Blackball

"At Last, A Sportsman The British Can Be Proud Of"

2003 1h 36m EN

😐

5.2

MID

★5.2TMDB · 57

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Blackball follows the fortunes of Cliff Starkey, a working-class fine of lawn bowls with an exceptional talent. Wanting to take on the Aussies he manages to become regional champion, only to get banned. Sports agent Rich Schwartz picks him up and makes him so popular the Bowls Committee deem to lift the ban. Now the question is whether he can regain his form and his friends to beat the Aussies.

“At Last, A Sportsman The British Can Be Proud Of”

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Cast

Paul Kaye
Cliff Starkey
Johnny Vegas
Trevor
James Cromwell
Ray Speight
Bernard Cribbins
Mutley
Alice Evans
Kerry
Vince Vaughn
Rick Schwartz
Imelda Staunton
Bridget
James Fleet
Alan the Pipe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mel Smith
Writers: Tim Firth
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mel Smith, shot by Vernon Layton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stephen Warbeck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chris Blunden shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Paul Kaye and Johnny Vegas and James Cromwell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "At Last, A Sportsman The British Can Be Proud Of".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0337879 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mel Smith directs. Vernon Layton behind the camera. Stephen Warbeck scores. Chris Blunden cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 23 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Mel Smith, shot by Vernon Layton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Stephen Warbeck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Chris Blunden shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Paul Kaye and Johnny Vegas and James Cromwell carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "At Last, A Sportsman The British Can Be Proud Of".
8IMDB entry: tt0337879 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 57 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.