--- title: "Local Hero" year: 1983 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/local-hero" fi1m_id: "local-hero" imdb_id: "tt0085859" tmdb_id: 11235 wikidata_id: "Q639969" fi1m_score: 86 critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 13 published: "2026-09-12" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:51.410530+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Local Hero (1983) Directed by Bill Forsyth · 1h 51m · MPA PG · Comedy, Drama ## Identity Local Hero - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/local-hero - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** local-hero - **IMDb ID:** tt0085859 - **TMDB ID:** 11235 - **Wikidata ID:** Q639969 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085859/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11235, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q639969 **Fi1m score: 86** · Critics 81 from 13 reviews *In a sentence:* At last, a picturesque village willing to admit it would quite like the money > Bill Forsyth makes a coastal property deal funny without pretending the locals are above wanting money. The performances and scenery reward its gentle pace, though the fondness for eccentricity sometimes softens questions the film has done well to raise. ## Synopsis An oil company wants to buy a Scottish coastal village, and its inhabitants see a chance to profit. A man living on the beach wants to stay where he is. Peter Riegert plays Mac MacIntyre, with Burt Lancaster as Felix Happer and Denis Lawson as Gordon Urquhart. The proposed development brings commercial ambitions up against people whose reasons for wanting the place are not all the same. Bill Forsyth writes and directs this comedy-drama, which also features Fulton Mackay as Ben Knox and Peter Capaldi as Danny Oldsen. ## Review Bill Forsyth’s *Local Hero* is a warm, quietly funny comedy about people who would quite like to be rich. Its coastal town sees an oil development as a chance to profit, an awkward detail for anyone expecting a simple contest between decent villagers and grasping business interests. Forsyth lets that appetite remain perfectly understandable. We recommend it warmly, with a warning that its fondness for eccentricity sometimes takes the pressure off questions worth pursuing. The pleasure is in how slowly Forsyth’s screenplay allows people to become more than their immediate business. Conversations develop at their own pace, and the supporting characters are allowed to be peculiar without having their peculiarities explained. We laughed at the town’s readiness to cash in. What caught us was the cheerfulness of it: the prospect of losing the coast is also the prospect of getting paid. Forsyth trusts us to notice both, and does not demand that we disapprove. Peter Riegert, as Mac MacIntyre, gives the film a useful steadiness; he does not compete with every odd person around him. Burt Lancaster’s Felix Happer is a pleasure because Lancaster seems so comfortable with the character’s silliness. Denis Lawson’s Gordon Urquhart has a briskness that stops the ensemble becoming uniformly dreamy. The actors leave one another room, and Forsyth gets much of the humour from their different ways of responding to the same situation. Chris Menges makes the coastline an effective part of the comedy: we can see its appeal while the town is considering what it might fetch. The scenery is beautiful, but the people’s interest in a sale prevents beauty from settling the question for them. Roger Murray-Leach’s production design makes the village feel lived in, an important restraint when the people are this eccentric. It gives their oddities a recognisable everyday setting. Michael Bradsell’s editing gives the comedy time to develop without announcing every change of mood. Mark Knopfler’s music supplies warmth and allows the quieter passages to hold our attention. We were more moved than we expected by the affection for this place, because the music and coastal photography make it inviting even as its inhabitants contemplate selling. Bradsell sustains that unhurried rhythm over 111 minutes. Forsyth can, however, be too forgiving. He finds so much to like in these people that the proposed development can begin to feel less troubling than it ought to. The film is entitled to be a fairy tale, but its gentleness occasionally saves it the trouble of being more searching about the bargain on offer. Among village comedies, it earns its place by allowing the locals to be greedy and still likeable. We would have liked it to hold on to that awkwardness more firmly when the whimsy takes over. It is a good choice for company, provided nobody expects the jokes to arrive at fixed intervals. The pauses matter, and the gradual acquaintance with these people is a large part of the pleasure. Watch it with someone who can enjoy a silence without reaching for the remote. *Fi1m score 86, published 12 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Almost every critic warms to Bill Forsyth’s comedy about a Texan oil man sent to buy a Highland village. The praise gathers around Forsyth’s patience in letting characters reveal themselves, the dry humour that lets odd events pass almost unremarked, and the contrast between Houston and the Scottish coast. Burt Lancaster’s eccentric billionaire is the performance most often singled out, and Mark Knopfler’s score and Chris Menges’s photography draw regular mention. Several reviewers rank it above Gregory’s Girl. The spread is narrow. The one real dissent is Sight and Sound, which admires the confident first half but finds the second retreating into twee Ealing habits and leaving its ambitions unresolved. That lineage divides the reviews: Time Out counts the Ealing echo as a virtue, while Slant argues the satire of money and labour runs deeper than the gentle surface suggests. The New Yorker likes it but doubts it is a major achievement. ## Straight answers **Is Local Hero worth watching?** *Local Hero* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a slow, warm comedy about people who would quite like to be rich, and we scored it 86. Bill Forsyth lets the villagers want the oil money without making them villains, and Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster leave each other room. It suits company that can sit through a pause without reaching for the remote. **How long is Local Hero, and what is it rated?** *Local Hero* runs 1h 51m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama film. **Where can I watch Local Hero in the US?** *Local Hero* is streaming on The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. ### Reviews we read (13) - **The Times**, Ed Potton (★★★★★): This 40th-anniversary re-release of Bill Forsyth’s Scottish-American comedy is a winning charmer about a Texan oil executive sent to buy a Highland village. The critic highlights the sublime Mark Knopfler soundtrack and the eccentric locals who win over the outsider. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/local-hero-1983-film-review-a-scottish-american-charmer-with-a-sublime-soundtrack-dptp8qx9t) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a small film to treasure, a loving, funny, understated portrait of a Scottish town encountering a giant oil company that turns into a wicked study of human nature. He singles out the low-key approach of writer-director Bill Forsyth, who lets characters gradually reveal themselves with patience and humor. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/local-hero-1983) - **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a whimsical but satirical masterpiece with deeper social and class-conscious comedy than its lighthearted surface suggests. They single out the inversion of expectations in the plot—where the capitalist executive becomes smitten with village life while locals eagerly negotiate a big payout—and the sly critique of unequal labor rewards. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/blu-ray-review-bill-forsyths-local-hero-on-the-criterion-collection/) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Bill Forsyth's quirky, disarming film as both a genuine fairy tale and thoroughly original filmmaking, proof that his talent shown in 'Gregory's Girl' was no accident. She singles out its dryly whimsical style that allows strange events to glide by almost unnoticed, making the charm and humor powerfully understated yet seductive. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/17/movies/film-local-hero-houston-to-scotland-odyssey.html) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (90/100, inferred): The critic says Forsyth has made an even better film than 'Gregory's Girl,' loaded with wry, offbeat humor and satisfying personal storytelling that is rare. He singles out the constantly surprising sense of whimsicality that catches the viewer off guard, along with memorable supporting characters and the beautiful contrast between Houston and the Scottish setting. [Read](https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/local-hero-1200425640/) - **The Independent**, Geoffrey Macnab (85/100, inferred): The critic celebrates the film's enduring appeal as a whimsical, funny and endearing Scottish comedy. They highlight its quirky observational humour, stunning visuals and probing questions about values and the environment. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/culture/local-hero-burt-lancaster-bill-forsyth-anniversary-b2340025.html) - **Empire**, William Thomas (80/100, inferred): Bill Forsyth's whimsical comedy remains fresh and life-affirming. It is feel-good movie-making par excellence, subtle and sly with a child-like sense of wonder. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/local-hero-review/) - **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (75/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's poetic comedy and unique atmosphere, highlighting how it disarms expectations with its lack of conventional clarifications and celebrates the singular characters and Scottish setting, though noting it's not a major achievement. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1983/03/21/night-life-2) - **Radio Times**, Simon Rose (7.3/10): This comedy-drama firmly established Forsyth as a major British filmmaker with its lyrical, almost mystical tale of an oil company's attempt to buy a Scottish village. It avoids the whimsy of Gregory's Girl thanks to gorgeous scenery, funny and moving performances (especially Lancaster), and a sure directorial touch. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-lhdm2g/local-hero/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): Bill Forsyth’s wistful comedy about a Scottish fishing village threatened by an American oil company remains as charming and poignant as ever on re-release. The critic singles out the standout performances, especially Burt Lancaster’s eccentric billionaire and young Peter Capaldi’s role, for praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/may/17/local-hero-review-wistful-80s-comedy-snares-your-heart-with-charm-and-beauty) - **Time Out**, DP (70/100, inferred): Forsyth's film rediscovers a proud British genre as a lyrical anti-urban comedy in the tradition of Powell and Pressburger and Ealing classics. Its essential triumph is proving comedy can retain a gentle, mystical aspect without feeling old-fashioned, achieved through superb location sense and the Texas-Scotland contrast. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/local-hero) - **Sight and Sound** (50/100, inferred): The first half raises hopes for British cinema with its thematic density, humor, well-developed characters, and confident control. It ultimately falls back into twee Ealing-style tropes and fails to fully resolve its ambitions or merge traditions. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/offers-more-hope-than-any-other-british-film-1980s-so-far-local-hero-reviewed-1983) - **Eye for Film**, Jeff Robson (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a high point for all involved, praising how it blends Forsyth’s signature wit and warmth with strong production values and a broader directorial scope. They highlight the ensemble performances, particularly Burt Lancaster’s charm, the cinematography of Chris Menges, and the film’s blend of Ealing-style comedy with timely observations on culture clash and consumerism. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/local-hero-1983-film-review-by-jeff-robson) ## Details - **Director:** Bill Forsyth - **Director:** Bill Forsyth - **Screenplay:** Bill Forsyth - **Cinematography:** Chris Menges - **Editor:** Michael Bradsell - **Music:** Mark Knopfler - **Production design:** Roger Murray-Leach - **Producer:** David Puttnam - **Cast:** Burt Lancaster as Felix Happer; Peter Riegert as "Mac" MacIntyre; Denis Lawson as Gordon Urquhart; Fulton Mackay as Ben Knox; Peter Capaldi as Danny Oldsen; Jennifer Black as Stella Urquhart; Jenny Seagrove as Marina; Norman Chancer as Moritz - **Runtime:** 1h 51m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG - **Release (the US):** 17 February 1983 - **Genres:** Comedy, Drama - **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1983) - **Budget:** $4 million - **Box office:** $6 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TLRaiBK688 ## Where to watch in the US - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, sd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $4.99, sd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-12.* Also available in: AT, CA, DE, ES, GB, IE, IT, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Gregory's Girl* (1981): More of Forsyth’s patient humour, with adolescent longing replacing the property deal. - *The Man in the White Suit* (1951): Another comedy that lets financial self-interest complicate apparently straightforward ideas of progress. - *The Castle* (1997): A household facing development gets the same courtesy of being funny and believable. - *Dersu Uzala* (1975), Fi1m 82: For the growing attachment to a landscape and the people who understand it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dersu-uzala.md) - *Le Havre* (2011): A small community, dry humour and kindness that never requires anyone to gush. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/local-hero