G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time

G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time is a 1999 British coming-of-age, drama film.

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alec Newman, Steve John Shepherd and Ben Waters who are the four men on the poster, the film is set at the edge of the millennium and centred around four friends in their early 20s living in Greenwich. While each are trying to pursue their careers and goals, they are faced with life altering experiences of adulthood, developing and failing relationships and tragedy. The film takes its name from the central location where it’s based, the local mean time at the location’s royal observatory, coining the phrase 'Time Starts Here', and the name of the electro band which is a centrepiece of the story.

Although an experienced director in television, this was John Strickland's first full length feature film. The film features music by electro, R&B, acid jazz and jungle artists including Talvin Singh, Hinda Hicks, Tricky and Imogen Heap. It was also one of the final projects of jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie.

In 1995, after a final day of school, six friends, thrill seeker Charlie (Alec Newman), his affectionate excitable girlfriend Lucy (Melanie Gutteridge), empathetic and well built Rix (Chiwetel Ejiofor), his considerate yet energetic girlfriend Sherry (Anjela Lauren Smith), cheeky and humorously social Sam (Steve John Shepherd) and shy introvertly down-to-earth Bean (Ben Waters) are all hanging out in Greenwich Park sharing a spliff. There they happen upon former classmate, Bobby (Alicya Eyo) who is playing guitar with two of her friends. Sherry encourages Bean to go over and talk to her. At first reluctant, he decides to do so. While Bean is talking to her, building up his confidence, Sam sneaks up behind him with a water pistol. Within minutes, both groups start enjoying a game of shooting water pistols at each other. Bean enviously looks on as Bobby and Sam start flirting with each other. All seven friends then make a plan to 'take on the world with their art' together, while standing on the high point of the park facing the Isle Of Dogs. Charlie asks his everyone if they are ready and Bean takes out his trumpet and blows a victory melody.

Four years later in 1999, Charlie is working as a photographer and is riding his motorcycle to a job interview. A band has formed with Bean on trumpet, Rix on beats and keyboards and Bobby on the bass guitar rehearsing electro music in Sam's garage. Sam, using his industry knowledge and money left for him by his late father is the manager. Sherry is watching the rehearsal, though not all seems to be going completely smooth in her relationship with Rix. Just as Sam is giving a talk about realistically achieving success in the industry, Charlie returns. Having been given the job he jokingly builds up to telling them, before the group head to the south bank for a photoshoot.

Later, while Bean is practicing his trumpet playing, his father abusively kicks him out of the flat. Bean seeks temporary refuge at Charlies, who is furious at the way his father treats him. Charlie’s kind hearted mother says he can stay as long as he needs to.

Later that evening, the group go to a function at Cutty Sark where Sam uses his connections to try and promote the band to fellow music entrepreneur Ant (Perry Fenwick). However he is constantly rebuffed and told that their electro/jazz nonsense is not what they’re looking for. Just as Rix is confiding in Sam about how his feelings for Sherry are fading and he's considering leaving her, Sherry confides in Bobby that she is pregnant with Rix's baby. Bean, meanwhile feeling like an outsider wonders into a quiet area for a cigarette. There he encounters a young woman named Rachel (Georgia Mackenzie), who is a colleague of Bobby’s from the bank. As they get talking it's clear there is a spark between them and after a steamy kiss, she ends up coming back with him to Sam’s house.

Next morning, Sam & Bobby, who have been in a relationship since meeting in the park that day four years ago, wake up the next day before the others rise. Sherry tells Rix about her pregnancy and he completely freaks out, not wanting to be a father, he tells Sherry that he’s determined they’re not going to keep the baby. Sherry, however angrily tells him that it’s her body and her decision. While Charlie and Lucy are having sex, she orgasmically pleads Charlie to cum inside her. Charlie freaks out and immediately pushes her away, angrily insisting that he wants a career, not a baby. However when he calms down, he notices something is troubling Lucy and he asks her what it is. She shares her worry that Charlie’s success will cause a distance between them and eventually he won’t love her anymore. Charlie reassures Lucy that he does love her very much and is not interested in anybody else.

Bean and Rachel, while having a dip in Sam’s garden swimming pool talk about different places they would love to travel. While Rachel lists various hot, summery locations, Bean says he’s always wanted to go to Waterville, a seaside town in Ireland. Rachel, who has also never been there suggests they go together, having taken a real shine to Bean. To show Rachel how much he likes her, during band rehearsal Bean and the rest of the group play a tune that he wrote that morning for her. This touches her deeply. That day Charlie is on his way back from the first day of the job, however he suddenly loses control of his motor and has a severe collision with another much larger vehicle. The accident leaves Charlie in a coma and also paralysed from the waste down. When all his friends arrive at the hospital, Sam becomes overridden with anxiety and grief due to memories of his father dying of cancer many years prior. However he seems more determined that ever to push the band forward to success and goes to the office of his uncle Henry (Alun Armstrong), who is a record company executive. He tells Sam that if they wish to be a success, they should find a vocalist for the group. On the way back from the hospital, Bean sees Rachel in a car with another man beside her. The man makes a pass at Rachel which isn’t reciprocated. However from a distance Bean believed that Rachel is kissing the man and runs away feeling devastated. Rix while walking on Blackheath, notices a father and son spending time together flying a kite. He decides that he wants to do the right thing and stand by Sherry and their baby. When Rix arrives at her house to tell her this, they happily embrace.

When all the friends are back at Sam’s, they all fret over Charlie's health. While most of them are hopeful that he’ll recover, Sam says trying to be positive is no good and that fact is Charlie is paralysed and won't be able to walk again. Bean, having lost his mother at 4 years old believes that Sam is just giving up on him, while Sam maintains he’s being realistic and Bean was barely old enough to understand how painful his mother’s loss was compared to his father’s demise. Bobby orders both Bean and Sam to calm down and remember that Charlie’s accident is effecting all of them. Wishing to bring up something positive Sam decides to tell them what his uncle Henry told him about the band being granted studio time which uplifts Rix. He then brings up the idea of getting a vocalist. Bean is angry and opposed to the idea and Rix also isn't keen. Sam and Bean become more hostile towards each other due to the hurtful feelings they have regarding their own troubles and their shared grief over Charlie. After Sam belittles Bean’s feelings regarding Rachel and implies he’s selfish, Bean tells Sam that he's a hypocrite who knows nothing about music and is a ‘no talent cunt’. Sam loses his temper and physically throws Bean out of his house. Bean humiliated and wanting to hit Sam where it hurts tells him that he wishes it was him who was hospital instead of Charlie. Despite Rix and Bobby pleading for Bean to stay and sort out their differences, Bean, distraught and enraged, asserts he wants nothing to do with any of them anymore before abandoning and cutting ties with all his former friends.

Bean then goes back to his home area at the Ferrier Estate in Kidbrooke where he meets an old schoolmate Elroy (Freddie Annobil-Dodoo). Elroy is involved in hard drug dealing, involving crack cocaine & heroin. Seeing an opportunity to make money, Bean decides to accept Elroy’s offer of working for him in return for living in his flat rent free. In the studio, Rix and Bobby are beginning to work on recording new tracks with a vocalist named Iona (Hinda Hicks) who Sam has brought in. Rix is irritated that Sam just went ahead and gave her his 'sounds' without consulting him and Bobby seems jealously cautious over Sam and Iona’s familiarity and flirtatious interactions. Henry, angrily tells Rix to show some appreciation to Iona for giving her time to work on the compositions. Rix asks Sam where Bean is, as it feels wrong without him here. Sam irately says that he called him, but Bean just rejected him so tells Rix to call him instead. Rix says he tried and was rejected and said 'we were selling out'.

Bean gets deeper and deeper in the drugs trade and develops a habit. This causes his weight to drop and his appearance becomes unpleasant and unhealthy. During a supply set up by Elroy, Bean meets the main supplier, Ricky (Robbie Gee). They seem to get on better than Elroy thought they would, which slightly annoys him, as he'd been working for him longer. Bean builds a cool rapport with Ricky after he quotes his favourite film Scarface, to him. Quoting movies had been a game that all their friends played when at school. Elroy, who frequently gets high off his own supply is worried about being found short, so he plans to shift the blame on Bean to avoid punishment and gain more favour.

Sam and Bobby soon break up and she leaves the group, no longer comfortable with the situation. After a day in the studio, on his way home he encounters Rachel being harassed by the same man from the car. He runs over to defend her from him, successfully knocking him to the ground. However, he rises back up and hits Sam with a large plank of wood before Rachel kicks him extremely hard, deservedly leaving him bruised and limping. Rachel recognises Sam as Bean’s friend and says that she hasn't seen him since that day and that he just vanished and stopped answering her calls. Sam tells her a very one-sided story of their fight and that he tried to call him to convince him not to waste his talent, but he cut him off. Sam and Rachel appear to have a lot in common and they share a kiss on the south bank.

Back in the studio, Iona and Rix are developing a new track. Sam, impressed says this could be the single they are looking for and asks if there is anything else he’s not heard yet. In response, Rix finds a recording from Bean on his trumpet, that connects very melodically well with the composition. Iona is immediately mesmerised by the sound and asks Rix who it is to which he replies that he’s old friend. Iona is astonished at the brilliance of the sound says they have got to add it to the track. Sam is visibly uncomfortable and protests that it cant be used, but is rebuffed by Iona and Rix. Feeling moved and missing Bean, Rix goes to see him. Bean is surprised at first but happy to see him and invites him in. Rix tells Bean about their new record deal and how one of the tracks is his main composition. Bean laughs and says he no longer cares and to keep his tune as a birthday present. After Rix brings out a tape of the recording he appeals to Bean that he doesn’t belong here and should come back and see his friends and that he should forgive Sam for the fight as he tried to call him. Bean becomes angry and says he doesn’t want to be lectured before dropping the bombshell that Sam never called Bean ever. Rix is nonplussed, however when Bean exclaims that he's glad he's rid of all of them, Rix angrily reminds of Charlie, in hospital. Bean then forces him out of his flat, telling him not to come back.

At the album launch party, Rix sees Sam and Rachel together and is disappointed. When Sam informs Rix of the good news regarding their record deal, he acknowledges it with barely a hint of positive enthusiasm. When Sam becomes irritated by this, Rix tells him that he’s seen Bean and that he knows he never called him. Sam is mildly shocked but seems mainly bothered about how Rachel will react to this. Rix also calls out Sam’s hypocrisy saying he threw Charlie in Bean’s face yet he never visited him in hospital either. Sam is furious and says Charlie is like a brother to him, Rix merely answers by saying ‘I’m glad I ain’t your brother’. Rachel is upset and angry that Sam lied to her about Bean and breaks up with him.

Charlie is awake in hospital, however he becomes more and more depressed as he feels like an invalid and even implies that Lucy would be better off without him and he would worry less. One day, she visits the hospital to see Charlie, but stops when she witnesses him fantasise about football with another disabled patient called Mick (Joe Duttine), Lucy, overwhelmed with emotion and feeling out of her depth, breaks down in tears and runs away from the hospital and that’s the last anyone sees of her.

Charlie and Mick start to bond over their shared injury and engage in ironic cynical humour and fun. Charlie finds himself being more sociable than he had been in a very long time. However, Charlie soon finds out that Mick has ended his own life by wheeling himself off the roof of the hospital. Tearfully he tells Rix what had happened and worries about his future. Rix suddenly grabs Charlie and takes him outside for the first time since his accident. The feel of the rain on his face sends positivity and determination through Charlie and Rix vows to always be there for him. Charlie jokingly responds by reminding him that he already has a child on the way. Contrary to how he felt before, Rix appears thrilled by the revelation as if it's his first time hearing it.

Sam visits Charlie and apologises for not visiting. Charlie is at first annoyed and gives Sam a reality check, though later he shows he’s happy to see him and tells him to carry him and place him in his chair. Rix and Sam take Charlie to the south band where they gift Charlie with a camera which he will be able to operated easily with his two hands and his mouth. Charlie is overwhelmed with a mix of positive and negative emotions. The three then go to Charlie’s house where his mother is waiting for him. Sherry meets them there and the 4 chill out is an environment more safe and familiar to Charlie.

Elroy’s plan to frame Bean is coming to fruition. Ricky, having not believed Elroy at first, tells him to bring Bean to see him at a certain place at a certain time, to be dealt with. On exactly the same night, the band having decided to name themselves 'Greenwich Mean Time' after the town they group up in together, have their first ever gig which is also the launch of their first release. Sam, Rix and Charlie arrive at the venue. Bobby has also come with a new boyfriend to watch the show, intrigued to see what they’ve been working on since she left. Sam is initially taken aback but remains civil, as does Bobby. When he sees Rachel he tries to get a chance to talk to her properly, but she reiterates that she doesn’t want to hear it. Someone sits next to Charlie in Sam's seat but when he turns to face him, he sees that it's Bean. Not knowing what to say, Bean takes Charlie out onto the balcony out the back so he can talk to him alone. Bean tells him how he's made such a mess of things and how horrible stuff is but knows that must be nothing compared to what Charlie has been through, staring death in the face. Charlie contradicts him and says that he stared life in the face and that death is an absolute as there is nothing absolute about life and that anytime you want out, the door is always open. When Bean tells Charlie how much he loves him and made his life better when they were kids, Charlie, rather than feeling flattered berates Bean for suddenly showing up with nothing but loving words after being absent from the hospital the whole time. Bean then says he just wish he could make everything right with everyone, especially Rachel, to which Charlie replies for him to just do it and that it really is that easy. When Sam calls out for Charlie, Bean suddenly legs it from the venue leaving Charlie outside alone by the time Sam appears, though Charlie simply states he was getting some fresh air. They then go inside to the venue in time for the gig to start. The group begin with Rix, Iona and electro artist Talvin Singh joining them and the venue is in uproar.

Bean meets Elroy outside, gets into his car and they drive off, completely unaware that he is walking into a trap and about to be punished for stealing. When they arrive, they are greeted with a passive/aggressive smile from Ricky and a mysterious ambience. Ricky implies to Bean that he ‘knows’ that he’s been fuelling his habit out of his supply his. Bean is confused though Ricky becomes more angry and Elroy tells Bean there’s no point lying. Knowing now that Elroy has framed him, Bean is furious. One of Ricky's bodyguards holds a gun to the back of Beans neck and Elroy is goading him to pull the trigger. Immediately after Ricky tells his bodyguard to shoot him in the kneecap, Bean suddenly turns around and subdues the bodyguard causing the gun to go off, killing the other bodyguard and Ricky before they can intervene. He then fatally stabs his main opponent in the stomach. Elroy is completely shocked with disbelief. Bean then turns to Elroy, steps closer to him and points the gun at his face. Elroy begs Bean to put the gun down to which Bean simply says ‘Death is an absolute, anytime you want out the door’s always open’. Elroy thinks Bean is quoting a movie (not realising this time he’s quoting his friend Charlie) and tries to humour him, once again asking him to put the gun down. Ignoring Elroy’s pleas, Bean pulls the trigger, killing him. He then takes all of the money out of the safe, puts it in a rucksack with the gun and walks out of the office. Due to the music in the nightclub, all customers and staff are oblivious to what has occurred as Bean steps out into the night.

The next morning Bean turns up at Rachel’s work to see her. Rachel is shocked, as Bean looks extremely unhealthy due to the drug fuelled lifestyle he had been leading. Bean tells her that he has a bag stuffed full of cash and that they could go his favourite place Ireland, like they had spoken about before. Rachel is stunned, not knowing how to respond. Unluckily Sam comes to the bank with a bouquet of flowers to once again try and speak to Rachel. Bean turns to Sam who at first doesn’t recognise him. When Bean angrily demands to know what’s going on, Sam looks up completely shocked to see his old friend in the state he is in. The Bank Manager tells both Sam & Bean to leave or he’ll call the police. Sam tries to lead Bean outside to talk but Bean responds by pulling out the gun from his bag, causing instant panic and everyone in the bank to run out, apart from Sam & Rachel. Unbeknownst to them, the manager has pressed the emergency button. Before Sam can explain anything, Bean smashes the butt of the gun on his face and asks if he slept with Rachel, to which he replies he did. Bean, heartbroken asks Sam why he hates him so much, Sam trembling says he never hated Bean. He then turns to Rachel and asks her about the man in the car, to which she immediately tries to explain that it was not what Bean thought it was. Bean yells at Sam telling him he has everything while he had nothing. Sam replies that he was jealous of Bean’s talent. At this point the police have surrounded the bank. Bean, who’s mental health has completely deteriorated at this point, considers shooting a terrified and regretful Sam before concluding that their friends, particularly Charlie, need him. Deciding then and there that he would rather die than go to prison, he begins to walk outside with the gun in his hand. When Rachel and Sam beg him not to, he turns to them, smiles and quotes Sam’s favourite movie, Blade Runner then proceeds to walk outside, while Rachel is panicking with worry and Sam is crying with fear and remorse. Despite the police warning that they’ll open fire if he does not drop the weapon, Bean raises the gun, a smile still on his face and is shot dead.

Some time later, Sam, Charlie, Rachel along with Rix & Sherry and their newborn baby are all on an empty beach. Charlie takes the lid off what appears to be a silver container of ashes. He then exclaims ‘there you go geezer, finally made it to Ireland’. When the wind blows some of the ashes back onto the group, Rix wipes them off himself and his friends while humorously stating ‘it’s not so easy to get South London of you’. All 5 people look out over the sea, each wondering what life is going to throw at them next, but knowing they’ll be there for each other when and if they need it.

• Alec Newman as Charlie
• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Rix
• Ben Waters (Credited as Benjamin Waters) as Bean
• Steve John Shepherd as Sam
• Alicya Eyo as Bobby
• Anjela Lauren Smith as Sherry
• Melanie Gutteridge as Lucy
• Georgia Mackenzie as Rachel
• Hinda Hicks as Iona
• Alun Armstrong as Uncle Henry
• Joe Duttine as Mick
• Freddie Annobil-Dodoo as Elroy
• Robbie Gee as Ricky
• Perry Fenwick as Ant
• John Blundell as Brian
• Ray Stevenson as Mr Hardy
• Paul Ritter as Drug Buyer

Simon Mirren has a small cameo in the movie as a drug dealer and Talvin Singh also appears as himself during the performance sequence

1. “Meantime” - GMT & Imogen Heap
2. “Dialogue” - Cast
3. “Christiansands” - Tricky
4. “Tears Are Waiting” - GMT, Hinda Hicks & Lester Bowie
5. “Sincere” - MJ Cole
6. “Where Is The Love” - GMT & Hinda Hicks
7. “Dialogue” - Cast
8. “Vikram The Vampire” - Talvin Singh
9. “All I Wanna Do” - Dfferent Levels
10. “Please Can I Go Now?” - GMT & Hinda Hicks
11. “Who Would You Have Me Love?” - GMT & Hinda Hicks
12. “Succumb To You” - GMT & Hinda Hicks
13. “Dialogue” - Cast
14. “Baptism” - Roots Manuva
15. “Rachel’s Song” - GMT & Lester Bowie

The film was not well received by critics upon release,^[1] with writer Mirren suggesting some of the response was directed at the fact he is Helen Mirren's nephew (and the producer Taylor Hackford was Helen Mirren's partner), and therefor perceived as a nepotist being given a "helping hand" as a result.^[2] The movie holds an approval rating of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.^[3]

A limited UK release in the cinema then to VHS meant that the film did better business elsewhere, but it was only released on DVD in the United States, the Netherlands and Germany. The movie was given a certificate 18 rating by the BBFC in the UK and an R rating by the MPA in the US.

• G:MT — Greenwich Mean Time at IMDb