The Match

"It's a game of two pubs!"

1999 1h 35m EN

😐

6.0

MID

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 15★6.2IMDB · 1,431

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Romantic comedy set against the story of a grudge football match between two pubs. The prize for the winner of the centenary match is the the closure of their opponent's bar. The Match was mainly filmed around Straiton in Ayrshire.

“It's a game of two pubs!”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Max Beesley
Wullie Smith
Isla Blair
Sheila Bailey
James Cosmo
Billy Bailey
Richard E. Grant
Gorgeous Gus
Laura Fraser
Rosemary Bailey
Ian Holm
Big Tam
David Hayman
Scrapper
Tom Sizemore
Buffalo

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mick Davis
Writers: Mick Davis
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

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

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Mick Davis, shot by Witold Stok. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Harry Gregson-Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Max Beesley and Isla Blair and James Cosmo carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's a game of two pubs!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0165384 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 15 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mick Davis directs. Witold Stok behind the camera. Harry Gregson-Williams scores. Kate Williams cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

127 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Mick Davis, shot by Witold Stok. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Harry Gregson-Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Kate Williams shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Max Beesley and Isla Blair and James Cosmo carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "It's a game of two pubs!".
7IMDB entry: tt0165384 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 15 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Witold Stok
Original score: Harry Gregson-Williams
Editing: Kate Williams
Production design: John Frankish
Costume design: Pam Downe
Makeup / hair: Nikki Brannan
Sound: Joe Barnett
Stunt coordinator: Greg Powell
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): 15
IMDB: The Match (1999)
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 1,431 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Also by

Mick Davis

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Peter McGinn2021-05-02
★ 6/10
This movie can be harmless fun as long as you can lower your expectations more than a little. The entire premise of the film seems more than a little dubious to me. Why would owners of two pubs 100 years before make a bet based on one of them winning 99 matches in a row? Was one of the teams so bad and with no hope of ever getting better that making such a long-term bet based on the next 100 games made sense? Or, more likely, was this a plot gimmick dreamed up by the scriptwriters to create cheap but instant suspense? Yes, that was my conclusion also. Still, the movie was entertaining enough to keep me watching, though just barely. If you like escapist romantic comedies, give this one a try, and let it wash over you.

Production companies