Stone of Destiny (2008 film)
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''Stone of Destiny'' is a 2008 Scottish-Canadian
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
adventure/ comedy film written and directed by
Charles Martin Smith Charles Martin Smith (born October 30, 1953) is an American actor, writer, and director of film and television, based in British Columbia. He is known for his roles in ''American Graffiti'' (1973), ''The Buddy Holly Story'' (1978), '' Never Cry Wo ...
and starring Charlie Cox, Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle, and Kate Mara. Based on real events, the film tells the story of
the removal Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 and 1839 of an estimated 16,000 members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Cherokee Nation and 1,000–2,000 of Slavery among Native Americans in the Uni ...
of the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey. The stone, supposedly the Stone of Jacob over which
Scottish monarchs The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have grown ...
were traditionally crowned at Scone in
Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
, was taken by King Edward I of England in 1296 and placed under the throne at Westminster Abbey in London. In 1950, a group of Scottish nationalist students succeeded in liberating it from Westminster Abbey and returning it to Scotland where it was placed symbolically at Arbroath Abbey, the site of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath and an important site in the Scottish nationalist cause. Filming began in June 2007 in various locations throughout Scotland, Wales and England. The filmmakers were given rare access to shoot scenes inside Westminster Abbey. The film was premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland on 21 June 2008. The film closed the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2008; and was presented at The Hampton's International Film Festival in the United States. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2008 and in Canada on 20 February 2009.


Plot

In 1950 Ian Hamilton ( Charlie Cox), an ardent member of the Scottish nationalist organisation, the Scottish Covenant Association, hopes to eventually see an
independent Scotland Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...
. Frustrated and saddened by the complacency of his fellow Scots who seem to accept the status quo, he looks forward to a time when Scotland is free to decide her own future. After a petition to Parliament for the establishment of Scottish home rule is rejected, Hamilton decides to perform a symbolic act to bring national focus into the movement. With his friend, Bill Craig ( Billy Boyd), he plots a scheme to bring the Stone of Destiny back to Scotland from Westminster Abbey in London, where it has resided for centuries after it was taken by
King Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
as a spoil of war in the Middle Ages. Hamilton and Craig research the floor plans and security setup of Westminster Abbey and plan the theft, but once Craig realises the legal implications of removing the stone and the potential impact to his personal life and career, he backs out. Undaunted, Hamilton decides to remove the stone by himself. He turns to John MacCormick ( Robert Carlyle), a prominent campaigner for Scottish
devolution Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...
, and asks for financial help with the project. Although he initially refuses to take seriously Hamilton's proposal and request for a mere £50, MacCormick reconsiders and provides his support. Later at a party, MacCormick refers him to Kay Matheson ( Kate Mara), a young woman with strong nationalist ideas, to help him retrieve the stone. After meeting Matheson, Hamilton is soon introduced to Gavin Vernon ( Stephen McCole), a strong young man (another student) known mainly for his drinking ability. On the day of their departure for London, Vernon unexpectedly brings his quiet friend Alan Stuart (Ciaron Kelly) along with him. At first Hamilton opposes bringing in a fourth member, but Vernon convinces him that Stuart and his car will be valuable assets to the group. They agree to steal the stone on Christmas Eve while all of London is distracted by the holiday celebration. The four nationalist students arrive in London the day before Christmas Eve and decide to steal the stone that very night, instead of their original plan of the following night. They drive to Westminster Abbey, but their plans are interrupted when Hamilton is discovered by a watchman, who mistakes him for a homeless man and lets him go. Soon after, Matheson falls ill from a fever and Hamilton brings her to a bed & breakfast inn to recover. The landlady is suspicious of their Scottish accents and shifty behavior, and when Hamilton comes for Matheson at 2:00 A.M., she phones the police, who likewise suspect the young Scots of being up to something, but they manage to avoid being arrested. That night, while Matheson waits in the car, Hamilton, Vernon, and Stuart break into Westminster Abbey and steal the Stone of Scone, which breaks in two pieces in the process. Seeing that the crack was made long ago and merely patched over, the group drive to the Scottish border and hide the larger piece in a field. After returning to Glasgow and witnessing the widespread nationalist celebration over the theft of the stone, the group learn that the stone could be permanently damaged if left to the elements. They return to the field and retrieve the stone with the aid of a group of
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
people who are camped in the field. After the two parts of the stone are reattached, the students offer to return it to the authorities at the symbolically significant Arbroath Abbey, the site of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath. The police arrive and arrest the student, who are charged, but never prosecuted. The Stone of Scone was returned to London, where it remained until 1996, when it was moved to
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
"on loan" with the understanding that it would be brought back to Westminster Abbey for the next coronation.


Cast


Production

;Filming locations *
Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...
, Angus, Scotland * Bridgend, Wales, UK * Glasgow University, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland * Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland * Glenfinnan Viaduct, Fort William, Highland, Scotland * London, England, UK * Oakshaw Street East,
Paisley, Renfrewshire Paisley ( ; sco, Paisley, gd, Pàislig ) is a large town situated in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Located north of the Gleniffer Braes, the town borders the city of Glasgow to the east, and straddles the banks of the White Cart Wate ...
, Scotland *
Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a for ...
, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland * Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada * Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK


Reception


Critical response

''Stone of Destiny'' received mixed reviews. From ''Canadian Film'': "A heartwarming triumph for the human spirit. For the non-English, a powerful tale of courage, pride, and the innocence of youth." From '' Variety'': "This unabashedly sentimental and outright anti-English pic is stodgy as a cheap haggis with nationalistic sentimentality." From '' The Guardian'': "A wee-dram-and-bagpipes invitation to a mythical Scotland of yesteryear." From ''
Screen International ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...
'': "an old-fashioned, unashamed heartwarmer." Rich Cline from ''Shadows on the Wall'' calls it "a rousing caper adventure hatcan't help but keep audiences engaged". The movie won 3 awards and was nominated for 6.


Box office

The £6m movie took in just £140,000 in the three weeks subsequent to its release in the UK - it was never shown outside of the UK, Norway, and New Zealand.


References

;Notes ;Citations


External links

* * * {{Charles Martin Smith 2008 films Canadian adventure comedy films British adventure comedy films English-language Canadian films Films set in 1950 Films set in 1951 Films set in Scotland Films set in Glasgow Films set in London Films shot in Glasgow Films shot in London Adventure films based on actual events Canadian heist films Films directed by Charles Martin Smith British heist films 2000s heist films 2000s adventure comedy films Alliance Films films 2008 comedy films 2000s English-language films 2000s Canadian films 2000s British films