MovieChat Forums > The Flying Scotsman (2007) Discussion > A little insulting.

A little insulting.

posted 17 years ago by HurtByTheSun
23 replies | jump to latest

While I'm overjoyed to see a film about a great Scot (insert witty comment about Back to the Future here), I can't help but be a little insulted by the casting.

While Johnny Lee Miller is a great actor, he's English. There are plenty of good Scottish actors who could have played the role of Obree.

By no means do I hate the English, but I find it hard to take when a local hero is played by what is essentially a foreigner.

*Update*

I haven't actually seen this yet, though I plan to and I'll probably enjoy it! Not letting my slight bias get in the way.

[–] graeme-96 17 years ago

I wouldn't get too worked up about it as the 2nd paragraph of Graeme's book starts " I was born in Nuneaton, Warwick-shire(England) on September 11, 1965". So Graeme does a pretty good Scottish accent too!

Graeme has spent almost all of his life in Scotland coming north shortly after his birth with his Scottish parents!

[–] Xenotone 17 years ago

you find that insulting? Then you should be insulted by a lot of things in this movie. For example that there is no organisation called WCF responsible for cyclists (rather for curling or chess) or that they needed someone with a ridiculously thick german accent to play the evil organisation official (Germany never had any top officials in the UCI).

All in all, get over it, its just a movie. It might be based on the story of Graeme Obree, but it is still very manipulative and simplistic...

[–] Aberdeenfortheolympics 17 years ago

He played a Scot in trainspotting and if I hadn't read he was English I could have quite easily believed he was Scottish.

What Scottish actor did you have in mind to play Obree?.

Frieden durch überlegene Feuerkraft

[–] sean85_comin_live 17 years ago

I'm shocked to learn Johnny's English, always thought he was scottish since i watched, Trainspotting thx for pointing it out :)

[–] Spielburger 17 years ago

If I remember correctly, Johnny also played a Scot in Regeneration.
Empire magazine recently joked that he should just change nationality and be done with it!

[–] HurtByTheSun 17 years ago

He does do an Edinburgh accent very well.

[–] Jason_Radley 12 years ago

I thought he was American.

[–] HurtByTheSun 17 years ago

Re: Those saying Obree was English. Sure, he was born in England, but raised in Scotland and considers himself a Scot. I was also born in England, but consider myself a Scot due to family and where I was raised.

I'd have had James McAvoy play him.

[–] Jason_Radley 12 years ago

Was it you or the SNP responsible for having this incorrectly listed in the Goofs section?

In March 2010, Graeme Obree was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame to honor his achievements as one of Scotland's greatest cyclists (reported in the Daily Record of 16th March 2010). Although born in England, he has spent most of his life in Scotland, currently lives there and has a Scottish accent, therefore he is Scottish.

[–] rob_saunders-1 17 years ago

He played a Scot in Complicity as well.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] wolf-57 13 years ago

so : if I was born on a ship flying a Nigerian flag, but my parents were Irish, but I was brought up in England : does that make me

1) Nigerian

2) English

3) Irish

?

personally I go for parental lineage , and if you decide to adopt the nationality of the boat you were born on over your parent's/grandparents etc.........

strange thing nationalism !

but I have to say, I think JLM did a superb job : shame more cinema chains didn't have the mcballs to show it !

Wolf

[–] The-Ranger 16 years ago

"I find it hard to take when a local hero is played by what is essentially a foreigner."

You must have loved Braveheart then!!! ;-)

By no means should you be 'insulted' by a fine actor like Miller portraying Graeme Obree. I felt he was terrific and convincing as a Scot, even more so than he was as Sick-Boy in Trainspotting IMO.

It's nice to see a Scottish movie that is uplifting and inspiring rather than the "gritty", grey-skied urban dramas we usually churn out.

I hope that you have, by this time, seen the movie and if so I'm sure Miller will have changed your opinion!

[–] Sumpmonster 16 years ago

I wasn't sure if Jonny was Scottish when he played Sick Boy as I felt his accent was a bit forced. However in Complicity and Flying Scotsman, he certainly sounds a lot more Scottish even if he hasn't quite hit the regional element yet.

[–] buckc-2 16 years ago

Jonny Lee Miller did a fantastic job, in many ways. Also, there is a Youtube video of the real Graeme Obree singing the highest praises of Jonny Lee Miller playing him. Don't know how one can do better than that.

[–] Short_Legs 15 years ago

Ha. I always thought Jonny Lee Miller WAS Scottish! But that's because I've only seen two of his films - Trainspotting and The Flying Scotsman! You learn something new every day!

[–] P_Cornelius 15 years ago

Imagine what people in Atlanta felt like when Vivien Leigh was selected to play Scarlett O'Hara.

Or how people in Texas felt when Laurence Harvey was picked to play William Barrett Travis.

[–] bethwilliam 15 years ago

Try Mick Jagger playing the Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly. (Who was Irish by the way.)

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] fred-889 13 years ago

Boo hoo. Surely talent transcends nationality?

[–] dbarfoot 13 years ago

I've watched this excellent film, I really enjoyed it. David Tennant was apparantly down to play the role but I can't believe he'd have done a better job than Miller. And Miller had previous form in Transpotting.

[–] fred-889 13 years ago

Did you watch it on BBC1 last night, too?

[–] dbarfoot 13 years ago

Yes, its on the BBC website Iplayer for the next few days. I watched the first bit again just now. And I'm not even Scottish...