Along with Danny Boyle, Bill Forsyth is that rare director who had success with films set in contemporary Scotland. Forsyth had a sleeper hit in 1981 with 'Gregory's Girl', a kind of Scottish proto- Napoleon Dynamite. As result of how well that movie did the director had a fair bit of added leeway in making his next project, he chose to tackle something that was then very much an issue in contemporary Scotland, the oil boom.
Peter Riegert plays "Mac" MacIntyre, a mid level executive working at Knox Oil & Gas in Houston, Texas. "Mac" had some success the previous year negotiating oil leases in Sonora, Mexico, and that combined with his Scottish last name (though he later revels to a work friend that his ancestry is actually Hungarian and changed their name to MacIntyre upon immigrating, thinking it sounded more American) leads his bosses to send him to Scotland to negotiate the purchases of a small village, bay, and surrounding area for construction of a new refinery, and distribution point for oil coming from their rigs in the North Atlantic.
In Scotland "Mac" is joined by a local Knox employee played by future Dr. Who Peter Capaldi. The two travel to the idyllic village of Ferness and meet various eccentric locals, most of whom are thrilled by the prospect of selling their land, making a bunch of money and moving on. But of course there is one stubborn and vital hold out.
A charming film, full of charming sights and characters that cause "Mac", who had been living a very superficial life, to question what he's been doing with it. This is paralleled by a plot line concerning the corporate big boss Mr. Happer (Burt Lancaster) who travels to Ferness when negations, stall and finds this place might hold the key to personals dreams far beyond mere oil exploration.
I really enjoyed watching this film and know that it is going to warrant return viewing. It's also inspired me to look into other of Mr. Forsyth's films, he had something to say, he was no one hit wonder. A kind, lightly melancholy Capraesque meditation on what really matters. ***1/2
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