MovieChat Forums > Gregory's Two Girls (1999) Discussion > Just watched this last night

Just watched this last night

posted 18 years ago by vikingmage
7 replies | jump to latest

I remember the excitement I felt when I heard this film was being made, then the disapointment when the first review (on some BBC Radio 4 programme) hammered it.

The review was sufficient to actually put me going to see the film ... last night's showing on CHannel 4 was the first time it has cropped up and I've been unable to avoid it. (I work night security ... I was sat in a cabin killing time through the wee hours and it was on.)
and having sat and watched this film last night I was glad of the warning that made me avoid it for so long!

What a mish mash of ideas! The ending was a real cop out. The film bumbled along in a weird way. I have to confess that I began wondering if the first movie Gregory's Girl had been a fluke! Where was the wit and clever observation? Where had all the wonderful characters gone? Did Bill feel that he needed to grow everything up and add a dash of adult cynic to the mix? I wanted to see a grown up Gregory, but lets face it, the Gregory that appears married to Jane Horrocks on the TESCO tv adverts is closer to the original geeky misfit than this sad misfit.

I began to suspect that the early glimpse of the lovely Dawn Steele was going to be the only saving grace of the movie!

*SPOLIERS*

*

*

*

The ending felt like a real cop out ...
what had they achieved?
Why trash the only evidence they had?
Is that how he wanted the police to find them the next morning ... cuddled up together in the back of a van with a minor?
Was the message of the movie one of "if your cause is just ... just trash everything about your life, your job, your relationship etc for a single meaningless victory?"

How is sending one shippment of disguised torture devices off a cliff (and I have to say that they looked just like regular PCs to me ...)a victory? A big company would write off one tiny van load and ship out another the next day.

Ho hum!

That movie has warped my fragile little mind.

[–] sandspider1 18 years ago

I absolutely agree!! Stole the words right out of my mouth!!

'Here Is A Man That Would Not Take It Anymore!!'

[–] vikingmage 18 years ago

Thank you Sandspider. Actually I thought the biggest and most telling thing was the lack of response on IMDB. Usually when a film airs on tv the messageboard on IMDB flares up for a few days with questions and discussions. People who love the film are usually asking where they can buy it ... people who disliked elements of the movie are pulling them to pieces.
Gregory airs on Channel Four and the messageboard here is as quiet as the grave!

That movie has warped my fragile little mind.

[–] moviesareourbusiness 18 years ago

Wot happened in the end?

[–] LisaLisa85 17 years ago

All good points, this simply did not hold a candle to the original "Gregory's Girl" film. While acknowledging the fact that a sequel should not just be a carbon copy of its predecessor, Bill Forsyth seemed to go out of his way to make this as different as he could to "Gregory's Girl", and this was not wise at all!

The other reasons I didn't really enjoy "Gregory's Two Girls" were because:

1.) It just wasn't the same without Steve, Andy, Eric, Charlie and all of Gregory's other pals from his schooldays - it would have been a nice touch to bring back some of the old cast played by the same actors, although admittedly only a couple of others in the original cast besides Gordon John Sinclair and Clare Grogan stayed in acting after the first film;

2.) No mention was made (at least none that I can remember) of what happened to Susan, Gregory's eventual girlfriend at school, or to Dorothy, the girl he spent the film chasing after. Again, this would have been a nice touch if including the two characters was not possible, but more importantly it broke off any continuity between the two films and just made the events of the original film as good as pointless;

3.) Gregory's 'old friend' was not in the original film as far as I can remember either, which spoiled the development of the story;

4.) Gordon John Sinclair threw himself into, and revelled in, the role of Gregory in the 1980 film. However, he seemed rather tired and listless in this film. He is such a talented actor, yet his talent went to waste because the "new" Gregory character simply didn't suit him;

5.) Maddy's character was too different from the 1980 film, and the actress who played her was not as suited to the role as Allison Forster who played her in the original. Their close big brother-little sister relationship was not there anymore either

6.) The plot was weak, and was not helped by the fact that there was next to no humour in this film. Whereas the original film was a simplistic but hilarious look at the 'coming of age' theme, by introducing a complex and cynical 'adult drama' feel to the new film they robbed the film and its title character of everything that made the original such a joy to watch

Perhaps someone who saw this before the first film might have enjoyed it on it's own merits, but, as someone who loved the original film, I simply wasn't ever won over by this sequel.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bobbyklump 16 years ago

I watched it this afternoon on video and I enjoyed it. I have not seen the original first part.

I liked Gregory’s character as a teacher with his (mixed up) ideas and discussing them with his students. I also laughed at the police integration scene with the ’badger/beaver.
It was a nice film to watch. I was hoping more at the end, but it was still good.

Maybe I will get a chance to watch part one.