Kelly's accent


Can someone, from the UK preferably, tell me a little about her accent in this film? Is it a common accent (as in commonly used)? Where would someone who talked like that come from? London? Somewhere else? I loved the accent, by the way. And Nighy's accent was NOTHING like hers. They seemed to be from different countries.

Thanks in advnance.

reply

I'm not from the UK, but I did live there for several years.
TO ME at least, that doesn't sound british. Perhaps Scottish or Irish, I still
really have a hard time sorting the two out.

but of course the Brits would be able to enlighten us Yanks heh


EDIT:

just checked out the movie information for this movie and I saw her last name is MacDonald, she's also from Scotland.... so there u go.

:)

" I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code. "

reply

Her accent sounded very familiar to me as well because she sounded much like Laura Fraser ( Kate from A Knights Tale ). She's from Scotland too.



" I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code. "

reply

Thanks so much!

Now, I am thinking of Groundkeeper Willie!

reply

you're very welcome.

" I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code. "

reply

Kelly MacDonald's accent in this film is Scottish. I have been a fan of hers ever since I first saw her in Trainspotting about 10 years ago. At the time I was studying in Scotland. Her native dialect is Glaswegian, I believe, and it sounds like she is using her own accent in the film. Bill Nighy is from southern England. Even though Scotland and England are both a part of the United Kingdom they have always been separate countries, but have been united under the same monarch since 1707. It is really amazing how accents still vary from county to county in the UK. If you are interested in learning more about why this is so (ie Northern English people used to speak Old Norse and in the south they spoke Old English), you should read Bill Bryson's book "Mother Tongue" about the history and diversity of the English language.

reply

" It is really amazing how accents still vary from county to county in the UK "

it's not really that much of a shock, americans have different accents/dialects in different areas. It's a territorial thing..

I remember having the bristolian accent, it was ugly.
" I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code. "

reply

Yes Americans have different accents, but it is much more pronounced in the U.K. For the relative size of the country, the accents run the gamut. I've moved around in the last few years in a tri-state area larger than the U.K., and the accents do not change much - maybe some phrase or individual words. As an American who lived in England, it was one of the first things I noticed.

Stop Genocide NOW

reply

Thanks so much. Great info.

I loved Kelly's accent, but really had to strain my ears sometimes to understand what she was saying. But it sounds like it was a good choice for her to use her own voice. It really contrasted with Bill's civil servent way of speaking.

reply

I just watched this film last night (4am couldn't sleep) I'm also from Glasgow and I can confirm Kelly has a nice Glassweigan accent.

reply

I know I am generalizing by referring to a Scottish accent, but, I do think it is a sexy accent, and coming from such a sexy woman as Kelly Macdonald is a bonus!


Namaste, and good luck.

reply

If you you like Scottish accent on Kelly, also check out Lena Heady in "Aberdeen"

reply

Completely agree, very sexy accent.
I also like the irish accent (thinking of Andrea Corr :P ). English sounds soo much better when spoken like this, methinks!

reply

Speaking of accents (or accented speaking), what'd y'all think of how seamlessly the adorable/talented/impossiblenottoloveher Kelly handled a Texas accent in this year's big Oscar-winner, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN? I sure hope its success proves a major boost to her career.

You read it here. Now go forth and preach it!

reply

I'm sure it has and I am happy for her because I think she is a great actress.


"Take time with a wounded hand 'cause it likes to heal." - Stone Temple Pilots "Creep"

reply

Just saw NO COUNTRY... again last night and fell in love all over again with Kelly, who made it actually believable that Carla Jean would rather die than give Chirguh the satisfaction of putting the guilt on a coin-toss. And became the only victim to give him a moment's insight and enough distraction to get broadsided like a fool.

You read it here. Now go forth and preach it!

reply


I watched NCFOM with awe when I saw how she transmorgafied herself into a white trash Texas country girl
Carla Jean had the same moxie as the maid in Gossford Park, the reporter in State of Play, and Gina in this movie
Kelly MacDonald is creating quite a list of strong, morally centered female characters--even with smaller parts, she has a presence that won't let her just blend into the scenery...

and about the accent
In UK and probably Europe and some other countries, accent speaks about class location...
while people in US can make that judgement as well I think it is a more nuanced type of projection...
or maybe that is just because I am more familiar with US accents than UK ones...but I know that it is very easy to pigeon-hole people who have what are perceived as lower-class, less-education accents vs posh, upper-class ones...

an accent like MacDonald's for Gina would mean provincial girl, probably lower-class, not much education...

"...That's the beauty of argument, Joey. If you argue correctly, you're never wrong..."

reply

an accent like MacDonald's for Gina would mean provincial girl, probably lower-class, not much education...

A little presumptuous and, as indicated in the response following, not correct. Her accent is not lower class - it is characterisations other than her accent which might suggest (but absolutely do not confirm) the possibility of her being "lower class, not much education". Her character is quite enigmatic, which is part of the charm.

reply

I actually went to school with Kelly briefly. We both come from Newton Mearns, in the South of Glasgow, and pretty much everyone from the town speaks like that. It´s quite localised, common in Mearns (considered to be a "posh" part of Glasgow, though I don´t really like the label), yet not massively like the accent in the rest of Glasgow, which is usually harder.

reply