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Raining Stones (1993)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:11
Fresh:11
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8/10
Runtime: 90 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: RAINING STONES, in its quietly observant, almost documentary-like style, is typical of director Ken Loach's understated approach to his left-leaning politics. It stars Bruce Jones as Bob, a man in... RAINING STONES, in its quietly observant, almost documentary-like style, is typical of director Ken Loach's understated approach to his left-leaning politics. It stars Bruce Jones as Bob, a man in an impoverished town in the north of England, struggling to survive on the dole while hustling for any odd jobs he can find, or otherwise pushing the envelope with edgy, foolhardy gigs, such as stealing sheep with his friend Tommy (Ricky Tomlinson) with the hope of reselling them--and when that plan fails, repackaging them as mutton for door-to-door sales. While he's looking the other way, his van is stolen, an event typical of Bob's chronic bad luck. When his wife, Anne (Julie Brown), reminds him of their daughter, Coleen's (Gemma Phoenix), forthcoming first communion, Bob insists that she will have a new dress, although the parish priest, Father Barry (Tom Hickey), advises him that a secondhand dress would be a wiser choice. Bob's quest to raise the money for the dress has surprising repercussions. A humane, extremely moving yet clear-eyed portrait of the rigors of working-class life, the film is devoid of sentimentality, as are its stoic characters. The soundtrack features music by the Police's Stewart Copeland. [More]
Starring: Bruce Jones, Julie Brown, Ricky Tomlinson, Tom Hickey
Starring: Bruce Jones, Julie Brown, Ricky Tomlinson, Tom Hickey, Gemma Phoenix
Director: Ken Loach
Director: Ken Loach
Composer: Stewart Copeland
Screenwriter: Jim Allen
Producer: Sally Hibbin
Reviews for Raining Stones
A Ken Loach masterpiece. Deals with poverty-stricken Irish Catholic's struggle to raise money for his daughter's communion dress.
Brisk, richly characterized fiction that cuts as deeply and truly as any documentary.
Without ever mentioning politics, Loach makes the most powerful and effective of political statements -- one that relies on subtlety and the intelligence of the audience.
With a delightfully unexpected ending and keen characterizations throughout, Raining Stones is an entertaining look at working class life on the edge of desperation.
The film is good-hearted and the characters are easy to identify with, but what I liked best was the underlying humor, even in this desperate situation.
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