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The Flying Scotsman

Play trailer Poster for The Flying Scotsman PG-13 2006 1h 42m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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51% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
The owner of a struggling bicycle shop, Graeme Obree (Jonny Lee Miller) winning fame as a racing cyclist. Though his wife Anne (Laura Fraser) and friend Malky (Billy Boyd) give him unwavering support, he faces huge obstacles in his quest: His struggle with mental illness, and his lack of sponsorships. Nevertheless, Graeme, using a homemade bicycle dubbed "Old Faithful," sets out in pursuit of his dream.

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The Flying Scotsman

The Flying Scotsman

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Critics Consensus

The Flying Scotsman's too-brisk pacing reduces the scale of cyclist Graham Obree's accomplishments while not uncovering what makes him tick.

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Critics Reviews

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Kyle Smith New York Post 08/22/2007
3/4
It's an underdog story with teeth. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard 06/29/2007
3/5
It is a straightforward biography but it treads so gingerly around his mental troubles that you feel something is missing. Go to Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) 06/29/2007
2/5
It moves, but it never flies. Go to Full Review S. Jhoanna Robledo Common Sense Media 10/22/2007
3/5
Cycling drama doesn't quite race to the finish. Go to Full Review Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy 09/14/2007
6/10
Business-as-usual for a sports movie. Go to Full Review Urban Cinefile Critics Urban Cinefile 08/11/2007
Competently made and reasonably interesting, but The Flying Scotsman lacks the kind of exhilaration that inspirational true-life sport films generally need to carry them to cinematic gold Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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09/02/2013 The twist to this sports movie is that Obree battles depression and uses cycling as a way to deal with it. Definitely worth watching, though sometimes a bit jumpy. Great cast. See more 08/07/2013 I'm lacking in showing the life of sir Obree in a film, but on the other hand the said pic actually manages to inspire its viewers... See more 06/29/2013 enjoyable film based on World Champion cyclist Graeme Obree. Details his struggles to get to the top, with the people who run cycling and his own personal demons. Worth a watch See more 04/04/2013 Nothing special. And, as an American, my hand was constantly on the rewind button so I could understand all the Scotish accents. Noot m'eh fehvrut moovie, bu' it wus a gud sturie. See more 12/07/2012 <FONT FACE="Maiandra GD " SIZE="-1"> Pending Review... <a href="" target="_blank"><img src="http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/alexisreaver2132/cmg_soon.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> See more 12/02/2012 A cycling film, so brownie points anyway for that. It's very much a typically British 'small man against the System' movie with an upbeat narrative arc. Lots of good information if a little obscure in places; dark, too, given Obree's bipolar disorder and suicidal tendencies. Interesting to have a film like this about a living person. I checked out his Wikipedia entry and website: he's still at it. See more Read all reviews
The Flying Scotsman

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Cast & Crew

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Douglas Mackinnon

Director

Jonny Lee Miller

Graeme Obree

Laura Fraser

Anne Obree

Billy Boyd

Malky

Brian Cox

Douglas Baxter

Morven Christie

Katie

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The Flying Scotsman

The Flying Scotsman (2006) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The owner of a struggling bicycle shop, Graeme Obree (Jonny Lee Miller) winning fame as a racing cyclist. Though his wife Anne (Laura Fraser) and friend Malky (Billy Boyd) give him unwavering support, he faces huge obstacles in his quest: His struggle with mental illness, and his lack of sponsorships. Nevertheless, Graeme, using a homemade bicycle dubbed "Old Faithful," sets out in pursuit of his dream.
Director
Douglas Mackinnon
Producer
Peter Broughan, Peter Gallagher, Sara Giles
Screenwriter
John Brown, Declan Hughes, Simon Rose
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Zero Film GmbH
Rating
PG-13 (Strong Language|Some Mature Thematic Elements)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 29, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$136.1K
Runtime
1h 42m