Stone of Destiny

Since around the 9th century, tradition holds that Scottish monarchs took their place upon the Stone of Scone during their coronation ceremony, until 1296 when it was captured by Edward I and placed in Westminster Abbey under a seat upon which English sovereigns were crowned, thereby showing the English power over the Scots. "Stone of Destiny" tells the true story of Ian Hamilton, a young student and nationalist, who was to attempt to return the Stone to its rightful place in Scotland and thereby right a long-standing injustice by the English.

The cast is strong and features the likes of Robert Carlyle, Brenda Fricker and Billy Boyd (that "fool of a Took"). However, Charlie Cox once again caught my attention following his leading role in Stardust. Given he is not a native Scot, he makes a great effort at the accent, and again manages to portray his character with a great balance of likability, determination and youthful exuberance, and gives us hope that some of the next generation's leading men can combine acting and looking good... Director Charles Martin Smith does wonderfully in conveying the underdog theme brilliantly with a good balance of action, comedy and emotion. It's a definite feel-good movie, with the people around me clapping at the end. 5 stars, a British gem.

This film is another worthwhile addition to the litany of low budget Scottish films. It's short on explosions and other spectacular effects; instead it majors on how the events in the film bring out the true selves of the key characters, while retaining a streak of slightly whimsical comedy. It reminded me very much of "On A Clear Day" -- indeed, one or two of the same actors appear -- but that film was about a man finding his own soul; this film is about finding the soul of a nation. Furthermore, it's true ... OK, so some of the events are re-ordered or omitted for dramatic effect, but much of what you see really did happen. Even the filming venues are genuine ... you really are seeing Glasgow University and you really are seeing the interior of Westminster Abbey. The music is genuinely Scottish too ... 'Wild Mountain Thyme' and 'Scots Wha Hae With Wallace Bled' form a lot of the backing music.

See this if you enjoyed 'On a Clear Day'; to a lesser extent it's also like 'The Full Monty', 'Heartlands', and 'Braveheart'.

Scotland 1950. Student Ian Hamilton, frustrated by what appears to be a lack of spirit in the people of Scotland, hatches a plan to steal the Stone Of Destiny from Westminster Abbey, and bring it home....

The movie is based on a book written by Hamilton himself. Now, I've not read it, so I'm not sure what the author will think of the finished movie, but I enjoyed it. Written for the screen and directed by Charles Martin Smith, this is Scotland as portrayed by Americans. It's a romantic, sweeping place, full of downtrodden Scots. It's a view of Scotland that you only ever see in the movies. However, it fits the mood of the piece, as this movie does have an old-fashioned feel about it. It recalls the Ealing movies of the '50s, with the whole thing if not played out for laughs, then certainly with a lot of humour in the drama.

The robbers, as portrayed by Charlie Cox, Kate Mara, Ciaron Kelly and Stephen McCole, come over as enthusiastic, if bumbling students who manage to steal the Stone through luck as much as anything else. The movie definitely sides with them.

The cast which also includes Robert Carlyle, Peter Mullan and Billy Boyd are very good indeed, even if some of the accents don't convince.

I'm not sure how historically accurate the movie is, but as a movie, while it does have an old-fashioned feel, it is enjoyable and good natured, and like Braveheart before it, make you proud to be Scottish!

I for one would like to enter a plea on its behalf that people should see this film and make up their own minds. As someone who knows something about shaping a story, I am sure that a wider audience will find it a very competent adventure story with moments of real suspense, while for Scots it gives them the flavour of a moment in history and catches very authentically the emotions roused in a wide range of people by the Stone's recovery. The participants, though young, had potentially too much to lose for the raid to be dismissed as a student prank. Like it or not, there was real patriotic fervour at work here and a desire to remedy an old wrong. This is a well written, well acted film, although the reaction of the Scottish critics would have you think otherwise. It is hard to know what personal or professional uncertainty made for such a grudging reception, but it would be a pity if it meant that fewer people saw the film.

This film is about a group of students who are passionate about their native Scotland, plotting the ultimate heist to awaken nationalism of their homeland.

I am pleasantly surprised by "Stone of Destiny". The plot is great, it engages me throughout. The pacing is great, and there is tasteful comedy to balance the thrill. The characters, especially the leader Ian Hamilton, are well sculpted that viewers identify with him easily. I can feel his passion and his burning desire to do something for Scotland, and I am moved by that. The ending is satisfying and emotional, I am still touched by the profound emotions conveyed by the film.