The Van (1996)

Director:

Stephen Frears

Writers:

Roddy Doyle (novel)
Roddy Doyle (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A large portion of life...

Plot:

The third installment of Irish author Roddy Doyle's 'Barrytown Trilogy' depicts the hilarious yet poignant adventures of Bimbo...

Plot Keywords:

Van | Fish | Friendship | Business | Irish

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Colm Meaney	...	Larry
Donal O'Kelly	...	Bimbo
Ger Ryan	...	Maggie
Caroline Rothwell	...	Mary
Neilí Conroy	...	Diane
Rúaidhrí Conroy	...	Kevin
Brendan O'Carroll	...	Weslie
Stuart Dunne	...	Sam
Jack Lynch	...	Cancer
Laurie Morton	...	Maggie's Mum
Marie Mullen	...	Vera
Jon Kenny	...	Gerry McCarthy
Moses Rowen	...	Glenn
Linda McGovern	...	Jessica
Eoin Chaney	...	Wayne
Frank O'Sullivan	...	Wally
Jill Doyle	...	Mona
Barbara Bergin	...	Dawn
Charlotte Bradley	...	Anne Marie
Ronan Wilmot	...	Bald Man
Stanley Townsend	...	Des Health Inspector
Sheila Flitton	...	Missis Twix
Alan King	...	Mechanic
Bernie Downes	...	Pregnant Woman
Martin Dunne	...	Garda Sergeant
Tommy O'Neill	...	Nightclub Barman
Eilish Moore	...	Bingo Woman
Paul Raynor	...	Pitch & Putt Man
Eileen Walsh	...	Crushed Girl
Sandra Bagnall	...	Complaining Woman
Fionnuala Murphy	...	Young Woman (as Fionuala Murphy)
Michael O'Reilly	...	Arsenal Supporter
David Kelly	...	Boy with Choc Ice
Lee Bagnall	...	Crying Boy
Jamie Bagnall	...	Other Kid
David Byrne	...	Barry
Gavin Kelty	...	World Peace (as Gavin Keilty)
Claude Clancy	...	Leo the Barman
Michelle Gallagher	...	Girl
Arthur Napper	...	Nightclub Bouncer
Jessie O'Gorman	...	Kerrie

Directed by
Stephen Frears

Writing credits
Roddy Doyle		(novel)
Roddy Doyle		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mary Alleguen	....	line producer
Lynda Myles	....	producer
Mark Shivas	....	executive producer
Roddy Doyle	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Eric Clapton
Richard Hartley

Cinematography by
Oliver Stapleton		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mick Audsley

Casting by
Leo Davis

Production Design by
Mark Geraghty

Art Direction by
Fiona Daly

Costume Design by
Consolata Boyle

Makeup Department
Anne Dunne	....	chief hair stylist
Morna Ferguson	....	chief makeup artist
Jennifer Hegarty	....	assistant makeup artist: winter unit
Olwyn Lee	....	trainee makeup artist
Martina McCarthy	....	hairdresser assistant

Production Management
Stephen Barker	....	post-production supervisor
John McDonnell	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marian Barlow	....	second assistant director
Miriam Coleman	....	trainee assistant director
Martin O'Malley	....	first assistant director
Willie Smith	....	third assistant director
Jim Gorman	....	co-trainee assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Russ Bailey	....	construction manager
Clodagh Conroy	....	assistant art director
Richard Curley	....	stagehand
Conor Devlin	....	draughtsman
Jason Doherty	....	carpenter
Pascal Farrell	....	carpenter (as Pascall Farrell)
Paul Keogh	....	carpenter
Daragh Lewis	....	stand-by props
Nuala McKernan	....	chargehand stand-by props
Sunny Mulligan	....	props buyer
Owen Murnane	....	master painter
Tony Murnane	....	stand-by painter
Turlo Nicholson	....	dressing props
Eamonn O'Higgins	....	props master
Dave Peters	....	dressing props
John Purdy	....	stand-by rigger
Robbie Reilly	....	chargehand rigger
Gerard Richardson	....	painter
Brian Thompson	....	construction runaround
Tony Walsh	....	carpenter
Graham Waters	....	stand-by carpenter
Dave Whelan	....	chargehand carpenter

Sound Department
Mick Boggis	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gordon Brown	....	foley editor
Brendan Deasy	....	sound mixer
Jennie Evans	....	digital sound editor
Peter Joly	....	supervising sound editor
Danny Longhurst	....	dialogue editor
Peter Maxwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mairin Ni Riurdain	....	trainee sound
Trevor O'Connor	....	sound mixer: winter unit
Barry O'Sullivan	....	boom operator: winter unit
Eddie Quinn	....	boom operator
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Graham Bushe	....	special effects technician
Marty Kelly	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Patrick Condren	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sean Cahill	....	electrician: winter unit
Donal Caulfield	....	focus puller: additional camera
John Etherington	....	grip
Jim Farrell	....	best boy
Rodrigo Gutierrez	....	camera operator (as Roderigo Gutierrez)
Graeme Haughton	....	electrician (as Graham Haughton)
Jonathan Hession	....	still photographer (as Jonathon Hession)
Allan Hughes	....	grip: winter unit
Conor Kelly	....	clapper loader
Stephen McCarthy	....	electrician
Ivan Meagher	....	focus puller
David Merrigan	....	rigger
Larry S. Prinz	....	gaffer (as Larry Prinz)
Michael Proudfoot	....	camera operator: winter unit
Noel Donnellon	....	video playback operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Pippa Hall	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alison Byrne	....	wardrobe assistant (as Allison Byrne)
Rhona McGuirke	....	wardrobe supervisor
Anne O'Halloran	....	wardrobe assistant
Keelin O'Síochain	....	trainee costume designer
Magdalen Rubalcava	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Nigel Barker	....	lightworks assistant
Mary Casey	....	first assistant editor
Clare Doyle	....	trainee assistant editor
Celia Haining	....	second assistant editor
Harry Muller	....	color timer

Music Department
Dave Bronze	....	musician: bass, Eric Clapton's band
Eric Clapton	....	musician: performer
Alan Douglas	....	music recordist
Andy Fairweather-Low	....	musician: guitar, Eric Clapton's band
Steve Gadd	....	musician: drums: Eric Clapton's band
Jerry Portnoy	....	musician: harmonica, Eric Clapton's band
Chris Stainton	....	musician: organ, Eric Clapton's band
Chris Stainton	....	musician: piano, Eric Clapton's band

Transportation Department
Ernie Beakhurst	....	unit driver
John Cawley	....	truck driver
Tony Cullen	....	unit driver
Gerry Fearon	....	transportation captain
Martin Holland	....	driver: generator truck, winter unit
Austin Kelly	....	driver: wardrobe truck
Victor Keogh	....	driver: camera car
Tommy Kingston	....	stand-by driver: prop truck
Frank Ryan	....	stand-by driver: construction truck
Kevin Scott	....	driver: genny car
Peter Doyle	....	facilities driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Frances Byrne	....	production coordinator (as Fran Byrne)
Stephen Carroll	....	mechanic
Tanya Cawley	....	utility stand-in
Richard Dann	....	still photo processing
Lee Dickson	....	guitar technician: Eric Clapton's band
Sile Dorney	....	cashier
Robbie Ellis	....	mechanic
Penny Eyles	....	script supervisor
Sally Ann Gately	....	assistant accountant
Donal Geraghty	....	production accountant
Liam Grant	....	assistant location manager: winter unit
James Hagan	....	trainee clapper loader
Andrew Hegarty	....	assistant location manager
Billy Hinshelwood	....	lawyer: Marriott Harrison
Macdara Kelleher	....	utility stand-in
Bernadette Lovett	....	production secretary
John McDonnell	....	location manager
David Morris	....	utility stand-in
Johnny Mulligan	....	cashier: winter unit (as John Mulligan)
Linda Murphy	....	production runner
Sian Parry	....	assistant to producers (as Sián Parry)
Roger Phillips	....	title designer
Julian Rothenstein	....	title designer
Ravi Sharman	....	drum technician: Eric Clapton's band
Francis Taaffe	....	assistant video playback operator (uncredited)

Thanks
Chris Auty	....	special thanks
Rick Berman	....	special thanks
Tommy Coughlan	....	special thanks
Graham Easton	....	special thanks
Gretta Finer	....	special thanks
Roger Forrester	....	special thanks
Stephanie Guerrasio	....	special thanks
Alan Hergot	....	special thanks (as Alan Hergott)
Geoffrey Paget	....	special thanks
Simon Relph	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Beacon Communications (in association with) (as Beacon Pictures)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (as BBC Films) (presents)
• Deadly Films (as A Deadly Films Production)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (a News Corporation Company) (in association with)

Distributors

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (1996) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Atalanta Filmes (1997) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1996) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (1996) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Television (TV) (as 20th Television)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• PolyGram Video (1997) (Netherlands) (video)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Bank of Ireland  bank facilities
• Cine Electric Ltd.  lighting equipment
• Cine Image Film Opticals  titles and opticals
• Corbett & Keene  unit publicity
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  post-production facilities
• European Script Fund, The  developed with the help of
• Film & TV Services  walkie talkies
• Film & TV Transport  facilities hire
• Film Bank  still photo processing
• Film Finances  completion guarantee
• Film Location Facilities  dining bus facilities vehicles
• Fitzers Catering  unit catering
• Frameline Productions  titles and opticals
• Grip House  grip equipment
• Guéret & Holland  unit doctors
• Irish Film & TV Location Security Services  unit security
• Marriott Harrison  lawyers
• Matheson Ormsby Prentice  production counsel
• Olympic Studios  music recorded at
• RHH/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance
• Sammy's  camera equipment provided by
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sedgwick Dineen  insurance
• Snowman Enterprises  excerpts from Raymond Briggs' "The Snowman" by kind permission of
• Stewarts  stills stock
• Windmill Lane Recording Studios  editing

Also Known As:

A Carrinha (Portugal) [pt]
A Van (Brazil) [pt]
Chômage oblige (Canada: French title) (TV title) [fr]
Due sulla strada (Italy) [it]
Due sulla strada - The van (Italy) [it]
Fish & Chips (Germany) [de]
Karavan (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
La camioneta (The Van) (Spain) [es]
Larryn grilli (Finland) [fi]
Skåpvagnen (Sweden) [sv]
The Van (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

UK | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-7 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Germany:6 (bw) | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Beacon Communications

Trivia:

This is the third story in Roddy Doyle's "Barrytown Trilogy", following the adventures of the Rabbitte family. However, as 20th Century Fox owned the film rights to the Rabbitte name (from The Commitments), the characters had to be re-named in the subsequent film adaptations (The Snapper, The Van).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Larry sings the lyrics to 'Living Next Door To Alice' in a scene in the film. However after singing he adds the phrase 'Alice? Who the fuck is Alice?', referring to the popular re-release version featuring comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown. However this version wasn't released until 1995, with the film being set in 1989.

Quotes:

Maggie: Do heavy metalers eat chips?

Movie Connections:

References Ghostbusters II (1989)

Soundtrack:

Frosty the Snowman

Van vandalized

"The Van" is one of very few novels that have made me laugh out loud, on numerous occasions, whilst reading it. Thus, I feared the movie couldn't possibly live up to the book and I was right.

The characters appear nowhere near as appealing as they do in the book -even the lead characters name has changed from Jimmy to Larry. In fact the Rabbite family has been drastically culled. The dialect can be difficult to catch at times (my wife mistook "World Peace" for "Wolf's p**s" during one pun). The "Living Dead" appear from nowhere and........no, I'm not doing any more comparisons.

If you want a good laugh read the book.