Little Voice
Short description
Little Voice is a British comedy-drama about Laura Hoff, a painfully shy young woman known to everyone as Little Voice, or LV. Since her father's death she has barely left her room in the rundown family home and seldom speaks. What she does do is sing, reproducing the voices of the female singers whose records her father left behind, from Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe to Shirley Bassey, with an accuracy that seems almost impossible for someone so withdrawn. Her mother, Mari, pays her little attention, but Ray Say, a small-time talent agent and Mari's new partner, overhears LV singing and sees a way to revive his own failing fortunes by putting her on a stage. Persuading her to perform proves far more difficult than he expects.
Mark Herman directed and co-wrote the film with Jim Cartwright, following his earlier Brassed Off and preceding Hope Springs and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in his filmography. Jane Horrocks plays LV, with Brenda Blethyn as Mari, Michael Caine as Ray Say, Ewan McGregor as Billy, Jim Broadbent as Mr. Boo and Annette Badland as Sadie; Elizabeth Karlsen produced.
Released in November 1998 and running 97 minutes, the film took about 5 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from 18,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.5 from 201 votes. A critics' rating of 7.1 from 49 reviews places it somewhat above the audience score on TMDB.
What's left behind the scenes
- The original London stage version was directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes. The play was titled “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” and was written specifically for Jane Horrocks.
- During the song "Chumbawamba — Tubthumping" in the film, a male striptease is performed. The full version of this song begins with the dialogue "The truth is that I thought it mattered. I thought music mattered. But it's rubbish! People matter so much more…". This dialogue comes from the final scene of Mark Herman’s film – "Brassed Off" (1996).
- The building used for the street scenes of Hoff's music shop was located on Barwick Terrace in Scarborough (United Kingdom). It had been abandoned for many years, and was specifically restored for filming. However, after filming was completed, the building was demolished. The nightclub scenes were filmed at Wallis's Cayton Bay leisure centre, approximately three miles south of Scarborough. Unfortunately, like the music shop, it too has been demolished.
- Mike Reid turned down the role in the film.
- Jane Horrocks sang all of her songs herself.
- To prepare for his role as club owner Mr. Boo, Jim Broadbent visited numerous working men's clubs and theatres in Yorkshire.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
