The Pebble and the Boy

What a lovely heartwarming film. If you are into the mod culture or not, you will love the characters in this film, especially Sacha Parkinson who shines in every scene she is in.

It is hard to believe that this is a micro-budget film due to the excellent cast and superb cinematography that has you immersed in the story of the boy coming to terms with the passing of his father.

A feel-good road trip with an excellent soundtrack will have Paul Weller and The Jam fans smiling from ear to ear!

Go and see this on the big screen whilst you have the chance, you will remember it for a long time.

I really enjoyed this. It's a light, coming of age tale which invokes distant memories of Quadrophenia but only by association. The crux of the tale is a road trip undertaken by John to scatter his father's ashes at Brighton beach. He is aided by the feisty Nicki, brilliantly portrayed by Sacha Parkinson who adds some real class and comic timing to the proceedings. Jessie Birdsall also has a pivotal and poignant cameo. The music isn't as prominent as I would've liked but the story and the little mysteries uncovered along the way made for an enjoyable movie.

As a mod revivalist I was wanting to see this for a long time and have only just found the time.

I wasn't expecting Quadrophenia, the movie was crowd funded and never had the budget to be big, it's not going to be a cult classic and to be perfectly honest, I don't think that outside of the mod culture, it wouldn't get the audience it deserves.

The story is good, but is let down by continuing additions to the leading characters dads backstory, which to be fair, seems like he was known to everyone within the mod world at the time. I suppose in hindsight there were a few like that in 79 but not many of us really took any notice. The internet wasn't about and the only way you knew of these people was to either meet them at gigs and scooter runs or you made read about them in fanzines. It just didn't seem like a believable back story.

As said, the story itself is good and it could have been about anyone making that journey. It had a purpose and obviously to make it interesting various additional parts are added into the story. It could have been so much more, going deeper into the characters rather than the backstory of Johns deceased dad. I won't go into it because if you strip away the unnecessary stuff, there's not really much to tell without completely spoiling it.

The music was ok, could have been more included especially by groups like Secret Affair and (my favourites) the Chords. The Jam and Style Council featured too and I'm wondering if Weller really needed the exposure? Guest appearance by Mani from the Stone Roses too. Noted that nothing by many of the other revival groups was included, considering this was supposed to aimed at a mod audience.

Nice scooters too, sure I recognise a couple of those.

On the whole this film could have been so much more, with or without the mod label hung round its neck like a noose. I wonder what it would have been like with a wad of money thrown at it and top direction and production behind it, and had nothing to do with the modernist scene.

I gave it a 5, more for the music and scooters. It's not one that I would go out if my way to watch again.

For those that want to know more about the actual mod revival scene, and how it is now, there is plenty to be found on Facebook. There are still bands doing the circuits and it still has a strong following although many of us are well in our 50's and early 60's now. The Lambrettas still break down and you still need a mate with a transit.

There's millions like us.

As an old mod, I looked forward to this.

However, Quadrophenia it isn't. Not even near it. Neither is it a future cult classic. It's a pretty average film. The acting isn't too bad for the most part but it doesn't reach the real mod feel.

If you're gonna reach out to mods, make a film that gives them what they want. Proper mod gear, proper styling because that's what's important to mods.

Soundtrack could have been better too.

Overall, pretty average.

Went in very open minded and came out full of nostalgic tears full of the mod revival of 1979 which personally is me , memories came flooding back not only of the style but the superb sounds cracking little story which came across so stylish and with humour, I thank you for taking me back to my youth for which I love so much happy mod .