Heavenly Pursuits

This Scottish comedy-drama is one which is pretty obscure nowadays and I can't say I even recall it from back in the day. It seems to have been coming from the same general ballpark as the Bill Forsyth blend of gentle, quirky comedies which were very popular back in the 80's. The story centres on a non-believing teacher at a Glasgow Catholic school which is on the lookout for two more verifiable miracles required in order to promote the woman who the school is named after - Edith Semple - to sainthood; some seemingly miraculous events follow, complicated by the fact they all seem to involve the atheist teacher.

Unlike the Forsyth films, this one does seem to lack the strong characterisation and funny moments; unfortunately, like the Forsyth films it also has an awful soundtrack and a complete absence of any cinematic style whatsoever, with all events taking place in a world of beige. But despite all this, its still a decent enough watch, at least to a certain extent. The cast and regional location are probably the best things about it, with mid 80's Glasgow making for an intriguing backdrop, while Tom Conti is a good enough lead, with reliable players such as Helen Mirren and David Hayman helping out with the heavy lifting. It was also quite a surprise to see a teenage Ewen Bremner pitch up as a sort of Scottish Rain Man and it was even better to enjoy the sorely missed Jenny McCrindle appear in her first role as one of Conti's pupils. On the whole, probably worth seeing this more for the cast and location than the fairly uninteresting story. A likeable Scottish obscurity, whatever the case.

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!

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.

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...

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.