The Flying Scotsman

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The Flying Scotsman

PG-13

2006

1h 42m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

The owner of a struggling bicycle shop, Graeme Obree (Jonny Lee Miller) winning fame as a racing cyclist. Though his wife Anne (Laura Fraser) and friend Malky (Billy Boyd) give him unwavering support, he faces huge obstacles in his quest: His struggle with mental illness, and his lack of sponsorships. Nevertheless, Graeme, using a homemade bicycle dubbed "Old Faithful," sets out in pursuit of his dream.

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Critics Consensus

The Flying Scotsman's too-brisk pacing reduces the scale of cyclist Graham Obree's accomplishments while not uncovering what makes him tick.

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Kyle Smith

New York Post

08/22/2007

3/4

It's an underdog story with teeth.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

06/29/2007

3/5

It is a straightforward biography but it treads so gingerly around his mental troubles that you feel something is missing.

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Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

06/29/2007

2/5

It moves, but it never flies.

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S. Jhoanna Robledo

Common Sense Media

10/22/2007

3/5

Cycling drama doesn't quite race to the finish.

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

09/14/2007

6/10

Business-as-usual for a sports movie.

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Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

08/11/2007

Competently made and reasonably interesting, but The Flying Scotsman lacks the kind of exhilaration that inspirational true-life sport films generally need to carry them to cinematic gold

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09/02/2013

The twist to this sports movie is that Obree battles depression and uses cycling as a way to deal with it. Definitely worth watching, though sometimes a bit jumpy. Great cast.

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08/07/2013

I'm lacking in showing the life of sir Obree in a film, but on the other hand the said pic actually manages to inspire its viewers...

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06/29/2013

enjoyable film based on World Champion cyclist Graeme Obree. Details his struggles to get to the top, with the people who run cycling and his own personal demons. Worth a watch

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04/04/2013

Nothing special. And, as an American, my hand was constantly on the rewind button so I could understand all the Scotish accents. Noot m'eh fehvrut moovie, bu' it wus a gud sturie.

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12/07/2012

<FONT FACE="Maiandra GD " SIZE="-1"> Pending Review... <a href="" target="_blank"><img src="http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/alexisreaver2132/cmg_soon.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

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12/02/2012

A cycling film, so brownie points anyway for that. It's very much a typically British 'small man against the System' movie with an upbeat narrative arc. Lots of good information if a little obscure in places; dark, too, given Obree's bipolar disorder and suicidal tendencies. Interesting to have a film like this about a living person. I checked out his Wikipedia entry and website: he's still at it.

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Douglas Mackinnon

Director

Jonny Lee Miller

Graeme Obree

Laura Fraser

Anne Obree

Billy Boyd

Malky

Brian Cox

Douglas Baxter

Morven Christie

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Synopsis

The owner of a struggling bicycle shop, Graeme Obree (Jonny Lee Miller) winning fame as a racing cyclist. Though his wife Anne (Laura Fraser) and friend Malky (Billy Boyd) give him unwavering support, he faces huge obstacles in his quest: His struggle with mental illness, and his lack of sponsorships. Nevertheless, Graeme, using a homemade bicycle dubbed "Old Faithful," sets out in pursuit of his dream.

Director: Douglas Mackinnon
Producer: Peter Broughan, Peter Gallagher, Sara Giles
Screenwriter: John Brown, Declan Hughes, Simon Rose
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Zero Film GmbH
Rating: PG-13 (Strong Language|Some Mature Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 29, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $136.1K
Runtime: 1h 42m

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