Heavenly Pursuits

Vic Mathews (Tom Conti) teaches a remedial class at the Blessed Edith Semple School in Scotland. Some at the school are trying to discover the two more miracles that would promote the late Edith Semple to sainthood.

This comedy had positive reviews. I suppose I, too, would have to rate it positively. But I was saddened to see it dealt more with this teacher and his students than the idea of faith. The teacher is not a very strong believer, and it would have been good to have more conflict there, and maybe even a little thoughtful debate (without making it heavy and therefore no more a comedy).

For what it is worth, the title "Heavenly Pursuits" is the better title. Now it seems to be going by "Gospel According to Vic", but that is not nearly as clever and should be removed.

The city of Glasgow's a pretty rum setting for this typically twee eighties comedy in drab colours and with an already dated synthesiser score by B. A. Robertson. Usually it takes a blow on the head but Tom Conti is here endowed with miraculous powers as the result of a bad reaction to an anesthetic following a dental examination.

I particularly liked the trick with the traffic lights, but biggest miracle that enters his life has to be The Blessed Helen at her most charmingly unafffected. Both leads look somewhat out of place as teachers in a Glaswegian Catholic school, but the film is a fantasy after all.

A sweet, small-scale movie, rarely shown and only available in a deleted full screen PAL VHS edition at present, this film was screened on Scottish TV on 19 April 2009 in widescreen. It's quite grainy and the sound isn't exactly DTS quality but the story's good and the performances are universally good. It's Conti's film and his acting is almost invisible - I hope that's a compliment - whilst Mirren is an excellent foil to him; their relationship is not uncomplicated and consequently very real. Glasgow is shown in its all its pre "...Miles Better" glory with tower blocks and grime to the fore with a 14 year old Ewen Bremner in a key role as underachiever Stevie Deans. A sad sign of our times is that the innocent and friendly physical contact between teacher and pupil seen in 1986 would no longer be tolerated in 2009. Has Blessed Edith Semple School been granted its longed-for miracles or is Vic simply a great teacher triumphing in difficult circumstances? You decide.

I enjoy movies with British settings. While I prefer SAVING GRACE to this movie this one is more believable. Conti has a way of linking the ordinary with the extraordinary which gives the movie realism and depth. I would like to see it again but I lent this video out to someone several years ago and can't remember who!

I'm going to begin by saying, this review might be a little biased, since I knew Mr. Gormley, who was gracious enough to offer his time and expertise to young screenwriters, whenever he recognized talent. When I met him (in 2003), I knew I'd heard his name before, but couldn't place how or when. It was only after that first meeting (at a local screen writing group) that I looked up his name on IMDb and realized he'd written one of my favorite movies of the 1980's.

"The Gospel According to Vic" is how I know this film; though, as you can see from the top of the info page, it's mainly known as "Heavenly Prusuits." It's not a big budget, blockbuster film, but it does contain a lot of heart, honesty, and decency. It's a story of miracles and belief -- what constitutes a miracle? What distinguishes a miracle from a happy accident or coincidence? Can you be a man of science and a true believer at the same time? Can miracles happen to non-believers? And just how comfortable are people with the idea of real miracles happening all around them?

I can't really pin down why I like this film so much, beyond the fact that it contains realistically drawn characters who deal with some basic philosophical questions. It's not a big film... not an action film or a broad comedy. It's the kind of movie you could share with your family and have a discussion about it afterward.

Conti and Mirren are brilliant, and even the minor players (like the Doctor and the Priest) are well-acted and fleshed out. Sometimes it's hard to understand the students' dialogue, if you see the film in its original release version (Mr. Gormley told me they'd actually dubbed the film later for the international version, using actors whose accents weren't as thick).

Well worth the effort, if you can track down a copy...