Among Giants

R

Released Jun 24, 1998

1 hr. 30 min.

Romance

Comedy

List

64%

22 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

A female hitchhiker (Rachel Griffiths) moves in with an older married Briton (Pete Postlethwaite) and his unattached young roommate (James Thornton).

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A low budget British film set in Northern England, Sheffield specifically. Basically it follows a group of cash in hand painters painting electricity pylons around Sheffield. The gang are led by Pete Postlethwaite as Ray. Postlethwaite died in 2011 aged 64. This film was released in 1998 making him fifty or so. The central plot of the film revolves around a relationship between Ray and young Australian backpacker, hippy, student type Gerry played by Rachel Griffiths. I am sure Gerry could have been Ray's daughter. I'm not being agist but as the relationship develops in one scene we see them dancing around naked under the old Tinsley cooling towers. The film has some local interest to me but even in twenty years a lot of filming locations have changed or don't even exist anymore. The film develops at a slow pace and at times boredom did set in. To say it was written by Simon Beaufoy who was behind hit comedy The Full Monty, featuring a similar setting and cast members. It ain't half boring. The naked dancing scene has left me scarred!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

You know there’s better movies to watch so boo the movie I’m not going to watch it boring

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/01/18

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent film.... the romance plot was a little flismy, but after all.... it's only a film so reality needs to be stretched a little. I guess that if you've never worked outside in a labour intensive job, then it won't be that interesting compared with some glamourous office girl grinding away making a living in the big bad city. I can see this a message by the director.... a social message where you have a group of hard working men that can only get work on the black economy. If this film is an attempt to highlight the explotation and bring about fair change then so much the better... more people should be aware!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Written by Simon Beaufoy, fresh at the time from the success of The Full Monty (1997), wrote this unusual romantic drama. Alot of baggage came with it, could it be another success?? Nope, it sank without trace, a great pity really, as it's a good film too. It has unemployed labourer and amateur climber Ray (Pete Postlethwaite) getting a job he can put his climbing abilities too. He's asked to paint 15 miles of pylons in the Peak District outside Sheffield. He assembles his team with Steve (James Thornton), Bob (Andy Serkis), Frank (Alan Williams), Weasel (Rob Jarvis) and Shovel (Lennie James). They have 3 months to do the job, along the way. they meet Australian backpacker Gerry (Rachel Griffiths), and she proves a dab hand at the job. Over time, she and Ray become romantically involved, and Ray proposes to Gerry which she accepts. However, the pace of the work takes it's toll on Ray and his workers, who are at each other's throats at times, and it affects his relationship with Gerry, who begins an affair with Steve, Ray's climbing partner. It's very unconventional, but it does showcase the great Postlethwaite in a romantic lead, and you get to see a young Andy Serkis line dancing. Beaufoy had better luck a decade later with Slumdog Millionaire.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wonderful. An evocation of tough times, and the madness of nothing left to lose. These people took risks and had fun. Pete Postlethwaite is excellent, as are the whole cast. Be warned though, it has a reverse narrative arc - starts OK, gets better, then dives to a position worse than the start. A glimmer of hope as the pink pylon shines out over Yorkshire hills.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Nice exploration of a relationship between two different personalities and directions in life. The theme of painting power pylons is something different as well.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Sam Miller

Director

Pete Postlethwaite

Raymond 'Ray'

Rachel Griffiths

Gerry

James Thornton

Steven 'Steve'

Lennie James

Shovel

Andy Serkis

Bob

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Xan Brooks

Independent (UK)

Simon Beaufoy's script mixes kitchen-sink grit with sentiment; Sam Miller's direction goes big on crane shots. Earthy, likeable stuff.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 13, 2023

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

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Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Nov 24, 2008

Full Review

Quentin Falk

Sunday Mirror (UK)

Written by Simon (The Full Monty) Beaufoy and well directed by This Life's Sam Miller, here's an equally expert, often funny -- if not quite so obviously crowd pleasing -- ensemble as that earlier Sheffield spectacular.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 13, 2023

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

First time director Sam Miller drenches the whole thing with excessive helicopter shots, swirling crane shots, and thundering music, ruining the whole experience.

May 26, 2006

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

A female hitchhiker (Rachel Griffiths) moves in with an older married Briton (Pete Postlethwaite) and his unattached young roommate (James Thornton).

Director: Sam Miller
Executive Producer: Jane Barclay, Jana Edelbaum, Sharon Harel, David M. Thompson
Screenwriter: Simon Beaufoy
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, Fox
Production Co: Arts Council of England, British Screen Productions, BBC
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 24, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.4K
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital

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