Looks and Smiles is a 1981 film by Ken Loach

Ken Loach

Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...

 and based on the novel of the same name

Looks and Smiles

Looks and Smiles is a 1981 British drama film directed by Ken Loach. It is based on the novel of the same name, written by Barry Hines. The film was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, where Loach won the Young Cinema Award.-Cast:...

 by Barry Hines

Barry Hines

Melvin Barry Hines, FRSL is a British author who has written several popular novels and television scripts.-Early life:Born in the mining village of Hoyland Common near Barnsley, England, he attended Ecclesfield Grammar School and played football for the England Grammar Schools team...

. It was shot in black and white.

In 1980s Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, Mick and Alan, two school-leavers, face the reality of life in Margaret Thatcher's Britain. Alan joins the army and is sent to Northern Ireland to help in the peace-keeping effort while Mick struggles to find employment while courting shopworker Karen.

Main cast

Actor	Role
Graham Green	Michael 'Mick' Walsh
Carolyn Nicholson	Karen Lodge
Tony Pitts Tony Pitts Anthony "Tony" Pitts is an English actor, most notable for playing Archie Brooks in the long-running British soap Emmerdale Farm between 1983 and 1993.He is now a screenwriter....	Alan Wright
Roy Haywood	Phil
Phil Askham	Mr Walsh
Pam Darrell	Mrs Walsh