The Kids Are Alright

Many of you know of my fondness for the work of David Morrell, especially the legacy that his 1972 novel, First Blood, has provided the thriller genre. I was discouraged recently to find that the major British cinema chain had dropped the fourth Rambo film, simply titled Rambo, from its offerings. But fear not, my friends, for a substitute movie finds itself taking up the slack. This flick is far from what one would expect, but surprisingly it has Sylvester Stallone’s blessing prior to its UK release, according to The Daily Telegraph:

Son of Rambow (the misspelling is deliberate) takes place in the Eighties, and revolves around two very different boys at the same school who form an unlikely friendship. Will (Bill Milner) is shy, sheltered and from a devout Plymouth Brethren home where he is forbidden to watch television. Lee (Will Poulter) is a trouble-maker who terrorises other pupils and makes strange little movies at home. This odd couple conspire to create an action film, a kids’ homage to Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo, to enter for the BBC’s Screen Test programme.

It sounds an implausible story for a successful film. But when Jennings and Goldsmith took Son of Rambow to the Sundance festival 15 months ago, audiences were wildly enthusiastic, and Paramount paid $7 million (£3.5 million) for the distribution rights. Since then, the film has been bogged down in negotiations about copyright and usage of clips from Stallone’s film, which stalled its release. Funny, charming and moving in equal measure, the film now has a chance of becoming the year’s British feelgood hit.

“But there was a silver lining,” [writer-director Garth] Jennings insists. “In that vacuum, Nick and I were able to take the film to festivals--in Seattle, Toronto, New York and London. It was nice to get genuine audience reactions, without bothering about box-office results.” Stallone saw it and let Paramount know he approved. “He realised it was affectionate, and not a joke at his expense,” Jennings says.

Click here for a trailer of Son of Rambow, which opens this week in Britain and is due out in May in the States. I can’t help but wonder what David Morrell thinks about this venture.