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Clockwise

Play trailer Poster for Clockwise PG 1986 1h 45m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
School headmaster Brian Stimpson (John Cleese) is obsessed with timeliness, order and discipline. After meticulously preparing a speech for an education conference, Brian misses his train. With no one else to turn to, he asks young former student Laura Wisely (Sharon Maiden) for a ride. Laura, upset over a break-up, impulsively agrees to drive him in her parents' car -- which alarms her mother and father, who worry that she has run away with a married man and subsequently alert the police.
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Clockwise

Critics Reviews

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Paul Attanasio Washington Post 01/01/2000
The pleasures of "Clockwise" stem not simply from gags, but from the kind of strong story construction that's almost disappeared from comedy. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 07/27/2005
2/5
Luke Y. Thompson New Times 12/11/2003
3/5
Should be funnier, but not bad. Go to Full Review
Carol Cling Las Vegas Review-Journal 09/05/2003
3/5
Scott Weinberg eFilmCritic.com 07/25/2002
4/5
Overlooked Cleese comedy. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Emma B 03/25/2024 Still a brilliant film that can be watched and rewatched See more Steve A 12/18/2023 The film is funny entertaining in that John Cleese. The film plods along nicely, the plot is basic but this is not a bad thing as its a basic fun loving 80s movie that is a classic comedy if you like this taste See more isla s 09/02/2022 I've seen this film before, probably at least 20 years ago but I couldn't remember too much about it, other than that I found it funny and so when I heard it was being shown on TV again, I thought I'd record it. I watched it today and I wasn't disappointed - if anything it was funnier than I'd remembered. I think I understood more of the jokes than I maybe did as a kid of the late 80s. I can't help but laugh at the stressed out Cleese character - he doesn't seem to get much luck, does he? first Basil in Fawlty Towers, then this! Mr Stimpson, Mr Stimpson!!! lol. Its all visual slapstick style comedy and its what I may refer to as stress based comedy as well I suppose. Its quite wacky and very British I suppose but in any case, I really enjoyed it and would happily recommend it to others. Some of the plot details were, shall we say, I bit unlikely but then that makes for some of the comedy really. See more 11/20/2019 Disarming little gem just uncovered See more bill t @Spuzz 11/25/2017 Funny on the first half, but gets boring and somewhat maddening in the second. See more 03/23/2016 As a Monty Python lover I may be less than objective when it comes to reviewing work by John Cleese. Be that as it may, I have never seen a better crafted comic movie that this. In my opinion Clockwise really is the most sublime comic movie ever created. The characters are all totally believable. UK schools, class consciousness in England during the 1980s, clever interplay between the story lines.... it is sublime. Although I loved Monty Python and I rolled over laughing at Fawlty Towers and Life of Brian, none of them match Clockwise for sheer entertainment. It is intelligent comedy, not slapstick. There are no super witty punch lines or banana skins. Obviously having said this, it earns a 10 from me. See more Read all reviews
Clockwise

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Movie Info

Synopsis School headmaster Brian Stimpson (John Cleese) is obsessed with timeliness, order and discipline. After meticulously preparing a speech for an education conference, Brian misses his train. With no one else to turn to, he asks young former student Laura Wisely (Sharon Maiden) for a ride. Laura, upset over a break-up, impulsively agrees to drive him in her parents' car -- which alarms her mother and father, who worry that she has run away with a married man and subsequently alert the police.
Director
Christopher Morahan
Producer
Michael Codron
Screenwriter
Michael Frayn
Production Co
Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, Isobel Griffiths Limited, Moment Films
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$640.2K
Runtime
1h 45m
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