Son Of Rambow

Few self-discerning parents would earmark Rambo as the perfect male role model, but when you’re honour-bound by a strict religious code, your dad’s just died mowing the lawn and you witness Sly Stallone in all his head-banded glory, you’re bound to feel more awe-inspired than most.

Meet Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner), a member of the Plymouth Brethren, a religious sect that revels in a strong family dynamic and are keepers of a staunch moral code, who inavertedly stumbles across one of the 80s' great cinematic icons.

An outsider, dreamer and doodler, Will’s mousey and withdrawn, taking solace in his dad’s shed and his elaborate, multi-coloured drawings. He’s also taken out of classes showing anything on television, and that’s where he’s thrust into the path of Lee Carter (Will Poulter), the school problem child with a fondness for the big screen. Seizing on Will’s naivety – and imaginative drawing skills – it’s not long before Carter’s using Will’s innocent enthusiasm for his own entertainment, and the two inevitably embark on an excitable, heart-warming caper.

Buoyed by circumstance, innocent adventure and a general curiosity for the fantastic, the film takes on special significance for the young duo. Overcoming the initial social hierarchy, the two boys soon begin to forge a friendship fostered by their innocent escapism and dual search for a father figure and companionship. Interspersed with Gondry-esque fantasism and animated distractions, Son Of Rambow plots a pre-determined path that does little to hide its transparency. However, what it does do extremely nicely is evoke fond childhood nostalgia of days spent climbing trees, larking about on rope swings and generally following the boyish endeavour of scraped knees and elbows. It’s also a tale of the importance of burgeoning friendships, solidarity and an unwavering family dynamic.

Desperate to escape the responsibilities of his religion, Will soon finds himself lying and scheming to fulfil promises to his new friend, bringing him into conflict with the Brethren and his family. It’s a neat contrast that highlights the switch in values between his two lives. Where his religion looks to keep him sheltered, it only incites curiosity and demands that his burgeoning imagination be expressed, but the key to Son Of Rambow’s appeal lies in its wholesome portrayal morality and the reckless perils of childhood imagination that make it a film to take great pleasure in, even if, inevitably, sentimentality was always going to overcome storyline. Now, where did I put that tie?

Released on DVD on 11th August 2008 by Optimum.

Written by Reef Younis.