Review of Gregory's Girl (1980) by Jordan F — 27 Apr 2014

Written and directed by Bill Forsyth, who had made his start in film by making documentaries around his native Scotland, but with doing these, he had been able to get funding for his first feature That Sinking Feeling (1980), which the critics liked.

After that, he got money from Scottish Television for another film, and it's a sweet, heartfelt romantic comedy about growing pains and love. Set in the Scottish newtown of Cumbernauld, Gregory Underwood (John Gordon Sinclair) is a socially awkward teenager who plays in the football team of his secondary school, but they're not doing too well, and he's hopeless as a goalkeeper.

Things change when the team's Coach Phil Menzies (Jake D'Arcy) lets Dorothy (Dee Hepburn) onto the all male team, and Gregory falls for Dorothy. But, his awkwardness means he's not confident enough to ask Dorothy out on a date, however Gregory ends up getting advice from his 10 year old sister Madeleine (Allison Forster), of all people, on how to win Dorothy over and ask her out.

It's a lovely little film with some amusing little details, like a pupil in a penguin suit wandering around the school, and it was made for little money, but it helped Forsyth get on the road to fame with the likes of Local Hero (1983) and Comfort and Joy (1984).

But, it was the start of a good trio of films from Forsyth.