Last year’s most expensive pick up in Park City was the crowd pleasing Little Miss Sunshine – this year another crowd pleaser was the center of a bidding war. This year a film pegged as a “Millions” meets “Billy Elliott” was given the biggest paycheck of them all. Paramount Vantage beat out rivals for worldwide distribution (excluding 3 countries) for Son of Rambow.
Writer-director Garth Jennings’ film is set on a long English summer in the early 80's, this is a comedy about friendship, faith and the tough business of growing up. We see the story through the eyes of Will, the eldest son of a fatherless Plymouth Brethren family. The Brethren regard themselves as God's 'chosen ones' and their strict moral code means that Will has never been allowed to mix with the other 'worldlies,' listen to music or watch TV, until he finds himself caught up in the extraordinary world of Lee Carter, the school terror and maker of bizarre home movies. Carter exposes Will to a pirate copy of Rambo: First Blood and from that moment Will's mind is blown wide open and he's easily convinced to be the stuntman in Lee Carters' diabolical home movie.
The U.K set film was produced by Jennings and Nick Goldsmith's company Hammer & Tongs, along with Celluloid Dreams, Reason Pictures/Good and Arte. Jennings directed The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.