Under the Mud
Encyclopedia
Under the Mud is a 2009 comedy film
directed by Solon Papadopoulos. It is set in Garston
, an economically depressed area of Liverpool
, UK, and follows the dramatic and eccentric happenings within one family on the day of its youngest daughter's first Holy Communion. The film includes several fantasy sequences
, and has been described by its producers as “social surrealism
”.
), mother Sally (Lisa Parry), teenagers Paul (Dave Hart) and Paula (Lauren Steele), young children Olivia (Jasmine Mubery) and Karl (Adam Bailey), and the Potts’s part-time lodger, Magic (Lenny Wood).
On the day of Olivia’s Communion, the family is prepared for a large celebration, for which they have arranged a party in a local social club and ornamented Olivia with electrically powered angel wings.
As Joe gets drunk and his attempts to enliven the social atmosphere with jokes and banter fall flat, the cracks in the family’s relationships are revealed: Sally wonders whether she is still beautiful or appreciated; Paula, who throughout the film talks out loud to and continually confers with her imaginary friend Georgina, worries over the news that her beloved boyfriend DJ Worm (Mick Colligan) is planning to move to Ibiza without telling her; Magic tries to console her while suppressing his obvious attraction to Paula.
When Paula is entrusted with taking Olivia and Karl back to the family home, the film takes more turns for the dramatic. Paula suspects she might be pregnant and desperately attempts to find DJ Worm. As Paula is out of the house, Olivia and Karl steal a car and go for a joyride. Magic becomes frustrated in his attempts to steer Paula towards level-headedness and find the missing children. At the social club, Joe and Sally find their relationship strained to the breaking point by both their own failure to communicate and by the charms of local gangster One Dig (James McMartin), who dated Sally years ago and is still willing to offer her a wedding ring.
The film builds to a climax in which Magic is forced to confront his true feelings for Paula, Paula herself has to confront the way she is living her life, and Joe and Sally are forced to decide whether they will commit to each other or break apart their family. Along the way there are numerous larger-than-life moments, including a slapstick
car chase, another chase involving mobile airplane steps and a taxi driver who claims to be clairvoyant.
, through a community-based Internet café
called Interchill.
Although initially declined funding by BBC Films
and Channel 4
, the project received some pilot project support from the UK Film Council
, and the filmmakers managed to secure a budget of £85,000 through a grant from pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline
. Production began in 2004 and was completed in 2006.
, Hollywood Film Festival
and Cambridge Film Festival
, but did not receive theatrical distribution in either the UK or abroad. Hurricane Films created a distribution arm to release the film on DVD on November 2, 2009. The film was picked up by the BBC in 2011 and was aired on BBC One on January 14, 2011.
wrote that it “may be the best British film you’ll never see”, while Robert Epstein wrote in The Independent
“this is both an accomplished social project and charming fairytale” and proposed that the film plays “like a Scouse
Shameless
.”
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Solon Papadopoulos. It is set in Garston
Garston, Merseyside
Garston is a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is bordered by Aigburth, Allerton, and Speke.-History:Gaerstun, meaning 'grazing settlement' or 'grazing farm' in Old English, is one possible root of the name....
, an economically depressed area of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, UK, and follows the dramatic and eccentric happenings within one family on the day of its youngest daughter's first Holy Communion. The film includes several fantasy sequences
Dream sequence
A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other element. Commonly, dream sequences appear in many...
, and has been described by its producers as “social surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
”.
Plot
The Potts family includes father Joe (Andrew SchofieldAndrew Schofield
-Early life:Born in Kirkby, Merseyside, Schofield attended St Kevin's RC Comprehensive School. At 15 he was cast in Willy Russell's first Play for Today, Death of a Young, Young Man.-Stage:...
), mother Sally (Lisa Parry), teenagers Paul (Dave Hart) and Paula (Lauren Steele), young children Olivia (Jasmine Mubery) and Karl (Adam Bailey), and the Potts’s part-time lodger, Magic (Lenny Wood).
On the day of Olivia’s Communion, the family is prepared for a large celebration, for which they have arranged a party in a local social club and ornamented Olivia with electrically powered angel wings.
As Joe gets drunk and his attempts to enliven the social atmosphere with jokes and banter fall flat, the cracks in the family’s relationships are revealed: Sally wonders whether she is still beautiful or appreciated; Paula, who throughout the film talks out loud to and continually confers with her imaginary friend Georgina, worries over the news that her beloved boyfriend DJ Worm (Mick Colligan) is planning to move to Ibiza without telling her; Magic tries to console her while suppressing his obvious attraction to Paula.
When Paula is entrusted with taking Olivia and Karl back to the family home, the film takes more turns for the dramatic. Paula suspects she might be pregnant and desperately attempts to find DJ Worm. As Paula is out of the house, Olivia and Karl steal a car and go for a joyride. Magic becomes frustrated in his attempts to steer Paula towards level-headedness and find the missing children. At the social club, Joe and Sally find their relationship strained to the breaking point by both their own failure to communicate and by the charms of local gangster One Dig (James McMartin), who dated Sally years ago and is still willing to offer her a wedding ring.
The film builds to a climax in which Magic is forced to confront his true feelings for Paula, Paula herself has to confront the way she is living her life, and Joe and Sally are forced to decide whether they will commit to each other or break apart their family. Along the way there are numerous larger-than-life moments, including a slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
car chase, another chase involving mobile airplane steps and a taxi driver who claims to be clairvoyant.
Production
The film was written by fifteen Liverpool young people who had no previous experience in screenwriting, in conjunction with the established Liverpool production company Hurricane FilmsHurricane Films
Hurricane Films is a film production company based in Liverpool, England. It has produced both documentaries and fiction films at both short and feature length...
, through a community-based Internet café
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
called Interchill.
Although initially declined funding by BBC Films
BBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, the project received some pilot project support from the UK Film Council
UK Film Council
The UK Film Council was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government as a non-departmental public body to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It was constituted as a private company limited by guarantee governed by a board of 15 directors and was funded through sources including the...
, and the filmmakers managed to secure a budget of £85,000 through a grant from pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
. Production began in 2004 and was completed in 2006.
Release
Under the Mud played at several international film festivals, including the Victoria Film FestivalVictoria Film Festival
The Victoria Film Festival is a publicly attended film festival in Victoria, British Columbia running for ten days in February. The festival shows both Canadian and international films and unreels 150 films with 55 Features on 6 screens around Victoria. It attracts a continually growing audience,...
, Hollywood Film Festival
Hollywood Film Festival
The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....
and Cambridge Film Festival
Cambridge Film Festival
The Cambridge Film Festival is one of the biggest film festivals in the UK. The festival historically took place during early July, but now takes place annually during September in Cambridge....
, but did not receive theatrical distribution in either the UK or abroad. Hurricane Films created a distribution arm to release the film on DVD on November 2, 2009. The film was picked up by the BBC in 2011 and was aired on BBC One on January 14, 2011.
Reception
National press coverage of Under the Mud was limited, due to the lack of a theatrical release, but mostly positive. Helen Walsh in The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
wrote that it “may be the best British film you’ll never see”, while Robert Epstein wrote in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
“this is both an accomplished social project and charming fairytale” and proposed that the film plays “like a Scouse
Scouse
Scouse is an accent and dialect of English found primarily in the Metropolitan county of Merseyside, and closely associated with the city of Liverpool and the adjoining urban areas such as the boroughs of south Sefton, Knowsley and the Wirral...
Shameless
Shameless
Shameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
.”