Some films are easy to classify as endearing. There’s a little touch of something in those that always makes the viewings agreeable. Those types of films are often contained in a shell without false pretences. For me, the Scottish film Gregory’s Girl, directed by Bill Forsyth, bears these non-neglectable qualities. 

Initially, I discovered this delightful coming-of-age comedy in February 2021 when I did my one-month marathon of UK-produced films. Like many people, I, beforehand, confused Gregory’s Girl and Georgy Girl only because they have very similar titles (at least, phonetically). I’ve seen both films now and, although they are quite different, they both became favourites and helped this cinephile have a joyful time. The reason I’m writing about Forsyth’s picture today is that I’m participating in the It’s in the Name of the Title Blogathon hosted by the intrepid Gill from Real Weegie Midget and Rebecca from Taking Up Room, now two well-known figures of the film blogging community. The idea with this blogathon is pretty much to write about a film that offers one of the three following options: a film with a character’s name in the title, a biopic, or a with an actor or an actress whose first and last name both are first names (think Melvin Douglas). Well, as you can see, I went with the first option (because, spoiler alert, Gregory’s Girl is no biopic, but the story of an awkward and wholesome adolescent many people can probably relate to). 

But, before going on with our appreciation, what is Gregory’s Girl all about? Well, it’s pretty much about Gregory. And some girls! Gregory Underwood (John Gordon Sinclair) is a tall and awkward teenager who spends his time at school, hanging with his friends Andy (Robert Buchanan) and Charlie (Graham Thompson) and playing in the school’s soccer team. However, the team’s coach, Mr D’Arcy (Phil Menzies), is not convinced by the team’s performances and wishes to replace Gregory, who plays centre, as he doesn’t consider him a good player. During tryouts, a GIRL (scandalous!) arrives to give it a try. She’s Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), and she certainly won’t let some guys tell her she can’t be in the team just because she’s a girl. And the coach and the other player have to put their prejudices aside because she is indeed an excellent player.

And for Gregory, it’s love at first sight. Dorothy doesn’t only have impressive skills, she’s also very lovely. So, she eventually becomes the centre, and Gregory is the new goalkeeper. The latter eventually gathers one’s courage and asks Dorothy out, which she immediately accepts as if he had asked her something very banal like “What time is it?” However, when the young lady can’t show up at the date, she makes sure some of her friends can spend the evening with him so the date isn’t completely spoiled. He meets Carol (Caroline Guthrie), Margo (Carol Macartney) and Susan (Clare Grogan). The evening out takes a completely unexpected turn full of fun surprises! 

Gregory’s Girl charms us instantly with its all-Scottish cast that features many young actors, including many who were members of the Glasgow Youth Theatre. For some of them, it was among their first films, and they managed to create a whole that perfectly embodies the ideas of teenage awkwardness and social life. Moreover, they succeeded in making it a tad more realistic than pictures with teenagers portrayed by 30-year-old adults. They were all in their early 20s when the film was released, but the illusion works, and we feel as if they were part of a high school from Glasgow in the early 80s. 

Something that works perfectly among the actors and creates a good flow within the film is the chemistry between them and how they seem to understand each other’s acting intentions. There’s something truly natural about it, which makes these connections even more reliable. We haven’t mentioned her yet, but Allison Forster, who plays Madeline, Gregory’s younger sister, embodies one of those truly unique characters. She’s quite mature for her age and almost acts like Gregory’s mother, always there to be his confidant and help him be a better person. Madeline is a character that can be a favourite among the many colourful ones. Each one has its own identities and moments, but she shines particularly.

As for the main character, Gregory, John Gordon Sinclair gives him the vibe of a guy you want to hang out with, and you know things won’t be dull. He has an aura that makes him a very approachable person who embraces life nonchalantly, taking what’s coming with it. He’s surrounded by other unforgettable characters that help him forge his identity and who he is becoming. Of course, there’s Dorothy. It’s fascinating to see how different they are. However, if they have a similar quality, it’s their willingness to try something, even if they don’t know if it’ll be worth it. For example, Dorothy goes to the tryout and pushes herself to be accepted into the soccer team. As for Gregory, when Dorothy doesn’t show up to the date, he could have gone back home, angry. Instead, he plays the game and agrees to spend the evening with some of Dorothy’s friends. And that’s for the best. Among these friends, the one we’ll remember the most is Susan, played by actress and singer Clare Grogan. She appears earlier in the film in a small role, but she builds her importance as the story progresses. Just like Gregory, she seems to be a fun person with whom you’d like to be friends. She has an adorable sense of humour and projects the idea of a person who never gets angry. 

Although Gregory seems pretty lucky, some other characters aren’t that much, especially his friends Andy and Charlie. The two of them are an inseparable duo that also possibly wants to meet some girls like Gregory, who, to their surprise, seems to be pretty popular all of a sudden (Gregory is not the typical popular high school boy). However, they can’t find the right way to do so. Andy tries to flirt with girls by telling them very nerdy facts that have nothing seducing. As for Charlie, he never talks and pretty much follows Andy around. Honestly, they are hilarious. Another character who doesn’t seem at peace with all that’s going on is the coach. He seems to have a sort of never-ending beef with Gregory and can’t figure him out. He’s a multi-dimensional character who is always on the verge of being discouraged by Gregory or willing to give him another chance. He’s, in that sense, pretty interesting. 

Aside from the colourful characters, what I especially like about this film are all the little details that create its charm. In every scene, you can find something worth noticing and, most of the time, hilarious. We talked about actors, but, honestly, this film also has the best extras. Of course, we remember that random person dressed as a penguin who rambles around in the school. There’s also a scene introducing Gregory and Dorothy practising soccer. We see other students practising their high jump on the sports field. One of them runs towards the bar, and he has zero energy. The way he lands on the mattress is just very amusing and absurd.

The little details can also be in the anodyne things said and done by characters. One of my favourite examples is when Andy declares one of his favourite activities is to watch the big trucks on the road. Also, at some point, Gregory leaves his house, and there’s a bunch of little kids playing outside and one of them is just in a tree like a koala. I mean, I’ve climbed into trees when I was little, but that tree looks way too small, so it’s a vision that doesn’t make a lot of sense. And, in the end, there’s the highlight of the show. No, it doesn’t even involve Gregory. We discover Charlie can talk! Even his friend Andy seems surprised. Honestly, all this forms a precise and sophisticated type of comedy. I feel it’s not something you’d catch immediately on the first watch, but when you do, it’s delightful. Charlie actually says the final quote of the film and one that is meaningful when you think of it. He tells his friend: “Andy, I think everything’s gonna be alright”. We can translate that as, although teenagehood is a difficult step, full of frustrations, at the end of the day, we can all make it. 

What we also appreciate about Gregory’s Girl is its touch of realism that allows us to connect with the characters and their situations. What I especially connected with is the solidarity between the teenage girl friends. There’s also one between the groups of boys, but it’s different, and maybe men will identify more with it. It also shows us that things don’t always happen or turn out the expected way. There’s a lot of nuances. It also proves that even “ordinary” people like Gregory can be more interesting than we think and have a story to tell. Ok, of course, it remains a film, but it is nonetheless something you can apply to real life. 

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Gregory’s Girl was both directed and written by Bill Forsyth. It premiered on May 31, 1981, during a charity premiere in Glasgow. On its release, it was well-appreciated by the critics. Some of the commentaries perfectly understood the essence of Gregory (both the film and the character). Famous film critic Roger Ebert wrote: “The movie contains so much wisdom about being alive and teenage and vulnerable that maybe it would even be painful for a teenager to see it. …”. The film stood up at the BAFTA by winning Best Original Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Director and Best Film, and John Golden Sinclair received a nomination for Best Newcomer. Moreover, the film is ranked at the 29th position on the top 100 British films made by the British Film Institute. It was also a popular success and did excellent at the box office. 

If you haven’t seen Gregory’s Girl, please let yourself enjoy that treat. It’s simple, but there’s always something new to discover on each viewing. As I said, it’s a film that could remind you of your teenagehood or allow you to find a meaningful connection with the characters because they remind you of yourself or a friend from high school. 

A huge thanks to Gill and Rebecca for hosting! Please make sure not to miss the other articles written for that blogathon.

Day 1

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Sources :

Ebert, Roger (1 January 1981). “Gregory’s Girl”. RogerEbert.com.

“Gregory’s Girl (1981): Awards”. IMDB. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082477/awards/.

Plowright, Molly (1 May 1981). “Scottish story scores success for Forsyth”. The Glasgow Herald. p. 6.

Robey, Tim (4 April 2021). “Gregory’s Girl: the little British film that charmed the world”. The Daily Telegraph.