That Sinking Feeling

The action of this film takes place in a fictitious town called GLASGOW. Any resemblance to any real town called GLASGOW is purely coincidental.

That Sinking Feeling is celebrated Scottish director Bill Forsyth’s zero-budget debut. Made in 1979, it is as much a heist movie with a twist as it is a reflection on Glasgow’s disillusioned youth back then.
The story centres on unemployed teenager Ronnie (Robert Buchanan - Gregory’s Girl) and his fellow pals as they bum about in the city’s parks and greasy spoon cafs, unable to scrape together 45 pence for a burger and a coffee. “Life isn’t meant to be easy”, comments Ronnie, followed by “Why the bloody hell don’t I have a job”? These rather grim social-political observations are spiked with absurdist humour once we realise that Ronnie addresses his words to a military statue in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park.

As the dreary grey skyline, the threatening tower blocks, and the seemingly never-ending rain further dampen the spirits of these disillusioned youngsters, Ronnie comes up with a master plan to make them rich: by stealing a job-lot of stainless steel sinks! Well, I did say that this is a heist movie with a twist.
Desperate and financial reasons for the planned robbery aside, the absurdist elements once again go hand in hand with those of social criticism… for one, a fellow gang member who conveniently happens to be a part-time chemistry student concocts a potion that will put his boss into a century-long coma, so that his delivery van can be used as a getaway vehicle. However, a straying cat also gets a taste of the potion and soon is in a never-ending sleep too - it’s all hilariously deadpan. Secondly, to put hard Scottish masculinity to the test, two boys from the self-styled gang dress up in drag (with varied convincing results) in order to distract the warehouse night watchman.
As much as the surroundings and the lives of these desperadoes seem bleak from the outset, the stolen goods finally brighten up their future, not to mention their finances. Or so it would seem…

Filmed entirely on location in Glasgow, the cast was largely drawn from members of the ‘Glasgow Youth Theatre’. To raise the money for his proposed film, director Forsyth wrote to local businesses for help and thus That Sinking Feeling became the first fiction feature film to be both financed and made in Scotland – for the record-breaking amount of £5,000!
Although initially screened in Glasgow, the movie received far more publicity in neighbouring Edinburgh, not least at the Edinburgh Film Festival were it was received enthusiastically.
As main actor Robert Buchanan remembers with great amusement, after its initial release the movie was not well distributed in Glasgow’s cinemas, and it was not until one year later that his Dad finally was able to see it… in one of the city’s porn cinemas! This hilarious anecdote is almost as absurdist as the humour in the movie.

The BFI has worked closely with Bill Forsyth to bring this newly re-mastered gem back into circulation, finally re-instating the original Glaswegian dialogue track and presenting the film in its correct aspect ratio.

The Dual Format Edition comes with a host of Special Features, well, not quite as many as those 93 stolen steel sinks, but enough to make this release even more exciting:

- Includes the Original Glaswegian Dialogue track as well as the alternative dubbed dialogue track;
- Presented in both HD and Standard Definition
- Audio Commentary by Bill Forsyth and critic Mark Kermode.
- Interview with actor Robert Buchanan.
- Kermode Uncut film from 2012 which Mark Kermode discusses the budget for That - Sinking Feeling with Bill Forsyth;
- KH-4 (John Schornstein 1969) – A young artist (B. Forsyth) struggles to seek inspiration from a slowly crumbling cityscape.
- MIRROR (J. Schornstein 1970) – A young writer (B. Forsyth) searches the streets of Glasgow for his missing girlfriend.
- GLASGOW 1980 (1971), a documentary by Oscar Marzaroli, edited by Forsyth.
- ISLANDS OF THE WEST (1972) a promotional film directed by Forsyth about the scenic beauty of the Scottish Hebrides.
- Bill Forsyth's Lifetime Achievement Film, the short acceptance film made for BAFTA.
- Illustrated booklet with new essays and credits.