The Boat That Rocked (titled Pirate Radio in North America) is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis about pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s. The film has an ensemble cast consisting of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh. Set in 1967, it tells the story of the fictional pirate radio station "Radio Rock" and its crew of eclectic disc jockeys, who broadcast rock and pop music to the United Kingdom from a ship anchored in the North Sea while the British government tries to shut them down. It was produced by Working Title Films for Universal Pictures and was filmed on the Isle of Portland and at Shepperton Studios.
After the world premiere in Leicester Square on 23 March 2009, the film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 April 2009. For its North American release, the film was cut by 20 minutes, retitled Pirate Radio, and opened on 13 November 2009,
Plot[]
In 1966, numerous pirate radio stations broadcast to the United Kingdom from ships anchored in international waters, specialising in rock and pop music that is not played on BBC Radio. Seventeen-year-old Carl, recently expelled from school, is sent to stay with his godfather Quentin, who runs the station "Radio Rock" anchored in the North Sea. Carl is introduced to the eclectic crew of disc jockeys and staffers: “The Count,” the station’s star DJ, “Simple” Simon Swafford, Angus “The Nut” Nutsford of New Zealand, “Doctor” Dave, the news reporter John, the lesbian cook Felicity and the dim but well-meaning “Thick” Kevin, who becomes Carl’s roommate. Carl is quickly accepted into the crew, participating in game nights with them and watching The Count be the first
At the start of the film Doctor Dave and Carl conspire to have Carl lose his virginity. Dave has his girlfriend get naked and lie in bed for him while he turns off the lights and goes into the bathroom, where Carl has hidden. Carl then gets naked and walks into the dark room in an attempt to deceive Dave's girlfriend. However she turns the lights on and sees who was really about to have sex with her, and Carl gets embarrassed and leaves.
In London, government minister Sir Alistair Dormandy resolves to shut down pirate radio stations due to their commercialism and low morals, instructing his subordinate Domenic Twatt to find legal loopholes that will serve this end (threatening termination and blacklisting if he doesn't). They attempt to cut off the stations' revenue by prohibiting British businesses from advertising on unlicensed radio stations. Quentin counters this by bringing massively popular DJ Gavin Kavanagh out of retirement and onto Radio Rock, enticing his advertisers to work around the law by paying their bills from abroad. Gavin's popularity creates a rivalry between himself and The Count, who was initially brought to Radio Rock as Gavin's replacement.
On his eighteenth birthday Carl is introduced to Quentin's niece Marianne and falls instantly in love with her, but is heartbroken when she is seduced by Doctor Dave. Carl's roommate "Thick" Kevin observes that the sex, drug, and alcohol-filled atmosphere of Radio Rock is clearly no place for Carl to get on the straight-and-narrow. He theorises that the real reason Carl's mother sent him there is that his father—whom Carl has never met—is someone on the ship, with Quentin being the likeliest suspect.
DJ "Simple" Simon Swafford marries Elenore in an onboard ceremony, but soon learns that she only married him as a means to live on the ship and be with Gavin, with whom she is infatuated but refuses to marry her (or anyone). The Count challenges Gavin to a game of chicken in defence of Simon's honour: The two climb one of the ship's radio masts in a clash of egos, reconciling after they are both injured by jumping into the ocean below. When Carl's mother Charlotte visits for Christmas, she denies his suspicion that Quentin is his father. As she departs, Carl passes on a cryptic message from reclusive late-night DJ "Smooth" Bob Silver, leading to the unexpected revelation that Bob is actually his father. Soon afterwards, Marianne returns to the ship and apologises to Carl for sleeping with Doctor Dave. She and Carl have sex that night. The following morning, The Count and the rest of the DJ's announce the news of the event to millions of cheering fans all over Britain.
Meanwhile, Dormandy's mission to ban pirate radio advances when Twatt comes across news of a fishing boat whose distress call was blocked by Radio Rock's powerful signal. Twatt proposes the creation of the Marine Offences Act, which will make pirate radio stations illegal on the grounds that they endanger other vessels. Despite public opinion being heavily in support of the pirate stations, the Act passes unanimously through Parliament and takes effect at midnight on 1 January 1967. The Radio Rock crew choose to defy the law and continue to broadcast, firing up the ship's engine so that they may avoid arrest by relocating. The aging vessel cannot take the strain, causing the engine to explode and the ship to start sinking. The DJs broadcast their position in hope of aid, and Twatt appeals to Dormandy to send rescue boats, but Dormandy refuses. Carl rescues the oblivious Bob from his cabin, while The Count vows to continue broadcasting as long as possible.
With the lifeboats inoperable, all gather on the prow as the ship begins to go down. They are rescued by dozens of fans, who heard about their broadcast predicament, and have motored out in a fleet of small boats to save them; Carl himself is rescued by Marianne, Simon is rescued by a female fan who genuinely loves him, Dave being rescued by a throng of female fans, and Elenore rescuing Gavin. The Radio Rock ship disappears beneath the sea, with The Count emerging from the sinking vessel at the last moment. Though pirate radio in Britain comes to an end, the music lives on, with rock and pop becoming increasingly popular in subsequent decades, broadcast over hundreds of 'legal' stations around the world.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as "The Count", the brash American DJ on Radio Rock, loosely based on Emperor Rosko, DJ on pirate Radio Caroline in 1966.
- Tom Sturridge as "Young" Carl, who is sent to stay with his godfather Quentin on the Radio Rock ship.
- Bill Nighy as Quentin, Carl's godfather, who runs Radio Rock.
- Will Adamsdale as "News" John Mayford, the station's news and weather reporter.
- Rhys Ifans as Gavin Kavanagh, a massively popular DJ brought out of retirement by Quentin, leading to a professional rivalry with The Count.
- Nick Frost as DJ "Doctor" Dave, who unsuccessfully attempts to help Carl lose his virginity, and later has sex with Carl's crush, Marianne.
- Tom Brooke as "Thick" Kevin, Carl's intellectually dense cabin-mate and member of the Radio Rock staff.
- Rhys Darby as Angus "The Nut" Nutsford, DJ and lone New Zealander on the ship.
- Katherine Parkinson as Felicity, the lesbian cook and the only single woman permitted to live on the ship.
- Chris O'Dowd as "Simple" Simon Swafford, Radio Rock's breakfast DJ who marries Elenore and learns on their wedding night that she married him to be near Gavin. O'Dowd drew inspiration from Tony Blackburn, the morning DJ on pirate station Radio Caroline in the 1960s, and his Irish contemporary Larry Gogan.
- Tom Wisdom as "Midnight" Mark, Radio Rock's suave night time DJ who rarely speaks but has female listeners swooning over him; he is known as "The Sexiest Man on the Planet". In one scene, he "entertains" about 30 naked women who are part of a large group of fans that visit the ship.
- Ralph Brown as hippy "Smooth" Bob Silver, "The Dawn Treader" (3, 6 a.m. shift), Radio Rock's reclusive early-morn DJ.
- Ike Hamilton as Harold, the station's radio assistant.
- Kenneth Branagh as Sir Alistair Dormandy, a strict government minister who endeavours to shut down pirate radio stations. Portrayed as a Conservative, but based on Labour Postmaster General Tony Benn.
- Sinead Matthews as Miss C (aka Miss Clitt, as revealed in the DVD deleted scenes), Dormandy's assistant who secretly listens to Radio Rock.
- Jack Davenport as Domenic Twatt, Dormandy's subordinate who is assigned the task of finding legal loopholes that can be used to shut down pirate radio stations.
- Talulah Riley as Marianne, Quentin's niece, (and a fan of Dave) with whom Carl falls instantly in love.
- Emma Thompson as Charlotte, Carl's mother.
- January Jones as Elenore ('the goddess' according to Quentin), who marries Simon so that she can live on the ship and carry on a sexual relationship with Gavin; Simon ends the marriage after 17 hours.
- Gemma Arterton as Desiree, a female fan; Dave tries to trick her into having sex with Carl.
Minor Cast[]
In order of appearance:
- Michael Hadley as Mr. Roberts
- Charlie Rowe as James Roberts
- Lucy Fleming as Mrs. Roberts
- Ian Mercer as Transfer Boatman
- Stephen Moore as Prime Minister
- Michael Thomas as Sandford
- Bo Poraj as Fredericks
- Olegar Fedoro as Radio Rock Captain
- Amanda Fairbank-Hynes as Jemima Dormandy
- Francesca Longrigg as Mrs. Dormandy
- David Sterne as Er An Mor Captain
- Olivia Llewellyn as Margaret