Themes: Crime Gone Awry, Hijackings, One Last Heist
Main Cast: Phil Collins, Julie Walters, Larry Lamb, Stephanie Lawrence, Ellen Beaven
Release Year: 1988
Country: UK
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
On August 8, 1963, the Royal Mail train, on its nighttime run from London to Glasgow, was robbed by 15 men who got away with 2.6 million pounds (today the equivalent of $35 million). Buster tells the story of one of the junior robbers, Buster Edwards (played by pop singer Phil Collins), in a crime that came to be known as the Great Train Robbery. The film details the planning of the famous heist, but its main concern is Buster's relationship with his family and his devotion to his wife June (Julie Walters). The Edwards are like a British Kramden family, trying to make ends meet from day-to-day in their rental apartment, but instead of a bus driver, Buster is a two-bit thief who has the fine luck of hardly ever getting caught. After the Royal mail train robbery, the heat intensifies, since the Conservative Government, already smarting from the Profumo scandal, latches onto the train robbery as a means to deflect attention from the scandal by bringing the train robbers quickly to justice. Buster and June go into hiding and have a series of close calls before finally escaping to Mexico. Finally in paradise, the Edwards find their money quickly being eaten up and discover that they cannot adapt to the Mexico milieu. June, for her part, is homesick, and Buster, always ready to keep her happy, makes the grand gesture -- to return to England and turn himself in to the police. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Michael Attwell - Harry; Ralph Brown - Ronny Biggs; Christopher Ellison - George; Sheila Hancock - Mrs. Rothery; Martin Jarvis - Inspector Jack Mitchell; Clive Wood - Sgt. Chalmers; Anthony Quayle - Sir James McDowell; John Benfield - Jimmy; Michael Byrne - Poyser; Sergio Calderon - Fruit Seller; Álvaro Carcaño - Boat Captain; Rodolfo de Alexandra - Market Stallholder; Stewart Harwood - Chip Shop Owner; Harold Innocent - Justice Parry; Martin Lasalle - Mexican Waiter; Graham Lines - Vicar; Jean Ainslie - Post Office Lady; John Barrard - Walter; Carole Collins - Linda; Tony Collins - Taxi Driver; Alan Cowan - Fireman; Timothy Davies - Gang Member; Jessica Green - Mandy; Pauline Little - Sally; Ian Lowe; Francisco Morales - Mexican Doctor; Amy Shindler - Susan; David Shindler - David; Evangelina Sosa - Maria; Rupert Vansittart - Fairclough; Vitelbo Vazquez - Hospital Receptionist; Roger McKern; Vincenzo Nicoli; James Donnelly - Rent Man; Frank Ellis; John Patrick - Seaman
Credit
Clinton Cavers - Art Director, Redmond Morris - Associate Producer, Debbie McWilliams - Casting, Evangeline Harrison - Costume Designer, David Green - Director, Lesley Walker - Editor, Peter Strauss - Executive Producer, Frank Giustra - Executive Producer, Anne Dudley - Composer (Music Score), Harry Armstrong - Songwriter, Burt Bacharach - Songwriter, Gilbert Becaud - Songwriter, Sonny Bono - Songwriter, Gregory Carroll - Songwriter, Phil Collins - Songwriter, Hal David - Songwriter, Delanoe & Curtis - Songwriter, Lamont Dozier - Songwriter, John Edwards - Songwriter, Mort Garson - Songwriter, Robert Hilliard - Songwriter, Maurice Jarre - Songwriter, Ferrie Lordan - Songwriter, Mitch Murray - Songwriter, Doris Payne - Songwriter, Carole Bayer Sager - Songwriter, F.A. Shepherd - Songwriter, Domus Shuman - Songwriter, T. Wine - Songwriter, Norma Hill-Patton - Makeup, Simon Holland - Production Designer, Tony Imi - Cinematographer, John Daly - Producer, Derek Gibson - Producer, Frank Giustra - Producer, Norma Heyman - Producer, Peter E. Strauss - Producer, Crispian Sallis - Set Designer, Ken Weston - Sound/Sound Designer, Mark McBridge - Stunts, Tip Tipping - Stunts, Colin Shindler - Screenwriter, David Shindler - Screenwriter, Fred Terry - Featured Music
For several months after the robbery, Buster and June are in hiding with their young daughter Nicky (Ellie Beaven) until they are turned in to the police by a suspicious neighbour. Buster flees to Acapulco where he is met by fellow Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds (Larry Lamb) and his girlfriend Franny Reynolds (Stephanie Lawrence) who are also on the run and living it up in the sun with the profits of their crime.
June and Nicky arrive despite the disapproval of her mother (Sheila Hancock) and although Nicky seems to love her new life in the sun, June is immediately not keen on their new way of life, resolving to return to England, despite knowing that if Buster is to return with them, then this will mean imprisonment for him.
Buster remains in Acapulco for some time after June leaves, until realising (while celebrating England's 1966 World Cup triumph) that despite him having money and the sun, it means nothing if he doesn't have his family and returns to England to accept his punishment.
The film closes, twelve years after Buster's release from jail, seemingly content and running a flower stall near Lambeth Bridge on the Thames. The real Buster Edwards had a less happy ending in real life, as he committed suicide in 1994.
Several Phil Collins singles were released from the soundtrack, including "A Groovy Kind of Love" and "Two Hearts", which reached #1 and #6 on the UK Singles Chart respectively. Both songs were Number One singles in the US.[1] Phil Collins also co-wrote Loco in Acapulco which was performed by The Four Tops for the soundtrack. Two Hearts got an Oscar nomination for Best song in 1988.
Reception
Out of respect for Jack Mills, the driver of the mail train who was coshed by the thieves during the robbery, the film was denied a cinematic release in his home town of Crewe. Mills never fully recovered from his injuries and was unable to return to work following the robbery. He died in 1970 of leukaemia.
