On a Clear Day
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- For the 1960s musical, see On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.
| On a Clear Day | |
|---|---|
 Film poster |
|
| Directed by | Gaby Dellal |
| Produced by | Dorothy Berwin Sarah Curtis |
| Written by | Alex Rose |
| Starring | Peter Mullan Brenda Blethyn Sean McGinley |
| Music by | Stephen Warbeck |
| Cinematography | David Johnson |
| Editing by | Robin Sales John Wilson |
| Release date(s) | January 2005 (Sundance) |
| Running time | 98 min.  105. min.  |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
On a Clear Day is a 2005 comedy/drama film written by Alex Rose and directed by Gaby Dellal.
It stars Peter Mullan as the main character and Billy Boyd, as well as other well-known British actors.
After 36 years working as a labourer in the shipyards on the River Clyde (in Govan, Glasgow), Frank Redmond (played by Mullan) is made redundant and quickly sinks into depression. A naturally strong swimmer, Frank gets an idea while on a 'booze cruise' with his friends (including Boyd) to swim the English Channel.
[edit] Story
Spoiler Warning: Plot and/or end details follow
The story is set in present day Glasgow, Scotland near the banks of the River Clyde.
Frank (and a few of his co-workers) are laid off from the shipyards after 36 years service ('5 days a week, 12 hours a day,' according to Frank). This, along with his grief still suffered over the loss of one of his sons many years ago, plummets Frank into a deep depression. He gets on well with his wife, Joan (Brenda Blethyn); however, their relationship is distant (this is shown when Joan secretly takes lessons to become a bus driver). His son, Rob (Jamie Sives), is a devoted house husband who looks after his two, approximately 10-year-old twin sons, while his wife, Angela (Jodhi May) works full time at the local Jobcentre.
After a violent panic attack, Frank realises that he needs some focus in his life, and, after a booze cruise along the English Channel, decides to focus his efforts on swimming across it.
Frank trains with the help of friend and local chip shop owner Chan (Benedict Wong) and former co-workers Danny (Billy Boyd), Eddie (Sean McGinley) and Norman (Ron Cook) until he feels he is fit and ready for the attempt.
Frank is successful in his attempt and is reunited with his family (from whom he kept the swim a secret) on the shores of Northern France.
