''Skellig'' (known in North America as ''Skellig: The Owl Man'') is a 2009 British

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

film directed by

Annabel Jankel Annabel Jankel (born 1 June 1955), also known as AJ Jankel, is a British film and TV director who first came to prominence as a music video director and the co-creator of the pioneering cyber-character Max Headroom and as co-director of the film ...

, and starring

Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the " Brit Pack". He made his television debut ...

and

Bill Milner William Henry Milner (born 4 March 1995) is an English actor. He starred as Will Proudfoot in ''Son of Rambow'' (2007), Edward in '' Is Anybody There?'' (2008), and the young Erik Lensherr in '' X-Men: First Class'' (2011). Early life William ...

. The

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

by Irena Brignull is based on

David Almond David Almond (born 15 May 1951) is a British author who has written many novels for children and young adults from 1998, each one receiving critical acclaim. He is one of thirty children's writers, and one of three from the UK, to win the bie ...

's novel of the same name.

Plot

Elementary school student Michael Cooper moves with his parents and newborn sister to a decrepit house. Michael feels pushed out by them, while they accompany their daughter. Michael enters the dilapidated garden shed, where he meets Skellig. Louise has been occupied for premature labour. Michael helps by calling an ambulance, but blames himself. Louise sends the girl to a hospital some time later. Dave plans to remove the shed. The girl becomes sick with a potentially fatal heart problem. Michael befriends a girl named Mina. Louise blames Dave for moving into the house. After Dave sets the shed ablaze, Michael and Skellig move to the woods near Mina's house, where he shows her his burned hand. Michael and Mina take Skellig to a tall tower and examine his owl wings. They hold hands with him and fly mystically around in a circle. It is revealed that Skellig can use magic as Michael's hand is cured. Michael talks to Grace, an old lady whom he talks to every time he is at the hospital to visit with the new baby. He promises her that he will visit her. The next day when the baby goes in for the operation, he goes to visit Grace, but she died in her sleep the night before. He runs to Skellig and tells him to cure the girl like his hand. To prove that he can heal her, Michael jumps off the tower, but Skellig saves and tells him to fall asleep while flying and he does. Skellig goes to the hospital unnoticed and walks into the baby's room. He picks the girl from her cot and does as before: flies off the ground and spins around as she lies sleeping in his arms. This miraculously cures the baby, and he returns it to the family. When Michael asks their name, they tell him they cannot find the right one, and he names her Grace. The family return to the house where her room is bright yellow, and Dave works on it while Grace was in hospital. (The baby is named Joy after

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of t ...

's novel poem) Skellig accompanies Michael and Mina at the tower.

Cast

as Skellig *

as Michael Cooper * Skye Bennett as Mina *

Kelly Macdonald Kelly Macdonald (born 23 February 1976) is a Scottish actress. She is known for her roles in '' Trainspotting'' (1996), '' Gosford Park'' (2001), '' Intermission'' (2003), '' Nanny McPhee'' (2005), '' No Country for Old Men'' (2007), ''Boardwa ...

as Louise * John Simm as Dave * Jermaine Allen as Leakey * Edna Doré as Grace * Eros Vlahos as Coot *

Alexander Armstrong Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter and singer. He is the host of the BBC One game show '' Pointless'', as well as the morning show on Classic FM. He is ...

as Mr. Hunt * Navin Chowdhry as Mr. Watson * Nickie Rainsford as Mina's mother * Tameka Empson as Nurse #1 * Lisa Zahra as Nurse #2

Production

The film was part of

Sky 1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

's plan to invest £10 million in producing three new high-definition dramas. Filming started on 2 September 2008 in

Caerphilly Caerphilly (, ; cy, Caerffili, ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley. It is north of Cardiff and northwest of Newport. It is the largest town in Caerphilly County Borough, and lies wi ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

with scenes shot in and around

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

, Wales. Cast members included Roth, Milner, Skye Bennett,

and John Simm. The film was scripted by Irena Brignull and directed by

. It aired on Sky 1 on 12 April 2009.

Awards

* Won - ''Cinekid Film Award - Honorable Mention'' * Nominated - '' RTS Television Award'' for Best Effects in Picture Enhancement * Nominated - '' RTS Television Award'' for Best Effects in Special Effects * Nominated - '' RTS Television Award'' for Best Make-Up Design * Nominated - '' VES Awards'' for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Mini-Series or Series * Nominated - ''PI.CA'' for Everything

Notes

External links

* {{Sky1 2009 films 2009 television films 2000s British films 2000s coming-of-age films 2000s fantasy drama films British drama television films British coming-of-age films British fantasy drama films Fantasy television films Films based on British novels Films based on children's books Films directed by Annabel Jankel Films shot in Wales Magic realism films Sky UK original programming