Scout *** (1987, Ray McAnally, Stephen Rea, Colin Connor) – Classic Movie Review 11,908

The 1987 British TV film Scout is highly promising early work by Danny Boyle that clearly shows the way for the career that was to come, starring the late, much lamented Ray McAnally as a veteran talent scout for Manchester United who runs his annual weekend training session for six young Irish football hopefuls.

The young Stephen Rea co-stars as the man who confronts him – a bitter, burnt-out protégé for whom the dream of soccer and success across the water has gone sour.

Ray McAnally’s benign authority dominates writer Frank McGuinness’s intelligent drama that explores the conflicts of national loyalties and personal ambitions. McAnally is outstanding and won the 1988 BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor (for A Perfect Spy and Scout).

The cast are Ray McAnally, Stephen Rea, Colin Connor, Michael Liebman, Gerard O’Hare, Lloyd Hutchinson, Jeremy Chapman and Paul Ryder.

It was first broadcast on BBC2 on 8 September 1987 as the 21st film in the series.

Boyle also directed the next film in the series, The Venus de Milo Instead.

ScreenPlay was a TV drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. There were 98 films over eight series.

Irish actor Ray McAnally (30 March 1926 – 15 June 1989) won four BAFTA Awards: two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor (for The Mission in 1986 and My Left Foot in 1989), and two BAFTA Television Awards for Best Actor (for A Perfect Spy and Scout in 1988 and A Very British Coup in 1989).

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,908

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