''Skellig'' (known in North America as ''Skellig: The Owl Man'') is a 2009 British

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

film directed by

Annabel Jankel Annabel Jankel (born 1 June 1955), also known as AJ Jankel, is a British film and TV director who first came to prominence as a music video director and the co-creator of the pioneering cyber-character Max Headroom and as co-director of the film ...

, and starring Tim Roth and Bill Milner. The

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

by Irena Brignull is based on

David Almond David Almond (born 15 May 1951) is a British author who has written many novels for children and young adults from 1998, each one receiving critical acclaim. He is one of thirty children's writers, and one of three from the UK, to win the bienn ...

's novel of the same name.

Plot

Elementary school student Michael Cooper moves with his parents and newborn sister to a decrepit house. Michael feels pushed out by them, while they accompany their daughter. Michael enters the dilapidated garden shed, where he meets Skellig. Louise has been occupied for premature labour. Michael helps by calling an ambulance, but blames himself. Louise sends the girl to a hospital some time later. Dave plans to remove the shed. The girl becomes sick with a potentially fatal heart problem. Michael befriends a girl named Mina. Louise blames Dave for moving into the house. After Dave sets the shed ablaze, Michael and Skellig move to the woods near Mina's house, where he shows her his burned hand. Michael and Mina take Skellig to a tall tower and examine his owl wings. They hold hands with him and fly mystically around in a circle. It is revealed that Skellig can use magic as Michael's hand is cured. Michael talks to Grace, an old lady whom he talks to every time he is at the hospital to visit with the new baby. He promises her that he will visit her. The next day when the baby goes in for the operation, he goes to visit Grace, but she died in her sleep the night before. He runs to Skellig and tells him to cure the girl like his hand. To prove that he can heal her, Michael jumps off the tower, but Skellig saves and tells him to fall asleep while flying and he does. Skellig goes to the hospital unnoticed and walks into the baby's room. He picks the girl from her cot and does as before: flies off the ground and spins around as she lies sleeping in his arms. This miraculously cures the baby, and he returns it to the family. When Michael asks their name, they tell him they cannot find the right one, and he names her Grace. The family return to the house where her room is bright yellow, and Dave works on it while Grace was in hospital. (The baby is named Joy after

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

's novel poem) Skellig accompanies Michael and Mina at the tower.

Cast

* Tim Roth as Skellig * Bill Milner as Michael Cooper * Skye Bennett as Mina * Kelly Macdonald as Louise *

John Simm John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970) is an English actor, director, and musician. He is best known for playing Sam Tyler in ''Life on Mars'', the Master in ''Doctor Who,'' and DS Roy Grace in ''Grace.'' His other television credits include '' S ...

as Dave * Jermaine Allen as Leakey *

Edna Doré Edna Lillian Doré (née Gorring; 31 May 1921 – 11 April 2014) was a British actress. She was known for her bit-part roles in sitcoms and for playing the character of Mo Butcher in '' EastEnders'' from 1988 to 1990. Career Doré began her c ...

as Grace *

Eros Vlahos Eros Vlahos (born 13 January 1995) is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his roles as Cyril Gray in ''Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang'', Jake Farley in ''Summer in Transylvania'', and Lommy Greenhands in ''Game of Thrones''. He also a ...

as Coot * Alexander Armstrong as Mr. Hunt * Navin Chowdhry as Mr. Watson * Nickie Rainsford as Mina's mother *

Tameka Empson Tameka Empson (born 16 April 1977) is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show ''3 Non-Blondes''. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC soap ...

as Nurse #1 * Lisa Zahra as Nurse #2

Production

The film was part of Sky 1's plan to invest £10 million in producing three new high-definition dramas. Filming started on 2 September 2008 in

Caerphilly Caerphilly (, ; cy, Caerffili, ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley. It is north of Cardiff and northwest of Newport. It is the largest town in Caerphilly County Borough, and lies wit ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

with scenes shot in and around

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, Wales. Cast members included Roth, Milner, Skye Bennett, Kelly Macdonald and

. The film was scripted by Irena Brignull and directed by

. It aired on Sky 1 on 12 April 2009.

Awards

* Won - ''Cinekid Film Award - Honorable Mention'' * Nominated - ''

RTS Television Award The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

'' for Best Effects in Picture Enhancement * Nominated - ''

'' for Best Effects in Special Effects * Nominated - ''

'' for Best Make-Up Design * Nominated - '' VES Awards'' for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Mini-Series or Series * Nominated - ''PI.CA'' for Everything

Notes

External links

* {{Sky1 2009 films 2009 television films 2000s British films 2000s coming-of-age films 2000s fantasy drama films British drama television films British coming-of-age films British fantasy drama films Fantasy television films Films based on British novels Films based on children's books Films directed by Annabel Jankel Films shot in Wales Magic realism films Sky UK original programming