Lad, A Yorkshire Story
| Lad: A Yorkshire Story | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dan Hartley |
| Written by | Dan Hartley |
| Produced by | Dan Hartley Richard B. Shean |
| Starring | Bretten Lord Alan Gibson Nancy Clarkson Robert Hayes |
| Cinematography | David Mackie |
| Edited by | Dawn Feather Dan Hartley |
| Music by | Samuel Sim |
Production company | Rogue Runner |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £65,000 |
Lad: A Yorkshire Story is a 2013 British film detailing the coming-of-age of 13 year-old Tom, who goes off the rails after his father dies. Tom is given community service after committing an offence, the sentence being to work with a Yorkshire Dales park ranger repairing paths and building stiles. The film was released in 2013 after being adapted from a short film from 2011 by the same director.
The film was only given a limited release as its director, Dan Hartley, could not find a distributor. However, during the 2020 lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, online downloads of the film soared to over 400,000 and the film garnered praise from viewers.
Synopsis
Tom Proctor is a 13-year-old boy living in the Yorkshire Dales. One day, his father, who is a quarryman, unexpectedly dies, and when the bank threatens to foreclose on his deceased father's house mortgage, the family fear they will lose the quarry cottage.
In protest Tom borrows a tractor and sprays the local bank with manure, which gets him into trouble and he is made to do community service with Al, a Yorkshire Dales park ranger. At the same time, Tom and his mum worry about each other and Tom's older brother Nick, whom he idolises, joins the army.[1][2]
Cast
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Production
The film was shot in and around the Yorkshire Dales, (within a 10-mile (16 km) radius of Settle) where Dan Hartley, the writer and director, grew up.[3] It is partly autobiographical, with the character of Tom being based on Dan Hartley, and that of Al being based on a park ranger who Dan worked with in his teens.[4] Hartley said he is from the area originally and he came back "into the community to make the film, and the cast is people who live here." He went on to say that many members of the cast had never acted before, including both lead characters, Bretten Lord and former soldier Alan Gibson. He said they held open auditions in Cumbria and North Yorkshire in 2011 and it "worked out really well using people who hadn't acted before."[5]
One of the reasons why distributors were reluctant to sign up to distribute the film was the lack of a 'name' in the cast. In fact, prior to the filming of Lad, the two main actors had not acted professionally before. Alan Gibson, who played Al, the park ranger, claimed to have been a soldier in the SAS.[6]
Reception
Steve Morrissey, writing in the Radio Times gave the film three stars out of five saying that "[Bretten Lord] delivers a charismatic debut performance".[7] The Video Librarian wrote, "based on his own 2011 short film, filmmaker Dan Hartley expands his original simple tale with atmospheric scenes shot in the hills and moors of the Dales; an affecting story of a brokenhearted child who experiences great loss and rapid change, this is recommended."[8]
Sheila Intner from Library Journal commented that "splendid casting, wonderfully understated acting, and beautiful camera work contribute to the ups and downs that make Lad well worth watching.[9]
The movie won awards for Best Film and Best Feature Narrative Film, at the Mexico International and Anchorage International Film Festival's respectively.[1][10] Bretten Lord was named best child actor at the Hollywood International Family Festival.[11]
The film became a surprise download/streaming success during the 2020 lockdowns. Over 1.5 million people had watched it on YouTube in 2020 and it had amassed over 400,000 in viewing figures on Amazon Prime. Whilst the film was shot on a budget of £65,000, Hartley acknowledges that he won't make any money off of the project.[2][6] The film peaked at number five in the iTunes independent chart mere days after it was made available for nationwide release. Hartley remarked that "as the only self-distributed film to appear in the top 100 it's testament to the support of our fans and the terrific word of mouth the film has garnered."[12]
References
- ^ a b Dalesman Magazine (11 December 2012). "International award for Dales film 'Lad, A Yorkshire Story'". The Yorkshire Dalesman. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ a b Newton, Grace (18 February 2021). "Hit at last; film made in 2011 and set in the Dales is rediscovered in lockdown". The Yorkshire Post. p. 6. ISSN 0963-1496.
- ^ Dixon, Faye, ed. (August 2015). "Lad: A Yorkshire Story". Living North. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Hardwick, Viv (10 December 2015). "Kick starting a film career". The Northern Echo. p. 42.
- ^ Proctor, Kate (31 March 2013). "Movie Maker Draws On His Youth". Sunday Sun. p. 23.
- ^ a b Thorpe, Vanessa (6 February 2021). "Lad: A Yorkshire Story – the slow-burn film setting Amazon alight". The Observer. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Morrissey, Steve. "Lad: a Yorkshire Story". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Keogh, T. (1 September 2017). "Lad: A Yorkshire Story". Video Librarian. p. 1. ISSN 0887-6851.
- ^ Intner, Sheila S. (15 September 2017). "Lad: A Yorkshire Story". Library Journal. Vol. 142, no. 15. p. 47.
- ^ Entertainment Skipton (7 June 2013). "Lad: A Yorkshire Story wins international film festival awards". Craven Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Thompson, Stuart (26 November 2015). "Cinema lovers can join film crew to shoot movie". Craven Herald and Pioneer. p. 47.
- ^ Film (2 July 2015). "Director delighted by movie's chart success days after release". Keighley News. p. 31.