''Give Them Wings'' is a 2022 British drama film directed by
Sean Cronin and starring Daniel Watson,
Toyah Wilcox
Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English musician, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Willcox has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays an ...
, Bill Fellows, Jacob Anderton,
Katie Sheridan
Katie Teresa Sheridan is an English actress. She has appeared in feature films such as '' Heretiks'' (2018) and ''Together'' (2018), and her television roles include appearances in the BBC series ''Doctors'', '' Waking the Dead'' and ''Love So ...
, Rachel Warren, Jonathan Hansler,
Debra Stephenson
Debra Stephenson (born 4 June 1972) is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in ''Playing the Field'', Shell Dockley in '' Bad Girls'' and as Frankie Baldwin in ''Coronation Street''.
...
,
Tracey Wilkinson
Tracey Wilkinson is an English actress primarily known for her role as Di Barker in the series '' Bad Girls''. She joined the prison drama in Series 2 as a caring prison officer new to G-Wing, but by the end of her time on the programme in Series 7 ...
and
Bruce Payne
Bruce Martyn Payne (born 22 November 1958) is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, such as Charles Rane in '' Passenger 57'', Jacob Kell in '' Highlander: En ...
.
Plot
The film tells the story of Paul Hodgson, who was left unable to speak or move after a bout of meningitis as a child. The film explores how Paul 'made the best out of a bad situation'.
Cast
* Daniel Watson as Paul Hodgson
*
Toyah Willcox
Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English musician, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Willcox has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays an ...
as Alice Hodgson
* Bill Fellows as Norman Hodgson
* Jacob Anderton as Ian Carter
*
Katie Sheridan
Katie Teresa Sheridan is an English actress. She has appeared in feature films such as '' Heretiks'' (2018) and ''Together'' (2018), and her television roles include appearances in the BBC series ''Doctors'', '' Waking the Dead'' and ''Love So ...
as Jane
* Rachel Warren as Karen
*
Jonathan Hansler
Jonathan Hansler is an English actor. He has worked in theatre, film and television.
Career Television
Hansler's television roles include the aristocrat Colin Tennant in the 2005 TV movie ''The Queen's Sister'', Mr Pelham in the BBC drama s ...
as Ernest Hogg
*
Debra Stephenson
Debra Stephenson (born 4 June 1972) is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in ''Playing the Field'', Shell Dockley in '' Bad Girls'' and as Frankie Baldwin in ''Coronation Street''.
...
as Ethel Hogg
*
Bruce Payne
Bruce Martyn Payne (born 22 November 1958) is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, such as Charles Rane in '' Passenger 57'', Jacob Kell in '' Highlander: En ...
as Dr Markum
*
Tracey Wilkinson
Tracey Wilkinson is an English actress primarily known for her role as Di Barker in the series '' Bad Girls''. She joined the prison drama in Series 2 as a caring prison officer new to G-Wing, but by the end of her time on the programme in Series 7 ...
as Marion Carter
*Dominic Weatherill as Richard
Production
In order to raise funding for the film, the director,
Sean Cronin, organised a football match in which former footballers competed against a team of celebrities.
Reception
John Higgins gave the film four out of five stars and stated that it focuses 'on the deeper feelings and issues of an under-represented demographic and, as a result, reveals a real insight and truth within a film that works well'.
Higgins also stated that 'Watson is brilliant in the lead role' and that
Willcox delivers a 'revelation of a performance'.
Phil Hoad, who reviewed the film for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', gave the film a score of three stars out of five and described it as a 'disarmingly sincere autobiopic'.
Hoad also stated that director Cronin got 'supple, generous performances from his cast across the board' and that the film contained 'some of the innocence and goodwill of vintage British studio-era films'.
Richard Maguire awarded the film a score of three stars out of five.
Maguire stated that 'Sean Cronin’s film is ultimately a feel-good movie about a man overcoming his challenges, but along the way the journey is surprisingly dark'.
Maguire described Daniel Watson's portrayal of Paul as 'lively, funny and engaging'.
Maguire also stated that
Toyah Willcox
Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English musician, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Willcox has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays an ...
surprises as Paul's mother and that her 'hardworking and phlegmatic character' was a million miles from her first roles like Monkey in ''
Quadrophenia
''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the two previous being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, Whil ...
'' or Mad in
Derek Jarman
Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman (31 January 1942 – 19 February 1994) was an English artist, film maker, costume designer, stage designer, writer, gardener and gay rights activist.
Biography
Jarman was born at the Royal Victoria Nursing Home ...
’s ''
Jubilee
A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...
'' '.
The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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...
's Neil Green described the film as 'very special'.
'' and 'was often a very bleak piece of work'.
Nonetheless, Fecou stated that viewers who remembered 'the golden age of British film slice-of-life presentations' would 'find a lot to enjoy here'.
Graham Fuller gave the film a rating of three out of five stars and stated that it 'is a crowd-pleasing underdog with guts, grit and an admirable streak of unsentimental humour'.
Fuller was critical of 'Paul’s friendship with a neighbour who fancies himself an inventor (
are irresistible as this hearty bloke and his narrow-minded wife)' being 'the source of a preposterous
that leads to rapprochements'.
Nonetheless, Fuller conceded that although 'this requires one character to perform a volte-face that should have been foreshadowed much earlier, it’s intolerable to imagine ''Give Them Wings'' ending any other way than it does – on a high'.