The Acid House (film)
| The Acid House | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Paul McGuigan |
| Written by | Irvine Welsh |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | FilmFour Distributors |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Acid House is a 1998 British film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's short story collection The Acid House. Welsh himself wrote the screenplay, and appears as a minor character in the film. It is directed by Paul McGuigan.
Plot
The film dramatises three stories from the book:
- "The Granton Star Cause": A comedy, in which Boab is having a very bad day indeed. His parents throw him out so they can indulge in sado-masochism and he is sacked from his job, dumped by his girlfriend and dropped from his football team. It has elements of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. One of the characters is a pitiless and profane God, who transforms him into a fly as punishment for wasting his life. Named after an Edinburgh housing district, "The Granton Star Cause" was filmed on location in the area as well as nearby West Pilton, including Ferry Road Drive.
- "A Soft Touch": Kevin McKidd plays a cuckolded husband while Gary McCormack is Larry, the ruthless upstairs neighbour who steals his electricity and his wife, played by Michelle Gomez.
- "The Acid House": An acid trip and a bolt of lightning result in amiable schemie Coco Brice exchanging bodies with the baby of a middle-class couple.
All three sections are independent, but are linked by setting and by the reappearance of incidental characters, in particular Maurice Roëves who appears variously as an inebriated wedding guest, a figure in a dream, and a pub patron. All three of his parts symbolise a human manifestation of God.
The film offended elements of the UK tabloid press with a depiction of a cynical and jaded, foul-mouthed God. In some English-speaking countries (such as Canada and the United States) it has been screened with subtitles because of the heavy Edinburgh accents.
Cast
- "The Granton Star Cause"
- Maurice Roëves – God
- Stephen McCole – Boab
- Garry Sweeney – Kev
- Jenny McCrindle – Evelyn
- Simon Weir – Tambo
- Iain Andrew – Grant
- Irvine Welsh – Parkie
- Pat Stanton – Barman
- Alex Howden – Boab Snr
- Annie Louise Ross – Doreen (as Ann Louise Ross)
- Dennis O'Connor – PC Cochrane
- John Gardner – Sgt. Morrison
- William Blair – Workmate
- Gary McCormack – Workmate
- Malcolm Shields – Workmate
- Stewart Preston – Rafferty
- "A Soft Touch"
- Maurice Roëves – Drunk
- Kevin McKidd – Johnny
- Michelle Gomez – Catriona
- Tam Dean Burn – Alec
- Scott Imrie – Pool Player
- Niall Greig Fulton – Alan
- Cas Harkins – Skanko
- Morgan Simpson – Chantal, Baby
- Marnie Kidd – Chantal, Toddler
- Alison Peebles – Mother
- Joanne Riley – New Girl
- Katie Echlin – Wendy
- William 'Giggs' McGuigan – Pub Singer
- William Blair – Deck
- Gary McCormack – Larry
- "The Acid House"
- Maurice Roëves – Priest
- Ewen Bremner – Colin 'Coco' Bryce
- Martin Clunes – Rory
- Jemma Redgrave – Jenny
- Arlene Cockburn – Kirsty
- Jane Stabler – Emma
- Doug Eadie – Coco's Father
- Andrea McKenna – Coco's Mother
- Cas Harkins – Skanko
- Billy McElhaney – Felix the Paramedic
- Ricky Callan – Tam the Driver
- Barbara Rafferty – Dr. Callaghan
- Stephen Docherty – Nurse Boyd
- Ronnie McCann – Andy