Career:He has appeared in many films, mostly as a cameo appearance or as a supporting role.He has appeared in Girl with a Pearl Earring, Stardust, The Long Firm, Making Waves, The Business and RocknRolla.One of his most well-known films is Green Street, where he...
as Tommy Hatcher - James Allison as Ben Dunham
- Terence JayTerence JayTerence Jay is an American actor and musician. He is best known for costarring as Jeremy Van Holden in the 2005 film Green Street, playing alongside Elijah Wood, and for writing and performing several songs on the film's soundtrack, including the one played during the film's final sequence, "One...
as Jeremy Van Holden - Scott Christie as Millwall Lad/Ricky
- Joel BeckettJoel BeckettJoel Beckett is an English actor, best known for playing Jake Moon in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders from December 2004 to October 2006 and as Lee in the British comedy series The Office...
as Terry - Tom Vloothuis as Firm Member
- Daniel Smith as Firm Member
- Brandon Devine as Firm Member
- Mason Jones as Bartender
- Carter Clements as Jeremey Chappele
- Ryan Monheim as Running Guy
- Steve BanksSteve BanksSteven "Steve" Banks is an English footballer playing as goalkeeper and is also goalkeeping coach for Scottish Premier League club Dundee United.-Early career:...
as Himself - Chevon Eastwood as herself
- John Delis as himself
Cultural context
The name of the firm in film, the Green Street Elite, refers to Green StreetGreen Street, London
Green Street is a road in the London Borough of Newham, England. There is an official website for this road.The southern portion is the location of the Boleyn Ground, home to West Ham United...
in the London Borough of Newham, where West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
's home stadium, Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
(more commonly known as Upton Park) is located. West Ham is supported by one of England's notorious hooligan firm
Hooligan firm
This is a list of notable hooligan firms or football firms, which are groups that have been verified as participating in football hooliganism or other sports-related hooliganism. In countries such as England and Poland, firms are clearly defined, but in South America the situation is less clear cut...
s: the Inter City Firm
Inter City Firm
The Inter City Firm is an English football hooligan firm mainly active in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, associated with West Ham United. The name came from the use of InterCity trains used to travel to away games...
(ICF). Although Green Street has received some criticism regarding the exaggerated level of violence shown between the firms in the movie, the cultural validity of the script is rooted in anthropological studies of firm behaviour.
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews upon release with casting and character accents being amongst the main criticisms. It scored 46% on movie website Rotten Tomatoes, and it scored 55% on the website Metacritic. Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film a very favourable review. The film has developed a cult following in recent years.
Awards
Lexi Alexander won several awards including Best Feature at the LA Femme Film Festival, Best of the Fest at the Malibu Film Festival, and the Special Jury Award at the SXSW Film Festival.The film was nominated for the William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
Golden Groundhog Award for Best Underground Movie, other nominated films were Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's and Dave McKean
Dave McKean
David McKean is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician....
's MirrorMask
MirrorMask
Mirrormask is a 2005 fantasy film from Jim Henson Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Destination Films. It stars Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, and Gina McKee. It is designed and directed by Dave McKean, written by Neil Gaiman from a story they developed together...
, the award winning baseball documentary Up for Grabs
Up for Grabs (2004 film)
Up for Grabs is a 2004 comedic documentary about two men who fought over custody of a baseball. It was directed and produced by Michael Wranovics, co-produced by Michael Lindenberger and Josh Keppel, co-edited by Dave Ciaccio; the executive producers were Dr...
and Opie Gets Laid
Opie Gets Laid
Opie Gets Laid is a 2009 American independent romantic comedy film originally titled Sunnyvale for its film festival submissions. The film is written and directed by James Ricardo and stars James Ricardo, April Wade, Ute Werner and Jesselynn Desmond....
.
Sequel
Green Street 2: Stand Your GroundGreen Street 2: Stand Your Ground
Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground is a sequel to the 2005 film Green Street directed by Lexi Alexander.-Plot:...
was released straight-to-DVD
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
in March 2009.
The film does not star most of the main cast of the first film, but rather focuses on Ross McCall
Ross McCall
Ross McCall is a Scottish actor notable for his role as T-5. Joseph Liebgott in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.-Career:...
, who played Dave in the first film. The plot has Dave, who was caught from the fight at the end of the first film, in a prison where he must fight to survive.
See also
- The Football Factory (film)
- The Firm (1988 film)The Firm (1988 film)The Firm is a 1989 British drama film directed by Alan Clarke and written by Al Ashton for the BBC, starring Gary Oldman as Clive 'Bex' or 'Bexy' Bissel. The film is based on the activities of the Inter City Firm, football firm of West Ham United during the 1970s and 1980s although in the film the...
- Inter City FirmInter City FirmThe Inter City Firm is an English football hooligan firm mainly active in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, associated with West Ham United. The name came from the use of InterCity trains used to travel to away games...