The 51st State
Encyclopedia
The 51st State is a 2001 British
action comedy film written by Stel Pavlou
and directed by Ronny Yu
. Produced by Focus Films Ltd. (UK)
. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson
, Robert Carlyle
, Emily Mortimer
, Ricky Tomlinson
, Sean Pertwee
, Rhys Ifans
and Meat Loaf
. The film follows the story of a American master chemist (Jackson) who heads to England to sell his formula for a powerful new drug. All does not go as planned and soon becomes entangled in a web of deceit.
Premiered in the United Kingdom
on 07 December 2001, the film grossed £913,239 in its opening week and made worldwide profits of $14.4 million. It received mixed reviews from critics, and the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
' compiled ratings give the film a below average rating of 25 out of 100. The 51 State was ranked 171st on the list of highest grossing films of 2002.
The film begins in the year 1971. Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson
), a new college graduate with a degree in pharmacology
, is caught smoking marijuana
when a patrolman pulls over his car. Because of his arrest and conviction, he is unable to find work as a pharmacologist. The film then fast forwards to the present day as a drug lord called "the Lizard" (Meat Loaf
) calls a meeting with his organization, hoping to sell a brand new substance invented by McElroy. The meeting goes awry when McElroy, in a bid to escape from the Lizard's control, blows up the building, killing everyone but the Lizard, who falls through the floor. With revenge on his mind, the Lizard contacts Dakota (Emily Mortimer
), a contract killer, who killed the only witness in a case against the Lizard, as depicted in several early scenes in the movie. Dakota initially refuses to chase down and kill McElroy, but when the Lizard offers to clear her gambling debts and give her a $250,000 bonus to complete the hit, Dakota takes the job.
McElroy heads for Liverpool where he has a deal arranged. At the airport he is met by Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle
), an ex-hitman who has been sent by his boss Leopold Durant (Ricky Tomlinson
), head of a local criminal organization, in exchange for two football tickets to the sold-out Liverpool
versus Manchester United
game.
At the meeting, McElroy makes his pitch, claiming that his product, POS 51, a synthetic drug that can be produced with minimal facilities, is 51 times as potent as ecstacy
, opiate
s, amphetamine
s, and cocaine
. A second opinion from a local chemist confirms McElroy's claims and Durant gives him over a million dollars in bonds. Since it is 18 million dollars short of the agreed payment, McElroy starts to leave.
Meanwhile, in a room across the street, Dakota is watching through a rifle scope, waiting for her chance to kill McElroy, but Felix DeSouza keeps getting in the way. As she is about to pull the trigger, the Lizard calls, now being concerned about keeping McElroy alive until he can get the formula. Instead of killing McElroy, she is to kill anyone who is meeting with him. She switches rifles to an automatic weapon and kills everyone in the room except DeSouza and McElroy. Escaping with McElroy, DeSouza is shot in the rear by Dakota, who remarks, "That's for getting in the way". As McElroy and DeSouza leave the hotel, the two are attacked by a gang of skinhead
s, who are also out to get the drug. McElroy makes short work of them with his golf clubs.
Detective Virgil Kane (Sean Pertwee
) arrives on the scene and gives chase. He is soon lured into a game of chicken
by McElroy, who escapes. Kane returns to the crime scene and strings up Durant on the bottom of a large cargo container. He demands 50 percent of Durant's deal with McElroy. A miscommunication leads to the cargo container being dropped, rather than being lowered slowly, crushing and killing Durant in the process.
McElroy asks DeSouza to contact the next drug lord in town, who is a gun dealing club owner and drug distributor named Iki (Rhys Ifans
), promising him his formula for £20 million. McElroy and DeSouza make their way to a chemist (drug store) to get the ingredients for POS 51. One of the drug's defining attributes is that it can be made with over-the-counter products
, none of which yet appear on any government's banned substance list. They are followed by the skinheads, who are armed this time. McElroy isn't that dismayed at being captured, as the skinheads claim they have a lab to produce the drug. The lab turns out to be an Animal Testing Facility that the skinheads have broken into. McElroy makes two batches of the drug; one blue and one red. He claims that the red pill is the stronger version, and after he takes one, the skinheads try it. While they are partying, waiting for the effect of the drug, in the next room McElroy spits out his red pill. He relates to DeSouza that its primary effect is that of a powerful laxative, which should take effect any moment. McElroy and DeSouza leave after throwing some rolls of toilet paper to the screaming skinheads, who are writhing on the floor.
The two visit Iki's rave club, where McElroy initiates his deal with the raver king and delivers the drug to the waiting crowd. The distribution is interrupted by Kane and a police raid. Dakota appears, and it is revealed that her real name is Dawn and that she and DeSouza were romantically involved. She captures McElroy and attempts to leave with him via the roof and the escape ladder. McElroy drops, twists, and grabs her, suspending her over the edge of the roof. Having no choice, she strikes a deal with him and they escape.
Meanwhile, DeSouza is in police custody, being interviewed by Kane. The dirty cop wants in on their deal with Iki or he will get DeSouza on charges of possession of a firearm. He arranges the time and the place, letting Kane know.
Meeting back up with McElroy and Dawn, they contact Iki. The venue is the Liverpool
vs. Manchester United
game, in a private viewing box. This time the deal is interrupted by the Lizard, who kills Iki and demands the formula to POS 51. The Lizard celebrates with a drink, as McElroy reveals the true nature of the drug - it's a placebo
and the ingredients cancel each other out, making it the "most expensive candy" in the world. McElroy tells the Lizard that POS stands for Power of Suggestion.
Kane interrupts the moment, just as McElroy's cocktail, ingested by the Lizard, takes effect. The cocktail contains a chemical that becomes explosive when it reaches a certain temperature; this is the same chemical McElroy used in his earlier attempt to leave his employment with the Lizard. Pulling an umbrella from McElroy's golf bag, DeSouza, McElroy, and Dawn take cover behind it. Police arrive and arrest Kane, who is lying half conscious on the floor, covered in bloody bits of the Lizard. Having made their escape, the three divide the money. During the credits, a putt falls in a hole. McElroy is playing golf in front of the castle (filmed at Cholmondeley, Cheshire
) seen on the card pinned to the Lizard's lab wall in the beginning of the film (the same card with the formula burned by McElroy in the skybox). The castle is the home of the McElroy clan.
The final scene has Elmo finishing a round of golf with Hector Dougal McElroy, who Elmo reveals is a descendant of the same family that once owned Elmo's ancestors. Elmo now owns the McElroy castle, and as he walks towards it, he strips naked and says "Elmo is in the house!"
Rest of cast in order of appearance:
in mind, sometime before Samuel L. Jackson became a star.
came up with the idea for The 51st State in 1994 while studying at college in Liverpool
, loosely basing some of the characters on his friends. Pavlou described the idea of the movie being based on Liverpool's history in the slave trade
and transferring it to modern day in the form of the drug trade
. Pavlou and his business partner Mark Aldridge showcased their idea at the Cannes Film Festival
in France
which lead to film development company Focus Films offering funding for development. Soon the movie caught the eye of Samuel L. Jackson
, who eventually came on board as both a producer and star of the film.
Originally Pavlou budgeted the movie at around £1 million and intended to direct it himself. Due to difficulty getting funding Pavlou stepped aside and took a co-producer credit while the matter was being resolved. Following a long five-year haul, "The 51st State" was finally budgeted at $28 million, with financing coming from Canada
and the UK
via Alliance Atlantis
and The Film Consortium.
recommended Hong Kong
director Ronny Yu
to direct the film with belief that the movie's overall style was suited to that of Yue's previous movie credits such as his 1998 film Bride of Chucky
. With the roles of Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson) and Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle
) both secured, producer Andras Hamori suggested Meat Loaf
to play the bad guy which was approved by director Yue who called the idea a "truly inspired piece of casting".
, a driving scene which was filmed outside of Liverpool in the city of Manchester
, and another scene which was filmed at Cholmondeley Castle
in Cheshire
. Major locations used in Liverpool included the River Mersey
and docks, Pier Head, the India Building, Water Street as well as Liverpool Football Club's stadium Anfield
. Other famous Liverpool landmarks can be seen throughout the movie in the background such as St George's Hall and the Liver Building.
Production designer Alan Macdonald used the film's production base in Boundary Street to build various sets for interior scenes, as well as a vast disused warehouse space in Blackstock Street.
and DVD
. The DVD version was released on 7 Oct 2002 with special features including Audio Commentary
, Making Of, Production, Photo Gallery, Trailer
and Cast And Crew Interviews.
release, the film was renamed Formula 51. Both names reference the drug — POS 51, which the film centres around — that is apparently "fifty-one times more powerful than cocaine
, fifty-one times more hallucinogenic than acid
, fifty-one times more explosive than ecstasy."
, as well as a score of 23 out of 100 at Metacritic representing "generally unfavorable reviews". Roger Ebert
of Chicago Sun-Times
newspaper called the movie "a farce
," giving the film one out of four stars, and particularly negative comments on the films' content and script. Generally positive reviews were given by both BBC
and Empire reviewers, with Alan Morrison of the latter calling it "full-on fun" and that the movie "goes beyond the boundaries" of British films. IGN.com also gave the film a generally positive review, concluding that "you get exactly what you pay for" and that the film was overall very "enjoyable".
it made $2,818,142 on its opening weekend and was viewed across the country on 1,857 screens.
In total, the film earned over $14.4 million at the worldwide box office, $5.2 million of that in the U.S. and $9.2 million elsewhere.
, Run DMC, Nelly
, and Stephen Day
.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
action comedy film written by Stel Pavlou
Stel Pavlou
Stelios Grant Pavlou is a British author and screenwriter.-Biography:Stel Pavlou was born in Gillingham, Kent in England, of Greek Cypriot descent. He grew up in Rochester and Chatham, Medway and attended Chatham Grammar School for Boys. The middle child of three, his younger brother is the...
and directed by Ronny Yu
Ronny Yu
Ronny Yu Yan-Tai is a Hong Kong director, producer, and movie writer. Yu was born in Hong Kong and graduated from Ohio University. He has worked on both Hong Kong and American films.- Career :...
. Produced by Focus Films Ltd. (UK)
Focus Films Ltd. (UK)
Focus Films Ltd. is an independent feature film development and production company in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1982 by David Pupkewitz and Marsha Levin and is based in Finchley Road, London.-Background:...
. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
, Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
, Emily Mortimer
Emily Mortimer
Emily Kathleen A. Mortimer is an English actress. She began performing on stage, and has since appeared in several film and television roles, including Scream 3, Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, and Shutter Island....
, Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
, Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
, Rhys Ifans
Rhys Ifans
Rhys Ifans is a Welsh actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill and Jed Parry in Enduring Love and as a member of the Welsh rock groups Super Furry Animals and The Peth. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly...
and Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
. The film follows the story of a American master chemist (Jackson) who heads to England to sell his formula for a powerful new drug. All does not go as planned and soon becomes entangled in a web of deceit.
Premiered in 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...
on 07 December 2001, the film grossed £913,239 in its opening week and made worldwide profits of $14.4 million. It received mixed reviews from critics, and the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
' compiled ratings give the film a below average rating of 25 out of 100. The 51 State was ranked 171st on the list of highest grossing films of 2002.
Plot
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
), a new college graduate with a degree in pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
, is caught smoking marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
when a patrolman pulls over his car. Because of his arrest and conviction, he is unable to find work as a pharmacologist. The film then fast forwards to the present day as a drug lord called "the Lizard" (Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
) calls a meeting with his organization, hoping to sell a brand new substance invented by McElroy. The meeting goes awry when McElroy, in a bid to escape from the Lizard's control, blows up the building, killing everyone but the Lizard, who falls through the floor. With revenge on his mind, the Lizard contacts Dakota (Emily Mortimer
Emily Mortimer
Emily Kathleen A. Mortimer is an English actress. She began performing on stage, and has since appeared in several film and television roles, including Scream 3, Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, and Shutter Island....
), a contract killer, who killed the only witness in a case against the Lizard, as depicted in several early scenes in the movie. Dakota initially refuses to chase down and kill McElroy, but when the Lizard offers to clear her gambling debts and give her a $250,000 bonus to complete the hit, Dakota takes the job.
McElroy heads for Liverpool where he has a deal arranged. At the airport he is met by Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
), an ex-hitman who has been sent by his boss Leopold Durant (Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
), head of a local criminal organization, in exchange for two football tickets to the sold-out Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
versus Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
game.
At the meeting, McElroy makes his pitch, claiming that his product, POS 51, a synthetic drug that can be produced with minimal facilities, is 51 times as potent as ecstacy
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
, opiate
Opiate
In medicine, the term opiate describes any of the narcotic opioid alkaloids found as natural products in the opium poppy plant.-Overview:Opiates are so named because they are constituents or derivatives of constituents found in opium, which is processed from the latex sap of the opium poppy,...
s, amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
s, and 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...
. A second opinion from a local chemist confirms McElroy's claims and Durant gives him over a million dollars in bonds. Since it is 18 million dollars short of the agreed payment, McElroy starts to leave.
Meanwhile, in a room across the street, Dakota is watching through a rifle scope, waiting for her chance to kill McElroy, but Felix DeSouza keeps getting in the way. As she is about to pull the trigger, the Lizard calls, now being concerned about keeping McElroy alive until he can get the formula. Instead of killing McElroy, she is to kill anyone who is meeting with him. She switches rifles to an automatic weapon and kills everyone in the room except DeSouza and McElroy. Escaping with McElroy, DeSouza is shot in the rear by Dakota, who remarks, "That's for getting in the way". As McElroy and DeSouza leave the hotel, the two are attacked by a gang of skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s, who are also out to get the drug. McElroy makes short work of them with his golf clubs.
Detective Virgil Kane (Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
) arrives on the scene and gives chase. He is soon lured into a game of chicken
Chicken (game)
The game of chicken, also known as the hawk-dove or snowdrift game, is an influential model of conflict for two players in game theory...
by McElroy, who escapes. Kane returns to the crime scene and strings up Durant on the bottom of a large cargo container. He demands 50 percent of Durant's deal with McElroy. A miscommunication leads to the cargo container being dropped, rather than being lowered slowly, crushing and killing Durant in the process.
McElroy asks DeSouza to contact the next drug lord in town, who is a gun dealing club owner and drug distributor named Iki (Rhys Ifans
Rhys Ifans
Rhys Ifans is a Welsh actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill and Jed Parry in Enduring Love and as a member of the Welsh rock groups Super Furry Animals and The Peth. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly...
), promising him his formula for £20 million. McElroy and DeSouza make their way to a chemist (drug store) to get the ingredients for POS 51. One of the drug's defining attributes is that it can be made with over-the-counter products
Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...
, none of which yet appear on any government's banned substance list. They are followed by the skinheads, who are armed this time. McElroy isn't that dismayed at being captured, as the skinheads claim they have a lab to produce the drug. The lab turns out to be an Animal Testing Facility that the skinheads have broken into. McElroy makes two batches of the drug; one blue and one red. He claims that the red pill is the stronger version, and after he takes one, the skinheads try it. While they are partying, waiting for the effect of the drug, in the next room McElroy spits out his red pill. He relates to DeSouza that its primary effect is that of a powerful laxative, which should take effect any moment. McElroy and DeSouza leave after throwing some rolls of toilet paper to the screaming skinheads, who are writhing on the floor.
The two visit Iki's rave club, where McElroy initiates his deal with the raver king and delivers the drug to the waiting crowd. The distribution is interrupted by Kane and a police raid. Dakota appears, and it is revealed that her real name is Dawn and that she and DeSouza were romantically involved. She captures McElroy and attempts to leave with him via the roof and the escape ladder. McElroy drops, twists, and grabs her, suspending her over the edge of the roof. Having no choice, she strikes a deal with him and they escape.
Meanwhile, DeSouza is in police custody, being interviewed by Kane. The dirty cop wants in on their deal with Iki or he will get DeSouza on charges of possession of a firearm. He arranges the time and the place, letting Kane know.
Meeting back up with McElroy and Dawn, they contact Iki. The venue is the Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
vs. Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
game, in a private viewing box. This time the deal is interrupted by the Lizard, who kills Iki and demands the formula to POS 51. The Lizard celebrates with a drink, as McElroy reveals the true nature of the drug - it's a placebo
Placebo
A placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...
and the ingredients cancel each other out, making it the "most expensive candy" in the world. McElroy tells the Lizard that POS stands for Power of Suggestion.
Kane interrupts the moment, just as McElroy's cocktail, ingested by the Lizard, takes effect. The cocktail contains a chemical that becomes explosive when it reaches a certain temperature; this is the same chemical McElroy used in his earlier attempt to leave his employment with the Lizard. Pulling an umbrella from McElroy's golf bag, DeSouza, McElroy, and Dawn take cover behind it. Police arrive and arrest Kane, who is lying half conscious on the floor, covered in bloody bits of the Lizard. Having made their escape, the three divide the money. During the credits, a putt falls in a hole. McElroy is playing golf in front of the castle (filmed at Cholmondeley, Cheshire
Cholmondeley Castle
Cholmondeley Castle is a country house in the civil parish of Cholmondeley, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is surrounded by a estate.-House:...
) seen on the card pinned to the Lizard's lab wall in the beginning of the film (the same card with the formula burned by McElroy in the skybox). The castle is the home of the McElroy clan.
The final scene has Elmo finishing a round of golf with Hector Dougal McElroy, who Elmo reveals is a descendant of the same family that once owned Elmo's ancestors. Elmo now owns the McElroy castle, and as he walks towards it, he strips naked and says "Elmo is in the house!"
Cast
- Samuel L. JacksonSamuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
as Elmo McElroy - Robert CarlyleRobert CarlyleRobert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
as Felix DeSouza - Emily MortimerEmily MortimerEmily Kathleen A. Mortimer is an English actress. She began performing on stage, and has since appeared in several film and television roles, including Scream 3, Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, and Shutter Island....
as Dawn "Dakota" Parker - Meat LoafMeat LoafMichael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
as The Lizard
Rest of cast in order of appearance:
- Nigel WhitmeyNigel WhitmeyNigel Whitmey is a British Canadian-born actor who was born in Alberta, Canada, who has appeared in TV series and films. He is also the husband of the actress Abigail Thaw, whom he met whilst training at RADA.-Early life:...
as L.A. Highway Patrol - Robert JezekRobert JezekRobert Jezek is a Canadian film and television actor based in the United Kingdom.-Career:He is known for playing companion Frobisher in a range of Doctor Who audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions and based on the BBC television series Doctor Who...
as Priest - Jake Abraham as Konokko
- Mac McDonaldMac McDonaldMac McDonald is an American actor. He is best known for playing Captain Hollister on the BBC TV series Red Dwarf and frequently plays American characters in other British TV shows...
as Mr. Davidson - Aaron SwartzAaron SwartzAaron Swartz is an American programmer, writer, political organizer and Internet activist. He is best known in programming circles for co-authoring the RSS 1.0 specification...
as Mr. Yuri - David WebberDavid WebberDavid R.R. Webber is an Information technologist specializing in applications of XML, ebXML and EDI to standards based information exchanges. He is a senior member of the ACM since 2007....
as Mr. Jones - Michael J. ReynoldsMichael J. ReynoldsMichael J. Reynolds , Garda Síochána 17673G and recipient of the Scott Medal, 1945-1975.-Incident at St. Anne's Park:A native of Kilconnell, Ballinasloe, Reynolds was one of a number of Gardaí who responded to an armed robbery at the Bank of Ireland, Killester, Dublin, on the afternoon of 11...
as Mr. Escobar - Sonny MuslimSonny MuslimSonny Muslim is a British actor best known for his performances in Eastenders and The Story of Tracy Beaker.Muslim's career began back in 1998 into 1999 when he appeared in The Bill and Casualty respectively. Both of which he has reappeared in again as different characters...
as Boy in Plane - Barbara Barnes as Boy's Mother
- Junix InocianJunix InocianJunix Inocian is a Filipino international stage, television and movie actor who starred in various plays such as Miss Saigon, Fiddler on the Roof, and the movie version of the Swedish crime novel Tatuerad Torso.-Early life and career:Junix was born in Iligan City, in the Philippines on March 17,...
as Mr. Ho-Fat - Paul Barber as Frederick
- Christopher Hunter as Lawrence
- Stephen Walters as Blowfish
- James Roach as Grimtooth
- Sean PertweeSean PertweeSean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
as Detective Virgil Kane - Michael StarkeMichael Starke (actor)Michael Starke , is a British actor best known for his role as Thomas 'Sinbad' Sweeney which he played for 16 years in the soap opera Brookside...
as Arthur, Kane's sidekick - Ricky TomlinsonRicky TomlinsonEric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
as Leopold Durant - Rhys IfansRhys IfansRhys Ifans is a Welsh actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill and Jed Parry in Enduring Love and as a member of the Welsh rock groups Super Furry Animals and The Peth. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly...
as Iki - AdeAde (actor)Ade is a British actor of Nigerian descent. He is best known for his role as Tyrone the getaway driver in Snatch. Ade also works within the music and publishing industries....
as Omar - Nick Bartlett as Trevor
- Angus MacInnesAngus MacInnesAngus MacInnes is a Canadian actor. He is most famous for his role as Gold Leader in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and as former hockey great Jean "Rosey" LaRose in the comedy Strange Brew...
as Pudsey Smith - Joan Campion as Hotel Maid
- Terry O'Neill as Deck Hand
- Anna KeaveneyAnna KeaveneyAnna Keaveney was an English actress best known for her role as Marie Jackson in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside....
as Shirley DeSouza - Marc Anwar as Pharmacist
- Paul Broughton as Anfield Commissionaire
- Robert FyfeRobert FyfeRobert Fyfe is a Scottish actor, who has appeared as Howard on the long-running British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine from 1985 to 2010....
as Hector Dougal McElroy
Casting
The DVD commentary reveals that the script was originally written with Laurence FishburneLaurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
in mind, sometime before Samuel L. Jackson became a star.
Development
Screenwriter Stel PavlouStel Pavlou
Stelios Grant Pavlou is a British author and screenwriter.-Biography:Stel Pavlou was born in Gillingham, Kent in England, of Greek Cypriot descent. He grew up in Rochester and Chatham, Medway and attended Chatham Grammar School for Boys. The middle child of three, his younger brother is the...
came up with the idea for The 51st State in 1994 while studying at college in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, loosely basing some of the characters on his friends. Pavlou described the idea of the movie being based on Liverpool's history in the slave trade
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade, also known as the trans-atlantic slave trade, refers to the trade in slaves that took place across the Atlantic ocean from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth centuries...
and transferring it to modern day in the form of the drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
. Pavlou and his business partner Mark Aldridge showcased their idea at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
which lead to film development company Focus Films offering funding for development. Soon the movie caught the eye of Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
, who eventually came on board as both a producer and star of the film.
Originally Pavlou budgeted the movie at around £1 million and intended to direct it himself. Due to difficulty getting funding Pavlou stepped aside and took a co-producer credit while the matter was being resolved. Following a long five-year haul, "The 51st State" was finally budgeted at $28 million, with financing coming from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the UK
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...
via Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
and The Film Consortium.
Pre-production
Movie star and film producer Samuel L. JacksonSamuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
recommended Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
director Ronny Yu
Ronny Yu
Ronny Yu Yan-Tai is a Hong Kong director, producer, and movie writer. Yu was born in Hong Kong and graduated from Ohio University. He has worked on both Hong Kong and American films.- Career :...
to direct the film with belief that the movie's overall style was suited to that of Yue's previous movie credits such as his 1998 film Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky is a 1998 American comedy horror film directed by Chinese director Ronny Yu. It is the fourth entry in the Child's Play series. The film stars Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif...
. With the roles of Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson) and Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
) both secured, producer Andras Hamori suggested Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
to play the bad guy which was approved by director Yue who called the idea a "truly inspired piece of casting".
Locations
Almost all of the movie was filmed on location in Liverpool apart from the opening scene which was shot in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, a driving scene which was filmed outside of Liverpool in the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and another scene which was filmed at Cholmondeley Castle
Cholmondeley Castle
Cholmondeley Castle is a country house in the civil parish of Cholmondeley, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is surrounded by a estate.-House:...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Major locations used in Liverpool included the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
and docks, Pier Head, the India Building, Water Street as well as Liverpool Football Club's stadium Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. Other famous Liverpool landmarks can be seen throughout the movie in the background such as St George's Hall and the Liver Building.
Production designer Alan Macdonald used the film's production base in Boundary Street to build various sets for interior scenes, as well as a vast disused warehouse space in Blackstock Street.
Home media
The movie was released on both VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
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....
. The DVD version was released on 7 Oct 2002 with special features including Audio Commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
, Making Of, Production, Photo Gallery, Trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
and Cast And Crew Interviews.
Reception
For its USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
release, the film was renamed Formula 51. Both names reference the drug — POS 51, which the film centres around — that is apparently "fifty-one times more powerful than 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...
, fifty-one times more hallucinogenic than acid
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, fifty-one times more explosive than ecstasy."
Critical reception
The film received a rating of 25% based on 102 reviews on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, as well as a score of 23 out of 100 at Metacritic representing "generally unfavorable reviews". Roger Ebert
Roger 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...
of Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
newspaper called the movie "a farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
," giving the film one out of four stars, and particularly negative comments on the films' content and script. Generally positive reviews were given by both BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Empire reviewers, with Alan Morrison of the latter calling it "full-on fun" and that the movie "goes beyond the boundaries" of British films. IGN.com also gave the film a generally positive review, concluding that "you get exactly what you pay for" and that the film was overall very "enjoyable".
Box office
The film had its world premiere on 7 December 2001, in London's West End Curzon Cinema and took in £913,239 on its opening weekend. In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it made $2,818,142 on its opening weekend and was viewed across the country on 1,857 screens.
In total, the film earned over $14.4 million at the worldwide box office, $5.2 million of that in the U.S. and $9.2 million elsewhere.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack featured popular artists such as PJ HarveyPJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
, Run DMC, Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, and Stephen Day
Stephen Day (musician)
Born in California and brought up in Canada and France, Stephen Day has enjoyed an exotic and varied life as a composer, producer, instrumentalist, vocalist and teacher. After studying sarod with world-renowned sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in India for three years, Stephen embarked on various...
.