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Brassed Off

Play trailer Poster for Brassed Off R 1997 1h 49m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
In a village in Northern England, Danny (Pete Postlethwaite), the conductor of a colliery brass band, has difficulty maintaining the morale of his musicians when the economic future of the area is threatened by the possibility that the local coal mine will be closed. When a former resident, Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald), returns to assess the mine, she gets involved with her former flame, Andy (Ewan McGregor), and also the band, joining them in their last hurrah at a national competition.

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Brassed Off

Brassed Off

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Critics Consensus

Brassed Off combines inspiring drama with populist socioeconomics to create a film whose familiar outlines are filled in with genuine and surprisingly palpable emotion.

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Critics Reviews

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Lisa Alspector Chicago Reader 09/09/2020
Pete Postlethwaite is moving as the bandleader, whose dream of taking his players to compete at the Albert Hall nearly eclipses his appreciation of the dire issues they face. Go to Full Review Paul Tatara CNN.com 09/09/2020
"Brassed Off" is about as sloppy as it gets, but for nearly two-thirds of the movie the gushiness is pretty much kept in check. And those two thirds are quite a treat. Go to Full Review Quentin Curtis Daily Telegraph (UK) 11/22/2017
It survives through its never-failing sense of humour and the fact that by its loving depiction of alternative values -- of warmth and community -- to the ones it assaults, you feel it has earned the right to turn attacker. Go to Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot 03/28/2022
4/4
Brassed Off' should not be missed. Go to Full Review Tracey Petherick Common Sense Media 10/21/2021
4/5
You'll definitely laugh, you'll probably cry, and you might even want to take up the flugelhorn. Go to Full Review Leah Rozen People Magazine 09/09/2020
The movie delivers way too much doom-and-gloom-pah-pah. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Feb 6 Funny in 1 hour and 49 minutes. Rated R. See more Keith B B @Okbullard Feb 1 It was well done but pretty sad. I doubt I'd ever want to watch it again. See more Jeff S @RT45898186 Oct 30 Sometimes I despair when I read some of the shortsighted reviews of so called critics who obviously fail to see even the nose on their own faces. This film is, from beginning to end, flawless. Moving, funny and anger-making, with characters anyone will fall for immediately. The terribly sad story of the folk of the northern pit towns and villages, full of wit, empathy, wisdom and rough edges hiding a hard expressed humanity is captured and developed beautifully. The callous, thoughtless yet unavoidable destruction by Thatcher and the Tories woven triumphantly with a small yet profound story of a pit brass band and the characters playing in it, their troubles, drives and reactions to their situation examined sympathetically but with diamond keen observation. One of the best films ever made. See more Glafira Regina O @Glafira_Regina 10/01/2024 A very good film depicting the pitch crisis under Margaret Thatcher, when the Prime Minister decided to end the production of coal. Although I partially agree with her, it does not mean that I do not sympathise with the thousands of families who have lost their only source of income. The film shows the stories of one pitch orchestra, which is in danger of disbanding due to the closure of the Grimley mine and the lack of funds for its maintenance. Inside, each participant has his own drama. Fortunately, the film ends well. I recommend watching, especially for those interested in the history of the UK. See more Geke g @RT40239519 08/05/2024 Ewan McGregor as goos as DeNiro in this movie See more paul o @Paulo190408 03/02/2024 It provides a telling, and accurate, story of the effects of major closures, and redundancies, in former key industries, like coal. Very well acted and directed. Very moving and emotional, I first saw it in a cinema in Hammersmith and, at the end, everyone stood and applauded. See more Read all reviews
Brassed Off

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Cast & Crew

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Mark Herman

Director

Pete Postlethwaite

Danny

Tara Fitzgerald

Gloria

Ewan McGregor

Andy

Jim Carter

Harry

Philip Jackson

Jim

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Brassed Off

Brassed Off (1996) Brassed Off (1996) Brassed Off (1996) Brassed Off (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In a village in Northern England, Danny (Pete Postlethwaite), the conductor of a colliery brass band, has difficulty maintaining the morale of his musicians when the economic future of the area is threatened by the possibility that the local coal mine will be closed. When a former resident, Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald), returns to assess the mine, she gets involved with her former flame, Andy (Ewan McGregor), and also the band, joining them in their last hurrah at a national competition.
Director
Mark Herman
Producer
Steve Abbott
Screenwriter
Mark Herman
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 23, 1997, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Dec 6, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.6M
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround
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