Comfort and Joy
(1984)

Clare Grogan and Bill Paterson

Stars: Bill Paterson

Available on Video: Yes

Summary:

At Christmastime in Glasgow, a radio DJ breaks up with his girlfriend. While he's trying to figure out his life, he gets caught up in a turf war between ice-cream vendors.

Forsyth's perspective:

"I was convinced that the film wasn't funny all the way through when we were shooting it. I thought it was a really serious film and I was quite happy about that. It was only when we showed it to twenty or thirty people who hadn't read the script that I was very surprised to find that people were actually laughing at it. I was genuinely surprised, I didn't expect a humorous response at all."
-- from Alan Hunter's article "Bill Forsyth: The Imperfect Anarchist"

Credits:

Written, Directed and Produced by

Bill Forsyth

Cinematography by

Michael Coulter

Music by

Production Design and Costume Design by

Adrienne Atkinson

Edited by

Cast (in credits order)

Alan ....... Bill Paterson

Maddy ....... Eleanor David

Charlotte ....... Clare Grogan

Trevor ....... Alex Norton

Colin ....... Patrick Malahide

Hilary ....... Rikki Fulton

Mr. McCool ....... Roberto Bernardi

Bruno ....... George Rossi

Paulo ....... Peter Rossi

Renato ....... Billy McElhaney

Rufus ....... Gilly Gilchrist

Gloria ....... Caroline Guthrie

Nancy ....... Ona McCracken

Fiona ....... Elizabeth Sinclair

Sarah ....... Katy Black

Lily ....... Robin Black

George ....... Ron Donachie

Psychiatrist ....... Arnold Brown

Archie ....... Iain McColl

Amos ....... Billy Johnstone

Trevor's Workman ....... Douglas Sannachan

Trevor's Workman ....... Billy Greenlees

Trevor's Workman ....... Robert Buchanan

Trevor's Workman ....... Alan Tall

Trevor's Workman ....... Bob Starrett

Engineer ....... David O'Hara

Newsreader ....... Alan Wylie

Keith ....... Alistair Campbell

All-Night DJ ....... Charles Kearney

Mrs. Wilson ....... Elspeth Cameron

Shop Assistant ....... Teri Lally

Maria ....... Pearl Deans

Removal Man ....... Ray Jeffries

Removal Man ....... Patrick Lewsley

Dentist ....... Ronald McCleod Veitch

Bob Hope Look-Alike ....... Johnny Irving

Fred Astaire Look-Alike ....... Johnny Mac

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