The Full Monty - How Far Would You Go In Tough Times?

Times are tough all over, and people will resort to things they normally wouldn’t consider. Usually that means crime, as In when times are tough people are more likely to do something illegal in order to keep food on their table and a roof over their heads. A novel twist on what would you do if you had to comes in the British film The Full Monty.

In Sheffield, England, times are tough. Even twelve years ago, this city was one that suffered, mostly due to the change in times as we have seen happen in this country with cities like Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Sheffield is a city built on the steel industry, and that industry had been losing jobs left and right.  People have resorted to stripping metal out of the shuttered factories for the few dollars the scrap metal will bring them.  This is what introduces the viewer to the two main characters of the film, Gaz and Dave (portrayed by Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy).

On the way home from one of the unproductive days in the scrap metal arena, they stumble upon a club where the women are waiting outside to see a male stripper show.  Gaz spies on the show a bit, then leaves with his son.  The next day he's at the job club with his mates and ex-foreman telling them about the show and the number of women outside the show.  When they figure the amount of money that a show like that takes in, Gaz's head starts to get ideas.  The point is driven home even more when his ex-wife files with the court for the support he owes and to end visitation.

The three principal characters each have their own issues they are working through.  Gaz's is the most obvious with the issue of trying to parent a child whom he only sees on a schedule as well as contribute monetarily when he's out of work.  For Dave, he has to work through the issue of being a bit on the chubby side when compared to the others in their dance troupe, and the effect the physical intimidation has on his marriage.  Finally, Gerald (portrayed by Tom Wilkinson), who was the foreman at the steel plant, hasn't told his wife that he's been out of work for six months.  He continues to cover-up the lie and indulge her spending habits.

The film largely works because of these smaller stories endearing the characters to us. It’s not just about a bunch of out of work steel workers deciding to strip to make money, as the promotional blurbs usually described the film. There was much more to it. The story really is about what happens to someone who’s out of work and how they are stripped of everything over time. It’s not just material possessions that go, but in time their relationships as well as their own sense of dignity and value in the world. It’s only in actually stripping themselves of everything and presenting themselves naked to the world that these men manage to find some sense of pride once again.

Gaz is a sympathetic character even though we know he’s not contributing to his son’s care simply because the situation gives him no real options. There are no jobs to be had, not even in a grocery store. It’s very clear he wants to be a father to his son, and the two spend time together, but he is running up against the expectations of his ex-wife and society. His character is the focus of the film, but the others have their own stories.

The acting is terrific. If you know some of the names now, they weren’t household names back in 1997 when the film was released. I think this works better than with easily recognized names in the cast where people come to view the film with preconceived notions of what to expect. No one’s going in just to see Tom Cruise’s naked butt. The cast looks like ordinary men, lumps and all, and it goes a long way to making the film endearing and fun.

The DVD release contains plenty of extras including two commentaries and deleted footage. The most interesting piece I found was about the success of the film and the effect it had on not just those involved in the film but the British film industry in general. This isn’t a DVD that was just put out there to rake in as much as they could get, but something given to the audience with much appreciation by those who worked on it.

The Full Monty is a film with a mixture of humor and comments on the human condition. It’s fun to watch the reactions as they develop their plan and how it affects all of them. Still, in the end I had to wonder where they went from there once it was all over. They were still out of work steelworkers with no real job prospects in a dying city. However, the group of friends managed to capture a spark and light it for a brief time in their lives that they will always remember. We should all be so lucky.


SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Commentary by Director Peter Cattaneo and Actor Mark Addy
• Commentary by Producer Uberto Pasolini
• The Deleted Footage (available with commentary by Director Peter Cattaneo and Mark Addy)
• The Cast
• Original Publicity Campaign
• Music Machine
• DVD Credits
• Development
• Production
• The Success and Its Aftermath
• A Bigger Picture - A Look At The British Film Indistry In The '90's



© 2009 Patti Aliventi