The Boat That Rocked


The Boat That Rocked is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis with pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s as its setting. The film has an ensemble cast consisting of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh. Set in 1966, it tells the story of the fictional pirate radio station "Radio Rock" and its crew of eclectic disc jockeys, who broadcast rock and pop music to the United Kingdom from a ship anchored in the North Sea while the British government endeavors to shut them down. It was produced by Working Title Films for Universal Pictures and was filmed on the Isle of Portland and at Shepperton Studios.
After the world premiere in London's Leicester Square on 29 March 2009, the film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 April 2009. It was a commercial failure at the British box office making only US$10.1 million in its first three months, just a fifth of its US$50 million production cost. It received mixed reviews concerning its muddled storyline and 2¼-hour length. For its North American release, the film had its running time cut by 20 minutes and was retitled Pirate Radio. Opening on 13 November 2009, it was still commercially unsuccessful in the US earning only $8 million. When the worldwide theatrical run was finished in January 2010, the film had grossed US$36.3 million.

Plot

In 1966, various pirate radio stations broadcast to the United Kingdom from ships in international waters, specialising in rock and pop music not played on BBC Radio. Seventeen-year-old Carl, recently expelled from school, is sent to stay with his godfather Quentin, who runs the station "Radio Rock" anchored in the North Sea. The eclectic crew of disc jockeys and staffers, led by brash American DJ "The Count", accept Carl as one of their own.
Conspiring to help Carl lose his virginity, DJ Doctor Dave arranges for Carl to seduce a female fan in the dark, believing Carl to be Dave, but the plan is foiled, embarrassing Carl.
In London, government minister Sir Alistair Dormandy resolves to shut down pirate radio stations for their commercialism and immorality, instructing his subordinate Twatt to pursue legal stratagems to accomplish this. They attempt to cut off the pirates' revenue by prohibiting British businesses from advertising on unlicensed stations.
Quentin counters by bringing massively popular DJ Gavin Kavanagh out of retirement on Radio Rock, enticing advertisers to pay their bills from abroad. Gavin's popularity creates a rivalry with The Count.
On his eighteenth birthday, Carl becomes smitten with Quentin's niece Marianne, but is heartbroken when she is seduced by Doctor Dave. Carl's roommate "Thick" Kevin observes that the sex, drug, and alcohol-fueled atmosphere of Radio Rock is no place for Carl to get on the straight-and-narrow. He theorises that Carl's mother's true reason for sending him there is that his father – whom Carl has never met – is on the ship, with Quentin being the likeliest suspect.
DJ "Simple" Simon Swafford marries glamorous fan Elenore in an onboard ceremony, but learns that she only married him to be near Gavin, with whom she is infatuated but refuses to marry anyone. The Count challenges Gavin to a game of chicken in defence of Simon's honour: The stubborn rivals climb the ship's radio mast to a dangerous height, but reconcile after they are both injured jumping into the ocean. Carl's mother Charlotte visits for Christmas, and denies that Quentin is his father. Carl gives her a cryptic message from reclusive late-night DJ "Smooth" Bob Silver, unexpectedly revealing that Bob is his father. Marianne arrives to apologise to Carl for sleeping with Dave, and she and Carl have sex. The following morning, the DJs announce news of the coupling to cheering fans across Britain.
Meanwhile, Dormandy's vendetta against pirate radio advances when Twatt finds news of a fishing boat whose distress call was blocked by Radio Rock's powerful signal. Twatt proposes the creation of the Marine Offences Act, making pirate radio stations illegal on the grounds that they endanger communication with other vessels. Despite heavy public support for the pirate stations, the Act passes unanimously through Parliament and takes effect at midnight on 1 January 1967. The Radio Rock crew defy the law and continue broadcasting, firing up the ship's engine to evade arrest. The aging vessel's engine explodes, and the ship sinks. The DJs broadcast their position in hope of aid, and Twatt appeals to Dormandy to send rescue boats, but Dormandy refuses. Carl saves the oblivious Bob from his cabin while The Count vows to broadcast as long as possible.
With the lifeboats inoperable, the crew gather on the prow as the ship goes down. They are rescued by dozens of fans in a fleet of small boats; Carl is saved by Marianne, Simon by a female fan who genuinely loves him, Dave by a throng of female fans, and Gavin by Elenore. The Radio Rock ship disappears beneath the sea, with the Count emerging at the last moment. Though pirate radio in Britain comes to an end, the music lives on, growing increasingly popular in subsequent decades and broadcast over hundreds of 'legal' stations around the world.

Cast

Additional minor roles were played by Ian Mercer as the transfer boatman, Stephen Moore as the Prime Minister, Michael Thomas and Bohdan Poraj as Dormandy's subordinates Sandford and Fredericks, Olegar Fedoro as the Radio Rock ship's captain, Francesca Longrigg and Amanda Fairbank-Hynes as Dormandy's wife and daughter, and Olivia Llewellyn as Marianne's friend Margaret and Felicity's love interest.

Production

Development

The film was written and directed by Richard Curtis and made by Working Title Films for Universal Studios. The producers for Working Title were Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Hilary Bevan Jones, with Curtis, Debra Hayward and Liza Chasin acting as executive producers. Principal photography started on 3 March and continued until June 2008. Filming took place on the former Dutch hospital ship Timor Challenger, previously De Hoop, moored in Portland Harbour, Dorset; the "North Sea" scenes were shot off the coast of Dunbar, East Lothian. Boat interior shots were filmed inside a warehouse in Osprey Quay on the Isle of Portland and at Shepperton Studios. They also visited Squerryes Court in Kent to shoot the scenes of the home of government minister Alistair Dormandy. The film's production cost exceeded £30 million. It was also filmed on HMS Victory.

Historical setting

The official synopsis of The Boat That Rocked before release stated that it tells the fictional story about a group of DJs in 1966 who are at odds with a traditionalist British government that prefers to broadcast jazz. According to director Richard Curtis, the film, though inspired by real British pirate radio of the 1960s, is a work of historical fiction and does not depict a specific radio station of the period. In particular, Britain's anti-pirate law actually came into force in August 1967 not January, and none of the pirate radio ships actually sank.

Release

North American release

Following the film's commercial failure at the British box office, Focus Features commissioned a re-edited version for release in North American release 13 November 2009. Retitled Pirate Radio, this version of the film deleted approximately twenty minutes of footage from the original version to address complaints from several critics that the film's running time was excessive. Upon the release of Pirate Radio in the United States, Manohla Dargis wrote:
Stuffed with playful character actors and carpeted with wall-to-wall tunes, the film makes for easy viewing and easier listening, even if Mr. Curtis, who wrote and directed, has nothing really to say about these rebels for whom rock 'n' roll was both life's rhyme and its reason.

Robert Wilonsky, reviewing Pirate Radio after having seen The Boat That Rocked and its UK home video release, said the U.S. theatrical release had had "most of its better bits excised"; according to Wilonsky, "after watching the DVD, Pirate Radio feels so slight in its current incarnation. Shorn of the scenes that actually put meat on its characters' frail bones, the resulting product is vaguely cute and wholly insubstantial, little more than a randomly assembled hodge-podge of scenes crammed in and yanked out that amount to yet another movie about rebellious young men sticking it to The Grumpy Old Man—this time, with a tacked-on Titanic climax."
The marketing campaign for the film's North American release was notable for embellishing the nature of the movie, as well as the historical setting. Trailers had a prominent voice-over announcement stating that "in 1966 the British government banned rock 'n' roll on the radio. Until one American DJ and a band of renegades launched a radio station on the high seas and raided the air waves." In the film, pirate radio transmissions were widespread before Parliament passed the Marine Offences Act, including the station portrayed on the film.
The trailer in North America also featured dialog from a scene not in the release; chief among which were a British government minister was being told in a voiceover that the American deejay "The Count" is "possibly the most famous broadcaster ever," which wasn't borne by the actual plot. The trailer and commercials also displayed prominent text that stated "inspired by a true story," which was not claimed by either the production or writing staff.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 61% based on 154 reviews. The Daily Telegraph credited the film with "some magical moments," but called it "muddled" and criticised its length. Time Out was also critical of the length and said the film was "disappointing." The Hollywood Reporter ran the headline "Rock 'n' roll movie Boat just barely stays afloat," declaring the film too long to sustain interest. Total Film also criticised the film's length and comedic style. Andrew Neil, writing in The Observer, remarked that he was disappointed in the "contrived" storyline and the "unnecessarily perverted" history. Channel 4 said the film was "touching," "heartfelt" and an "enjoyable journey" but questioned its coherence.
The film's British box office revenues in its first 12 weeks of release were £6.1 million, less than a quarter of its production cost.
In United States, the film earned less than US$3 million in its first weekend and suffered a 49.7% drop-off on its second weekend—earning only US$1.46 million. Pirate Radio took in only about in North America.

Soundtrack

Scenes cut from the film but available in at least some of the film's home media releases include:
FormatRelease dateAdditional content
DVDRegion 1: 13 April 2010
Region 2: 7 September 2009
Region 4: 12 August 2009
  • Deleted scenes, director's commentary
Blu-rayRegion 1: 13 April 2010Region 2: 7 September 2009
Region 4: 12 August 2009
  • Deleted scenes, director's commentary