Shooting Fish
Encyclopedia
Shooting Fish is a 1997
British
film
co-written by Richard Holmes
and Stefan Schwartz
. Holmes produced and Schwartz directed. It co-starred Dan Futterman
and Stuart Townsend
as two con men with Kate Beckinsale
as their unwilling assistant. It was produced by Winchester Films
and partly funded by National Lottery
money administered through the UK Arts Council
. Shooting Fish aimed to transfer well to international markets that were keen on British films following the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral
.
) and Jez (Stuart Townsend
) are two orphans who meet in their twenties and vow to achieve their shared childhood dream of living in a stately home. In pursuit of this dream they spend their days living in a disused gasometer
, spending as little money as possible and conning the upper classes out of their riches. During one of their biggest cons, their lives are touched by Georgie (Kate Beckinsale
), who needs money to save the Down's syndrome foundation that her brother attends. When a con goes wrong, the two find themselves in jail to be released only after their entire fortune is rendered useless because of a recall of £50 notes. It is down to an elaborate plan involving Dylan, Jez and (if they can persuade her) Georgie, to break them out of jail in order to save their dream.
The film, in essence, is part Ealing comedy, part underdog farce with a sequence of madcap adventures set against a striking soundtrack by contemporary Britpop artists. Unlike straight rom-coms or mainstream comedies of the period Shooting Fish contained a generous blending of fact and fantasy (witness the helium balloon episode at the finale).
and The Full Monty
. Nevertheless, the film proved to be a solid launch vehicle for Beckinsale, Futterman and Townsend. Kate Beckinsale was awarded Best Actress for her performance in Shooting Fish at the Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain.
Other notable British comedy actors appearing included Jane Lapotaire
, Peter Capaldi
, Geoffrey Whitehead
and Ralph Ineson
. Shooting Fish continues to command a cult status among fans and bears up remarkably well today against films of a similar era/genre, including Up 'n' Under (1998) and High Heels and Low Lifes
2001)
A Time Out review (1997) said, "A succession of cameos provides light relief, and the film's saved by the amiable performances of Futterman, Beckinsale and, especially, Townsend."
was at its height and this was reflected in a stylish and striking array of tracks for a light comedy film:-
for various regions in 2001. At 99 mins, even in the UK, this is the US cinema release version. Many scenes aimed more specifically at a British audience (such as some references to ITV
programme Blind Date
) and the "Waterloo
! / Vindaloo
!" explosive defeat of the villains have been removed. It has not as of 2011 been re-released uncut or in the Blu-ray format.
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
British
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...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
co-written by Richard Holmes
Richard Holmes
Richard Holmes may refer to:* Richard Holmes , American actor* Richard Holmes , British biographer* Richard Holmes , British soldier and military historian...
and Stefan Schwartz
Stefan Schwartz
Stefan Schwartz is an English/Canadian film and television director/writer plus a former actor , most known for the feature film Shooting Fish and his work for the BBC on Spooks and Luther.-Biography:...
. Holmes produced and Schwartz directed. It co-starred Dan Futterman
Dan Futterman
Daniel Futterman is an American actor and screenwriter. Although he is known for several high-profile acting roles, including Val Goldman in the film The Birdcage, and Vincent Gray on the CBS television series Judging Amy, he is also a screenwriter...
and Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend is an Irish actor and director. His most notable portrayals are of the characters Lestat de Lioncourt in the 2002 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and Dorian Gray in the 2003 film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Early life and...
as two con men with Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale
Kathryn Bailey "Kate" Beckinsale is an English actress. After some minor television roles, she made her film debut in Much Ado About Nothing while still a student at Oxford University...
as their unwilling assistant. It was produced by Winchester Films
Winchester Films
Winchester Films was a British production company. It was started in March 1993 and was listed on the Alternative Investment Market to raise the capital needed to build an effective portfolio of films and TV programmes...
and partly funded by National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
money administered through the UK Arts Council
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
. Shooting Fish aimed to transfer well to international markets that were keen on British films following the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
.
Plot
Dylan (Dan FuttermanDan Futterman
Daniel Futterman is an American actor and screenwriter. Although he is known for several high-profile acting roles, including Val Goldman in the film The Birdcage, and Vincent Gray on the CBS television series Judging Amy, he is also a screenwriter...
) and Jez (Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend is an Irish actor and director. His most notable portrayals are of the characters Lestat de Lioncourt in the 2002 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and Dorian Gray in the 2003 film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Early life and...
) are two orphans who meet in their twenties and vow to achieve their shared childhood dream of living in a stately home. In pursuit of this dream they spend their days living in a disused gasometer
Gasometer
A gas holder is a large container where natural gas or town gas is stored near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperatures. The volume of the container follows the quantity of stored gas, with pressure coming from the weight of a movable cap...
, spending as little money as possible and conning the upper classes out of their riches. During one of their biggest cons, their lives are touched by Georgie (Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale
Kathryn Bailey "Kate" Beckinsale is an English actress. After some minor television roles, she made her film debut in Much Ado About Nothing while still a student at Oxford University...
), who needs money to save the Down's syndrome foundation that her brother attends. When a con goes wrong, the two find themselves in jail to be released only after their entire fortune is rendered useless because of a recall of £50 notes. It is down to an elaborate plan involving Dylan, Jez and (if they can persuade her) Georgie, to break them out of jail in order to save their dream.
The film, in essence, is part Ealing comedy, part underdog farce with a sequence of madcap adventures set against a striking soundtrack by contemporary Britpop artists. Unlike straight rom-coms or mainstream comedies of the period Shooting Fish contained a generous blending of fact and fantasy (witness the helium balloon episode at the finale).
Locations and shoot
The film was shot in the autumn of 1996 (August–October). Most filming took place at Shepperton Studios and outside street locations in north London. Alexandra Palace features in one notable scene. The gas holder in which Dylan and Jez live no longer exists, having been situated in Mill Hill up to the early 2000s. The crematorium scene was filmed in Garston, west Hertfordshire. The film would eventually make its nationwide screening in October 1997.Reception
The film held its own commercially in the UK. Reviews at the time singled out Townsend for praise but felt the narrative contained one twist and turn too many. Others suggested the film was merely an 'Ealing Comedy' in modern form and lacked modern characterization. The 'soft comedic focus' however had been a deliberate plan by the production team who wanted to avoid the socio-political realism in comedies like Brassed OffBrassed Off
Brassed Off is a 1996 British film written and directed by Mark Herman. The film, a British-American co-production made between Channel Four Films, Miramax Films and Prominent Films, is about the troubles faced by a colliery brass band, following the closure of their pit...
and The Full Monty
The Full Monty
The Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy...
. Nevertheless, the film proved to be a solid launch vehicle for Beckinsale, Futterman and Townsend. Kate Beckinsale was awarded Best Actress for her performance in Shooting Fish at the Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain.
Other notable British comedy actors appearing included Jane Lapotaire
Jane Lapotaire
Jane Lapotaire is a British actress.She studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the 1960s. Her role in the title role of Marie Curie first brought her to wide attention...
, Peter Capaldi
Peter Capaldi
Peter Dougan Capaldi is an Academy Award and BAFTA award winning Scottish actor and film director. In 1995, his short film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film...
, Geoffrey Whitehead
Geoffrey Whitehead
Geoffrey Whitehead is an English actor. He has appeared in a huge range of television, film and radio roles. In the theatre, he has played at the Shakespeare Globe, St...
and Ralph Ineson
Ralph Ineson
Ralph Ineson is an English actor best known for playing the character of Chris Finch on the BBC television programme The Office. He has a rich Yorkshire accent and is an avid supporter of Leeds United A.F.C. Ralph Ineson was educated at Woodleigh School, North Yorkshire...
. Shooting Fish continues to command a cult status among fans and bears up remarkably well today against films of a similar era/genre, including Up 'n' Under (1998) and High Heels and Low Lifes
High Heels and Low Lifes
High Heels and Low Lifes is a 2001 action comedy-drama film starring Minnie Driver, Mary McCormack, Kevin McNally, Mark Williams, Danny Dyer and Michael Gambon. It was directed by Mel Smith and written by Kim Fuller and Georgia Pritchett...
2001)
A Time Out review (1997) said, "A succession of cameos provides light relief, and the film's saved by the amiable performances of Futterman, Beckinsale and, especially, Townsend."
Soundtrack
Stefan Schwartz, the director, was looking for an essential nineties feel to the film. The era of BritpopBritpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
was at its height and this was reflected in a stylish and striking array of tracks for a light comedy film:-
- Me And You Vs The World" Written & Performed by Space Courtesy of Hit & Run Music/Gut Music & Gut Records
- "I'm A Little Teapot" Written by George Sanders & Clarence Kelly
- "Beautiful Alone" Written & Performed by Strangelove
- "NeighbourhoodNeighbourhood (song)"Neighbourhood" is a song by Space, written by band members Tommy Scott and Franny Griffiths, and released as the second single from their debut album Spiders, and their third single altogether...
" Written & Performed by Space - "Day Before Yesterday's ManIt Doesn't Matter Anymore (album)It Doesn't Matter Anymore is the debut album by Scottish britpop band The Supernaturals on the Parlophone label. It reached number 9 on the UK Albums Chart in 1997, and spawned four top 40 singles on the UK Singles Chart.-Tracklisting:...
" Written by James McColl Performed by The SupernaturalsThe SupernaturalsThe Supernaturals were a five-piece guitar based pop band from Glasgow, Scotland. Fronted by singer-songwriter James McColl, they signed to Parlophone in 1996, and had a string of singles which were taken from their three albums and four EPs. Other members included Mark Guthrie, Derek McManus and... - "Golden Skin" Written & Performed by Silver SunSilver SunSilver Sun may refer to:*Silversun , an Australian TV series*Silver Sun , an English rock/pop band*Silversun Pickups, an American indie rock band...
- "I'm a Better Man (For Having Loved You)" Words & Music by Hal DavidHal DavidHarold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
and Burt BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
Specially Recorded by David McAlmont - "What the World Needs Now Is Love" Words & Music by Hal David & Burt Bacharach Performed by Jackie DeShannon
- "Friends" Written & Performed by The WannadiesThe WannadiesThe Wannadies were an alternative rock band formed in 1988 in Skellefteå, northern Sweden. The band's initial line-up featured Pär Wiksten , Christina Bergmark , Stefan Schönfeldt and his younger brother Fredrik Schönfeldt with Gunnar Karlsson and Björn Malmquist .Early influences...
- "Body Medusa (The Leftfield Re-mix)" Written & Performed by Supereal Additional Production by LeftfieldLeftfieldLeftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
- "Bluetonic" Written by The Bluetones and Adrian Mitchell Performed by The BluetonesThe BluetonesThe Bluetones were an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members were Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fifth member, Richard Payne, came on board between 1998 and 2002...
- "Twist" Performed by Symposium
- "In Charge" Specially Written & Produced by Stephen Hillier and Chris Wilkie Performed by DubstarDubstarDubstar are an English band, performing mostly dream pop and indie dance music, as well as occasional pop ballads and, on later releases, guitar-heavy rock with an industrial influence. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
- "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" Words & Music by Hal DavidHal DavidHarold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
and Burt BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
Performed by Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health.... - "In Pursuit of Happiness" Written by Neil Hannon Performed by The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
- "To Be the One" Written & Performed by Passion Star
- "Falling In Love" Written by Henrey Anadon & Jo Burrise
- "Tribute To BB" Specially Written & Produced by Layo Paskin & Matthew B
Home release
Shooting Fish was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
for various regions in 2001. At 99 mins, even in the UK, this is the US cinema release version. Many scenes aimed more specifically at a British audience (such as some references to ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
programme Blind Date
Blind Date (UK TV series)
Blind Date is a British dating game show produced by London Weekend Television. An unscreened pilot was made with comic Duncan Norvelle as presenter but it was eventually hosted by Cilla Black, who already hosted the LWT series, Surprise, Surprise...
) and the "Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
! / Vindaloo
Vindaloo
Vindaloo is an Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. It is popular globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often renowned as a particularly spicy dish, though it is not necessarily always the hottest available. The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish...
!" explosive defeat of the villains have been removed. It has not as of 2011 been re-released uncut or in the Blu-ray format.