Taglines: An urban fairytale.
Beautiful Thing movie storyline. A tender love story set during a hot summer on a South-East London housing estate. Jamie, a relatively unpopular lad who bunks off school to avoid football, lives next door to Ste, a more popular athletic lad but who is frequently beaten up by his father and older brother.
Such an episode of violence brings Jamie and Ste together: Sandra (Jamie’s mum) offers refugee to Ste, who has to ‘top-and-tail’ with Jamie. Hence, the story tells of their growing attraction for one another, from initial lingering glances to their irrefutable love, which so magnificently illustrated at the end of the film. In deals with the tribulations of coming to terms with their sexuality and of others finding out, in light of Sandra’s unwavering loyalty and defence of Jamie and the fear of repercussion should Ste’s family find out.
The plot is set against sub-texts of Sandra’s desire to manage her own pub, and thus escape the estate, and of her new relationship with her hippy boyfriend Tony; and of Leah, the brassy girl next door who has been expelled from school and spends her time listening to Mama Cass records and tripping on a variety of drugs.
Beautiful Thing is a 1996 British film directed by Hettie MacDonald and released by Channel 4 Films. The screenplay was written by Jonathan Harvey based on his own original play of the same name. Initially, the film was only intended for television broadcast but it was so well-received that it was released in cinemas. The atmosphere of the film is heavily influenced by a soundtrack consisting almost entirely of the work of Mama Cass Elliot.
Beautiful Thing (1996)
Directed by: Hettie MacDonald
Starring: Glen Berry, Linda Henry, Meera Syal, Martin Walsh, John Savage, Andrew Fraser, Julie Smith, Daniel Bowers, Tameka Empson, Scott Neal, Ben Daniels
Screenplay by: Jonathan Harvey
Production Design by: Mark Stevenson
Cinematography by: Chris Seager
Film Editing by: Don Fairservice
Costume Design by: Pam Tait:
Art Direction by: Chrysoula Sofitsi
Music by: John Altman
MPAA Rating: R for sexuality, pervasive strong language and some drug content.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: June 21, 1996
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