(One of a series about my favorite movies you might not have gotten around to seeing)
The central plot twist arrives in “Local Hero’s” first few minutes, so it’s OK to give away here. Striving U.S. businessman MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) is sent to a tiny Scottish village with the intention of buying the whole place (pub, church and houses all) to make way for an oil refinery. The movie quickly turns the usual “little guy vs. big guy” cliche on its head. The villagers are actually thrilled at the idea of leaving their humble homes for the money.
Therein lies the genius of Bill Forsythe’s “Local Hero.” The villagers go to great lengths to drive the price up by not letting MacIntyre know how badly they want the deal. Back then, Riegert was best known for playing “Boone” in “Animal House.” He’s given a lot more to do here, and he pulls off the starring role beautifully. And he’s working alongside the legendary Burt Lancaster (in an atypically comic role) in some scenes. The two characters form the movie’s surprise-packed emotional core, which is helped along by a wonderfully evocative soundtrack by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.
“Local Hero” has some the usual British film staples, but these smarter-that-your-average-wacky-villagers are quite easy to like — even though you’re not always sure about which side to root for. Charming is a tired word, but “Local Hero” sort of defines that description.