''The Big Man'' (US title: ''Crossing the Line'') is a 1990 feature film. It stars

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...

Joanne Whalley Joanne Whalley (born 25 August 1961) is an English actress who began her career in 1974. She has appeared primarily on television, but also in nearly 30 feature films, including '' Dance with a Stranger'' (1985), ''Willow'' (1988), ''Scandal'' ( ...

and

Billy Connolly Sir William Connolly (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, retired comedian, artist, writer, musician, and presenter. He is sometimes known, especially in his homeland, by the Scots nickname the Big Yin ("the Big One"). Known for his ...

. The film's score was composed by Ennio Morricone. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by William McIlvanney.

Plot

A Scottish miner (

) becomes unemployed during a union strike. He is unable to support his family and cannot resolve his bitterness about his situation. Desperate for money, he accepts an offer made by a

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

gangster to fight in an illegal

bare-knuckle boxing Bare-knuckle boxing (or simply bare-knuckle) is a combat sport which involves two individuals throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time without any boxing gloves or other form of padding on their hands. It is a regulated ...

match. A long and brutal fight follows.

Production

Filmed at locations in Coalburn, Glasgow and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Cast

as Danny Scoular *

Joanne Whalley-Kilmer Joanne Whalley (born 25 August 1961) is an English actress who began her career in 1974. She has appeared primarily on television, but also in nearly 30 feature films, including '' Dance with a Stranger'' (1985), ''Willow'' (1988), ''Scandal'' ( ...

as Beth Scoular *

as Frankie *

Ian Bannen Ian Edmund Bannen (29 June 1928 – 3 November 1999) was a Scottish actor with a long career in film, on stage, and on television. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in '' The Flight of the Phoenix'' (1965), the first ...

as Matt Mason *

Juliet Cadzow Juliet Cadzow is a Scottish film and television actress. She played Edie McCredie in the children's television series ''Balamory'', Suzie Fraser in BBC series ''River City'' and various roles in BBC series '' Still Game''. In '' Still Game' ...

as Margaret Mason * Tom Watson as Tommy Brogan *

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...

as Gordon *

Kenny Ireland George Ian Kenneth "Kenny" Ireland (7 August 1945 – 31 July 2014) was a Scottish actor and theatre director. Ireland was best known to television viewers for his role in '' Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'' in the 1980s, and for playing Donald ...

as Tony *

George Rossi George Rossi (28 September 1961 – 5 January 2022) was a Scottish actor, best known for playing Duncan Lennox in ''The Bill'' from 1998 to 2003. Early life and education Rossi was born in Govan, Glasgow, on 28 September 1961. He was of Itali ...

as Eddie *

Julie Graham Julie Graham (born 24 July 1965) is a Scottish television and film actress. Career Graham has appeared in the Channel 4 ''Blood Red Roses'' (1986, filmed in East Kilbride). She also appeared in 1986 in an episode of ''Taggart'', “Death Call ...

as Melanie *

Johnny Beattie John Gerard Beattie MBE (9 November 1926 – 9 July 2020) was a Scottish actor and stand-up comedian whose career spanned over six decades. He appeared on shows including the sketch show '' Scotch & Wry'' and the sitcom '' Rab C. Nesbitt'', a ...

as Beth's father *

Amanda Walker Amanda Galafres Patterson Walker (born 29 November 1935) is an English film and television actress. Career Amanda Walker trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She is notable for roles in ''28 Weeks Later'', ''Heat and ...

as Beth's mother *

Peter Mullan Peter Mullan (; born 2 November 1959) is a Scottish actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his role in Ken Loach's ''My Name Is Joe'' (1998), for which he won Best Actor Award at 1998 Cannes Film Festival, 2000's '' The Claim'' and all th ...

as Vince *

Pat Roach Francis Patrick Roach (19 May 1937 – 17 July 2004) was an English professional wrestler, martial artist and actor. During an acting career between the 1970s and the 1990s, he appeared in multiple films, usually cast as a support player strongm ...

as Billy * Maurice Roeves as Cam Colvin

Reception

Critical reception

The '' Radio Times'' wrote "the script turns cartwheels to gain resonance from Mrs Thatcher's duel with the miners, but to little avail: the picture is "pumped-up" yet irredeemably dull." whereas '' Time Out'' described the film as "one of Britain's finest existential thrillers in ages...There are minor flaws, but as a portrait of one man's desperate struggle to survive against all odds, the film is tough, taut and intelligently critical of the man's world it depicts."

Box office

The film opened at the

Odeon West End The Odeon Luxe West End is a two-screen cinema on the south side of Leicester Square, London. It has historically been used for smaller film premieres and hosting the annual BFI London Film Festival. The site is on an adjacent side of the squa ...

and grossed £24,727 in its opening week. It went on to gross £268,000 in the UK.

References

External links

* * 1990 films 1990 drama films Scottish films British boxing films Mining in Scotland Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films directed by David Leland English-language Scottish films 1990s English-language films 1990s British films {{sport-film-stub