Grow Your Own (film)

Infobox Film
name = Grow Your Own


caption = DVD cover.
producer =
director = Richard Laxton
writer = Frank Cottrell Boyce
Carl Hunter
starring = Benedict Wong
John Henshaw
Eddie Marsan
Pierce Quigley
Omid Djalili
Alan Williams
Philip Jackson
Olivia Colman
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Pathé
Warp Films
released = flagicon|UK June 15, 2007
runtime = 97 min.
budget = £2.5 millioncite news|url=http://www.northwestvision.co.uk/page/grow-your-own|title=Acclaimed British Writer Pairs With New Filmmaker to Make £2.5million Feature on Merseyside|accessdate=2007-06-16|publisher=North West Vision]
gross =
language = English
country UK
website =
imdb_id = 0847830
amg_id =

"Grow Your Own" is a 2007 British comedy film, that was released on June 15 2007. It was directed by Richard Laxton, and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Carl Hunter. It stars Benedict Wong, John Henshaw, Eddie Marsan, Pierce Quigley, Omid Djalili, Alan Williams, Philip Jackson and Olivia Colman. The film centres around a group of gardeners at a Merseyside allotment, who react angrily when a group of refugees are given plots at the site, but after they get to know them better, soon change their minds. The film was previously known under the title "The Allotment". [cite web|url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809763394/details|title=The Allotment (2006)|accessdate=2007-06-16|publisher=Yahoo!]

Production

The original idea for the film came from Carl Hunter's involvement with the Merseyside community group "Art in Action". With the project he had worked with a number of refugees who had taken up residence in Liverpool. The refugees were each given an allotment as part of a Liverpool City Council initiative. This led Hunter to produce a series of documentaries about the lives of the refugees entitled "Putting Down Roots", they were aired as part of the "3-minute wonder" slot on Channel 4. Frank Cottrell Boyce saw some potential in the concept and asked Hunter if he wished to work with him to turn the real life story into a film. The film was supported by North West Vision, BBC Films and the UK Film Council. Shooting for the film began on August 14 2006, taking place for six weeks. All filming took place in Merseyside, with the shoot providing numerous jobs for locals.

Reception

Leigh Singer gave the film four stars, calling it "a gentle, astute, life-affirming British comedy." [cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=161840&page=2|title=Grow Your Own|accessdate=2007-06-16|publisher=Channel 4|author=Leigh Singer] Tom Hawker gave it three stars, praising Eddie Marsan's performance and stating "Grow Your Own" has about as much edge as a prize melon, but even if the land's been well filled, there's still plenty of fertile soil here. Occasionally melancholy, often funny, this is touching, lyrical home-grown fare." [cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/cinema_reviews/films_out_this_week/grow_your_own|title=Grow Your Own - Film Review|accessdate=2007-06-16|author=Tom Hawker|publisher=Total Film] Kevin Maher gave three stars, noting his favourite part of the film as being "a serious discussion between the gardeners about "Bob the Builder"." [cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article1927084.ece|title=Grow your Own|accessdate=2007-06-16|date=2007-06-14|publisher=Times Online|author=Kevin Maher] Anthony Quinn of "The Independent" criticised the film citing "one could wish that this parable of difference and tolerance gladdened the heart, but its effortful comedy has quite the opposite effect", as well as expressing his distaste for the film's score. [cite web|url=http://arts.independent.co.uk/film/reviews/article2660506.ece|title=Grow Your Own (PG)|accessdate=2007-06-16|date=2007-06-15|publisher=The Independent|author=Anthony Quinn] Catherine Chambers also disliked it, stating "Grow Your Own"'s twee optimism is sometimes a little too much to digest." [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2007/06/11/grow_your_own_2007_review.shtml|title=Grow Your Own (2007)|accessdate=2007-06-16|publisher=BBC|author=Cathrine Chambers|date=2007-06-13]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0847830|title=Grow Your Own
*rotten-tomatoes|id=grow_your_own|title=Grow Your Own
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/2007releases/theallotment.shtml "Grow Your Own"] at the BBC