Looks and Smiles (1981)
Thatcherism and the Irish troubles provide the backdrop for this study of Mick, a well-meaning youth in Sheffield, who has, unlike Dickens' Pip, no expectations. Mick lives with his parents, works on his motorbike, looks for work, and every two weeks gets his check from the dole. There are no jobs. His best mate Alan joins the army to fix tanks and is sent to Belfast to quell Catholics. At a disco, Mick meets Karen, who works at a shoe shop and lives with her recently-separated mum. She offers emotional stability and a route to adulthood while Alan pitches the army. What will become of Mick?
Casting
- Graham Green — Michael 'Mick' Walsh
- Carolyn Nicholson — Karen Lodge
- Tony Pitts — Alan Wright
- Roy Haywood — Phil
- Phil Askham — Mr Walsh
- Pam Darrell — Mrs Walsh
- Tracey Goodlad — Julie
- Patti Nicholls — Mrs Wright
- Cilla Mason — Mrs Lodge
- Les Hickin — George
- Arthur Davies — Eric Lodge
- Deirdre Costello — Jenny
Interesting facts
Looks and Smiles is a 1981 British drama film directed by Ken Loach and starring Graham Green and Carolyn Nicholsom. It was written by Barry Hines based on his 1981 novel of the same name.
Production
The film was shot in black-and-white entirely on location in Sheffield.
Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.
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