1. Local Hero (1983)
Bill Forsyths much-loved 1983 movie Local Hero is the classic Scottish film. Thirty years since its initial release, it remains as funny and touching as when it first hit cinemas and as a result it claims the top spot on our list. Houston business man "Mac" MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) is assigned the task of persuading the residents of fictional coastal Scottish village Ferness to sell their village to his American oil company. Expecting to come face-to-face with the villagers' protests and objections, Mac instead finds the residents of Ferness cannot wait to sell up: in fact the whole town is buzzing at the prospect of their future wealth. Mac's only way of contacting the US is via a beachside red telephone box and so he soon finds himself unwittingly adapting to the Ferness lifestyle. Despite the fact scenes set on the Ferness beach were filmed on one side of the country and village scenes on the other, the film nevertheless captures the spirit of a small, Scottish coastal village. The evocative soundtrack, by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, and striking cinematography means that as Mac becomes increasingly enamoured with Scotland, the viewer cannot help but fall for it too. Memorable scenes of the stunning Northern light display, the raucous village Ceilidh and the beautiful beach mean Scotland has never looked so idyllic. Forsyths film is effectively subtle: the relationships between the characters are beautifully underplayed, as is the change that occurs in Mac during his time in Ferness. The viewer, seeing this change, longs for Mac to live in the village forever and for the oil company to change its mind about acquiring Ferness. Without spoiling the end, it is equal parts sad and optimistic. If you only see one film set in Scotland, it ought to be Local Hero.
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