Clockwise (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Michael Codron (producer) |
Key people | John Cleese (lead actor), Christopher Morahan (director), Michael Frayn (writer), George Fenton (music) |
| Products | Film |
Clockwise is a British comedy road movie released in 1986, featuring John Cleese in the lead role. The film was directed by Christopher Morahan, scripted by Michael Frayn, and produced by Michael Codron. The musical score was created by George Fenton.
For his role in the film, Cleese received the 1987 Peter Sellers Award For Comedy at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. Urban filming locations included areas within the West Midlands, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, while countryside scenes were primarily shot in Shropshire. The fictional school depicted was represented by Menzies High School located in West Bromwich.
This movie marked the final production credit for executive Nat Cohen, who regarded it as "a classy final credit."
Plot
Brian Stimpson, the headmaster of Thomas Tompion Comprehensive School, is chosen to preside over the annual Headmasters' Conference held in Norwich. Once known for his lack of punctuality, Stimpson has transformed into an obsessively organized leader, managing his school with precision. Notably, he is the first head of a comprehensive school to chair this esteemed gathering, which is traditionally led by heads of prestigious private schools.
Despite his thorough planning, Stimpson’s trip quickly descends into chaos. He boards an incorrect train, misses subsequent connections, forgets his speech, and is accidentally left behind by his wife. Unable to locate her at home or hospital, he enlists a truant student named Laura Wisely to drive him to Norwich.
Misunderstanding the situation upon seeing Stimpson with Laura, his wife pursues them. Both fail to pay for fuel, leading to police involvement after Laura’s parents report her missing along with their car. Several parties—including Mrs. Stimpson, Laura’s family, law enforcement, and Mr. Jolly (a music teacher secretly involved with Laura)—chase after them en route to the conference.
After being mistaken for vandals while attempting to contact the conference organizers, a local resident sends Pat, Stimpson’s childhood friend, to assist. They become stuck in a muddy field owned by a farmer; Stimpson then seeks help at a monastery where he regains his composure. Meanwhile, Pat departs but is arrested for assaulting a police officer.
Once more stranded, Stimpson and Laura hitch a ride with an affluent car salesman. They deceive him into exchanging clothing; Stimpson escapes wearing the salesman’s suit and takes his car.
Arriving late at the conference dressed in a disheveled suit, Stimpson improvises a speech ridiculing the headmasters. Various individuals interrupt during his address; he mocks and commands them as if they were students. He concludes by having everyone stand to sing "To Be a Pilgrim" before leaving to confront the police. The headmasters observe as Stimpson and the others are taken away, with Stimpson continuing to issue orders even to the officers.
Cast
- John Cleese as Brian Stimpson
- Penelope Wilton as Pat
- Alison Steadman as Gwenda Stimpson
- Stephen Moore as Mr. Jolly
- Sharon Maiden as Laura Wisely
- Benjamin Whitrow as Headmaster
- Geoffrey Palmer as Headmaster
- Peter Cellier as Headmaster
- Nicholas Le Prevost as Headmaster
- Joan Hickson as Mrs Trellis
- Geoffrey Hutchings as Mr Wisely
- Pat Keen as Mrs Wisely
- Constance Chapman as Mrs Wheel
- Ann Way as Mrs Way
- Tony Haygarth as Ivan with the tractor
- John Bardon as ticket collector
- Michael Aldridge as Prior
- Sheila Keith as Pat's mother
- Mark Burdis as Glen Scully
- Nadia Sawalha as Mandy Kostakis
- Richard Ridings as Policeman at crash
- Alan Parnaby as Policeman at phone box
Production
Michael Frayn, primarily recognized as a novelist and playwright at the time, penned the film's original screenplay. His inspiration stemmed from personal challenges with punctuality, and he developed the script speculatively.
Frayn approached Michael Codron, a theatrical producer who had previously collaborated with him on stage productions such as Benefactors and Noises Off. Codron agreed to back the film, marking his initial venture into film production.
Codron then submitted the screenplay to Nat Cohen at EMI Films. With Verity Lambert overseeing production, financing was secured. To avoid confusion with an earlier Norman Wisdom movie, the title was altered from Man of the Moment.
John Cleese was cast in the lead role; Frayn admitted he had no particular actor in mind during writing. Cleese lauded the screenplay as "the best I've ever seen" and committed to the project immediately after reading it.
Cleese characterized his role as Brian Stimpson as "a victim of circumstance," whose gradual breakdown propels the comedic narrative, emphasizing mounting pressures that trigger increasingly erratic conduct.
The directing role was given to Chris Morahan by Codron, Cleese, and Lambert, based on his previous collaborations with Frayn in theatre and his recent television work including Jewel in the Crown.
Filming
Principal photography spanned eight weeks throughout June and July 1985, taking place in locations such as Hull, Shropshire, and Birmingham. On 7 June 1985, scenes set in Grimsby were filmed at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, featuring nurse Sue Tilley. The road accident sequence was captured on 13 June along the A491 at Hagley. The assembly scene was shot on 18 June at Menzies High School in West Bromwich, involving headteacher Ian Pedder. Scenes set at a university were filmed between 20 and 21 June at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students building. Additional filming occurred at Wenlock Priory in Much Wenlock, Shropshire during late June.
Critical
The film holds an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on five critical reviews.
Halliwell's Film Guide awarded one star out of four, commenting that although the mounting comedic chaos loses steam over time, its humor contributed to commercial success. John Ferguson of Radio Times gave it three stars out of five, praising Cleese's comedic talent and describing the film as a collection of sketches interwoven with reflections on education under Thatcher’s government. He found it enjoyable but considered it less compelling than Cleese's subsequent film A Fish Called Wanda (1988).
Box office
While achieving considerable popularity in the United Kingdom with earnings close to £5 million, the film’s release in the United States was limited to art house cinemas where it grossed $1.6 million. This performance motivated Cleese to develop A Fish Called Wanda, targeting a wider American audience to move beyond art house venues. Cleese remarked on cultural humor differences, noting a phone booth scene that resonated well in Britain but failed to connect with US viewers.
Legacy
A memorable quote from Stimpson—"It's not the despair, Laura. I can stand the despair. It's the hope!"—became widely cited and frequently misquoted as "It's the hope I can't stand!" This line has been referenced extensively across media and literature, highlighting its enduring cultural significance.
Nat Cohen departed EMI in 1986 to take on a consultancy role. He expressed aspirations to produce more films akin to Clockwise by emerging directors but did not receive credits on subsequent projects before his passing.
Home media
The film Clockwise initially became available on UK PAL VHS on 28 June 1994. Subsequently, it was issued on UK Region 2 DVD twice, first on 4 December 2001 and later on 21 August 2006. In 2018, the original film negatives underwent a 1080i resolution scan, which facilitated the Blu-Ray edition release dated 18 November 2019. Distribution of all home media formats was handled by Studiocanal.