--- title: "Local Hero: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/local-hero/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/local-hero" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 13 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): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 13 reviews: 12 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## The Times — Ed Potton Rating ★★★★★. 19 May 2023. 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 April 1983. 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/local-hero-1983) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2019. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/blu-ray-review-bill-forsyths-local-hero-on-the-criterion-collection/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 1983. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/17/movies/film-local-hero-houston-to-scotland-odyssey.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 1983. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/local-hero-1200425640/) ## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2023. 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 the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/culture/local-hero-burt-lancaster-bill-forsyth-anniversary-b2340025.html) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/local-hero-review/) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 1983. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1983/03/21/night-life-2) ## Radio Times — Simon Rose Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-lhdm2g/local-hero/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2023. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/may/17/local-hero-review-wistful-80s-comedy-snares-your-heart-with-charm-and-beauty) ## Time Out — DP Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/local-hero) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2013. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/local-hero-1983-film-review-by-jeff-robson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/local-hero.md