IMDb > Trainspotting (1996)
Trainspotting
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Trainspotting (1996) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 8)
Trainspotting (1996) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Irvine Welsh (novel)
John Hodge (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Trainspotting on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 July 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a starter home. Choose dental insurance, leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose your future. But why would anyone want to do a thing like that? more
Plot:
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 18 wins & 13 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(208 articles)
McGregor Preventing Porno Movie
 (From WENN. 26 November 2009, 5:36 PM, PST)

Ewan McGregor's Link Saber
 (From FilmExperience. 22 November 2009, 12:25 PM, PST)

User Comments:
The Greatest British Movie of All Time more (420 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ewan McGregor ... Renton

Ewen Bremner ... Spud

Jonny Lee Miller ... Sick Boy

Kevin McKidd ... Tommy

Robert Carlyle ... Begbie

Kelly Macdonald ... Diane

Peter Mullan ... Swanney

James Cosmo ... Mr. Renton

Eileen Nicholas ... Mrs. Renton
Susan Vidler ... Allison
Pauline Lynch ... Lizzy

Shirley Henderson ... Gail
Stuart McQuarrie ... Gavin / US Tourist
Irvine Welsh ... Mikey Forrester
Dale Winton ... Game Show Host
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
На игле (Russia) [ru]
Ferrovipathes (Canada: French title) [fr]
La vida en el abismo (Mexico) [es]
Sin límites (Mexico) (video box title) [es]
Trainspotting (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Trainspotting (Czech Republic) [cs]
Trainspotting (Italy) [it]
Trainspotting (Denmark) [da]
Trainspotting (France) [fr]
Trainspotting (Slovakia) [sk]
Trainspotting (Spain) [es]
Trainspotting (Portugal) [pt]
Trainspotting (Slovenia) [sl]
Trainspotting (Poland) [pl]
Trainspotting (Japan: English title) [en]
Trainspotting - Neue Helden (Germany) [de]
Trainspotting - Sem Limites (Brazil) [pt]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for graphic heroin use and resulting depravity, strong language, sex, nudity and some violence.
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The whole film was shot in just seven and a half weeks. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Begbie strikes the seated man with the pool cue, he clearly hits the seat. The back of the chair is covered by the man's jacket and the cue hits the chair underneath the jacket. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: [narrating] Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Match Point (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Trainspotting more

FAQ

What happened to the baby?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Is this movie based on a novel?
more
161 out of 196 people found the following comment useful.
The Greatest British Movie of All Time, 28 February 2004
Author: RobertF87 from Scotland

This film became almost a cultural phenomenon as soon as it was released in Britain in February 1996.

Adapted from the first (and best) book by Irvine Welsh, the film shows the lives of a group of Edinburgh heroin addicts.

The film is a black comedy, at times hilarious, tragic, surreal, brutal and uplifting. The film is full of memorable moments such as the chase down Edinburgh's Princes Street which opens the film (I happened to be there when they were filming that scene) and Ewan McGregor diving down the "Worst Toilet in Scotland" headfirst.

The film doesn't condemn drug addicts, but it is probably more effective then any amount of preachy moralising as it depicts the devastating consequences that can happen to drug users.

The film is well acted by a cast who have (mostly) become pretty famous since. Especially memorable is Robert Carlyle as the violent Begbie.

I have seen this film many times. It is an instant classic. Go check it out.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (420 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Trainspotting (1996)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Important question for fans concerning Britain! helenr_24
Simon 'Sick Boy' vavoomm
contrasting emotions in a single scene jessicajanehutchinson
BEGBY? ravengammer
Renton a bit stupid for robbing the other? henjujohn
Porno needs to be made... jcardarelli543
more

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