Raining Stones

This film I saw when it first came out in 1993. It made such an impression that I can still recall many scenes and the whole story. Ken Loach creates really believable characters who might live next door. He builds and presents the story so the viewer really becomes involved in the cast's problems. It remains my favourite Ken Loach film. An excellent film in its category.

Filmed around the low unemployment and depressed "overspill" council estate of Langley in Middleton, Manchester. This was the perfect setting for Raining Stones ( the title speaks for itself, it means, nothing is easy, everything hurts or is hard ) True local rumour has it, that the villains of the film are loosely based on a notorious underworld family of the same area.

One mans determination to have the very best for his daughters holy communion leads him into many escapades as he tries honestly and dishonestly to raise enough money for the apple of his eyes holy communion dress. From cleaning drains to sheep rustling on the local moor he eventually and without his partners knowledge borrows the money His inability to pay the lender the money back results in the local loan shark buying the debt (this is a common practice) the loan shark and his entourage then proceed to chase the unfortunate man for there money. Great stuff, realistic and treasure to watch.

Bob (Bruce Jones) is on the dole. With barely enough money to pay his rent, he is still determined to buy his daughter Coleen (Gemma Phoenix) a new dress for Communion, an investment of a few hundred pounds. The truth of the characters and an authentic script by Jim Allen lifts Ken Loach's 1993 drama Raining Stones out of the ordinary and makes it a human document of considerable strength. Bob's spirit propels the story and allows us to root for him as he tries to overcome his failure to find the means to fulfill his wishes for his daughter.

As the film opens, Bob and his friend Tommy (Tomlinson) steal a sheep from the countryside but cannot bring themselves to kill it. Instead they bring it to the butcher who tells them that it is mutton, not lamb and it is worthless to him. When they attempt to sell it piece-by-piece at the local tavern, they leave the keys in the ignition and Bob's van is stolen. Bob goes from one misadventure to another, from stealing sod from a golf course for a landscape gardener to a one-night stand as a bouncer at a local pub that ends up with him getting beaten and losing his job in the process. One of the funniest scenes takes place at the local church where Bob is forced into donating his services to clean their drains and ends up only with thanks from the pastor and a bucket full of dirt on his clothes. Supporting Bob is a supportive pastor (Tom Hickey), who urges him to rent a dress at a reduced cost, and his wife Anne (Julie Brown) who stands with him in periods of distress.

The second part of the film centers around Bob's efforts to raise the necessary cash to buy the dress and his unfortunate choice of borrowing the money and having to deal with a loan shark that gets him and his family into serious trouble. The script by Jim Allen rings true although, without subtitles, much of the dialogue is drowned in regional accents. Raining Stones builds to a powerful ending with an unforced naturalism that makes us feel for the characters as human beings, not as symbols of a society that has turned its back on its poorest members.

I watched this on Channel 4 late one night a few years ago. I had had a bad day at work, and was dog-tired. On the verge of turning off the TV, I caught the beginning, and I was immediately hooked.

Ken Loach provides a hyper-realistic portrayal of life on the edge in the 1990`s. Bruce Jones (later to play the feckless Les Battersby on Coronation Street) displays a remarkable tenderness as the struggling father who desperately tries to obtain enough money to buy his daughter a communion dress. He, and Ken Loach,indicate that this poor man represents the best of the working class, only forced to crime,in order to feed and clothe his family.He is a true hero.

The grim setting and subject matter (a disintegrating council estate, and dingy pubs) are not allowed to swamp the deeply human nature of the tale, and there are a number of moments (especially provided by Ricky Tomlinson), where the mood is lightened, allowing gritty humour to emerge. The opening, where the two heroes are unsuccessfully trying to steal a sheep is hysterical.

I wouldn`t call myself a great Ken Loach fan, but this is his masterpiece. I would call it one on the best British films of all time.

Christ this film is set in Middleton, pretty much where I live. I remember seeing this when I was about 10 years old and being taken aback at it's accuracy. Everything about it is working-class Manchester, portrayed objectively for the most part. Mancunians appreciate honesty, self mockery and self reflection. My dad and my brother both like this film and I can see why - they're part of it in a sense, as am I. It's not all about struggling to pay the rent, queueing up in the dole office and chugging through the drizzle ridden streets in a Ford Transit - it's about looking at your own life and your own culture being represented by a director who tries to keep things as organic as possible. It's about recognising your environment, where you have come from.