Every 4th November, it is Mischief Night in Yorkshire. Youngsters roam the streets playing little pranks (peltering people with eggs, throwing flour...). For four years, I worked in a high school in the Beeston area where the film was shot. The children who play extras in the bus and classroom scenes were actually my pupils. The best thing about this enjoyable comedy is how truthful to life it is. I could think of a real life counterpart for the vast majority of the plots and characters.
The North of England does not often appear in cinema and when it does, it is not in a flattering way. It is depicted as a place of unemployment, delinquency and racial tensions. "Mischief Night" does not shy away from showing the harsh conditions in the area, but it also incorporates the people's straight-faced attitude to life. It used to get me very angry when people assumed that my pupils would eventually become delinquents. In fact, many got a job or went to university. Like the characters in the film, these children dealt with family or economic problems without losing their calm, one step at a time. From them, I learnt the motto: "if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade". Maybe they were just extras in this film, but in real life they were all stars.
A delightful film, with a very special place in my heart.
The North of England does not often appear in cinema and when it does, it is not in a flattering way. It is depicted as a place of unemployment, delinquency and racial tensions. "Mischief Night" does not shy away from showing the harsh conditions in the area, but it also incorporates the people's straight-faced attitude to life. It used to get me very angry when people assumed that my pupils would eventually become delinquents. In fact, many got a job or went to university. Like the characters in the film, these children dealt with family or economic problems without losing their calm, one step at a time. From them, I learnt the motto: "if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade". Maybe they were just extras in this film, but in real life they were all stars.
A delightful film, with a very special place in my heart.