Son of Rambow
Two schoolboys make an amateur film inspired by First Blood.
Son of Rambow is a 2007 comedy film written and directed by Garth Jennings, drawing inspiration from *First Blood*. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2007, and later screened at the Newport Beach, Seattle International, Toronto International, and Glasgow film festivals, as well as the 51st BFI London Film Festival. The film came out in the United Kingdom on 4 April 2008, and had a limited US release starting 2 May 2008. Set during a summer in Thatcher-era Britain, it follows two schoolboys who try to make their own amateur movie based on *First Blood*.
The story centers on Will Proudfoot, an 11-year-old from a strict Plymouth Brethren family who is banned from watching films or TV. When a documentary plays in class, he is sent to the corridor, where he meets Lee Carter, a 12-year-old troublemaker kicked out of another class. After they accidentally break a fishbowl, Lee takes the blame in exchange for Will’s watch—a keepsake from his dead father—and demands that Will perform stunts for a film Lee is entering in the Screen Test Young Film-Makers’ Competition.
At Lee’s home, Will discovers Lee plans to use video equipment owned by his bullying 16-year-old brother, Lawrence, to make a *First Blood* homage. While hiding from Lawrence, Will accidentally watches the movie and becomes inspired, joining Lee’s project. He performs dangerous stunts, and after Lee saves him from drowning, they become blood brothers. Lee finds Will’s sketchbook and adds some of his ideas to the script. The two become best friends, but Will must keep this secret from his family and Brother Joshua, a meddling member of the Brethren who has his eye on Will’s mother.
When Didier Revol, a popular 15-year-old French exchange student, finds Will’s sketchbook and asks to join, Will agrees. Soon the whole school gets involved, and Will is welcomed by the cool older kids. Lee resents losing control, and during filming at a disused power station, their tension erupts into a fight, and Lee storms off. Didier’s carelessness causes part of the unstable structure to collapse, trapping Will. The other kids flee, but Lee returns to rescue him, getting injured and hospitalized. Lawrence visits Lee, angry about the broken camera.
Will’s mother, who has noticed his secret activities, finally realizes her son must be allowed to be himself, and her family leaves the Brethren.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Garth Jennings
- Producer
- Nick Goldsmith
- Starring
- Bill Milner / Will Poulter / Jules Sitruk / Jessica Hynes / Neil Dudgeon / Anna Wing / Ed Westwick / Eric Sykes / Chris Miles
- Music
- Joby Talbot
- Cinematography
- Jess Hall
- Editing
- Dominic Leung
- Production Companies
- Celluloid Dreams / Hammer & Tongs / Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen / Arte France Cinéma / Soficinéma
- Distributor
- Celluloid Dreams / (Worldwide) / Paramount Vantage / (Select territories) / Optimum Releasing / (United Kingdom) / Senator Film / (Germany)
- Released
- 22 January 2007 · Sundance Film Festival · 2008 · 04 · 04 · United Kingdom · 2008 · 06 · 21 · Germany
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Country
- France / United Kingdom / Germany
- Language
- English / French / German
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows Will Proudfoot, an 11-year-old boy from a strict Plymouth Brethren family forbidden from watching films or television. In a school corridor, he meets Lee Carter, the 12-year-old worst-behaved boy in school. After an incident involving a broken fish bowl, Lee takes the blame in exchange for Will's watch, which belonged to his dead father, and demands that Will perform stunts in a film Lee is making for the Screen Test Young Film-Makers' Competition. At Lee's house, Will accidentally sees First Blood and becomes inspired, joining Lee in the production. The two become blood brothers after Lee saves Will from drowning, and they work together on the film until a French exchange student, Didier Revol, joins and the production expands to include the whole school. Tensions culminate in a fight at a disused power station, where a structure collapse traps Will. Lee returns to rescue him and is hospitalized. Will's mother eventually realizes her son must be allowed to be himself, and her family leaves the Brethren. The film is never submitted to the competition, but Lee's brother Lawrence is impressed by the footage and helps add a part. Lee's film is shown before a main feature at a cinema, and the two boys reconcile.
Reader's Guide
Son of Rambow is significant as a nostalgic portrayal of childhood creativity in the 1980s, when home video equipment first became widely available. The film recreates the atmosphere of an English comprehensive school of the era, using a soundtrack of pop tracks from the time. It was shot primarily in Berkhamsted, England, including at Ashlyns School and the Rex cinema, as well as at the disused Richborough Power Station. The film includes excerpts from First Blood and was endorsed by Sylvester Stallone. It received generally favourable reviews, with a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 66 out of 100 on Metacritic. Critics noted the film's heart and charming young leads. It won the Empire Award for Best Comedy, and Garth Jennings was nominated for a BAFTA in the Most Promising Newcomer category. The film was named one of the Top Ten Independent Films by the National Board of Review in 2008. A stage musical adaptation was workshopped in 2018.
Did You Know?
- The film was inspired by Garth Jennings' own childhood experiences in the 1980s.
- The minor role of Danny is played by Stanley Kubrick's grandson, Sam Kubrick-Finney.
- The film was shot at the Rex cinema in Berkhamsted, a refurbished Art Deco cinema that had been derelict from 1989 to 2004.
- Author David Morrell, who created the character of John Rambo, called the film 'a tender, charming story'.
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