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memorabilia. She insists on being the manager, and Tony agrees. Gradually, Karen and Tony track down other members: bassist Les Wickes, now a family man and roofer; drummer David "Beano" Baggot, working at a plant nursery and on the run from the taxman; and lead singer Ray Simms who, after years of drug and alcohol abuse, is now sober. Though claiming to be working on a solo album, Simms has not released anything in ten years.
319:
remaining attached to Brian. At a gig, Ray's over-the-top ideas backfire and Les and Ray walk off. Following a confrontation with Les, Ray has a nervous breakdown, exacerbated by turning fifty. Ray leaves the gig, buys drugs and falls into a canal. Karen's daughter rescues him and Ray's wife blames Karen for his troubles. Following an angry reaction from locals over the noise, the band escape to their bus and flee.
27:
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find Brian in a psychiatric hospital. He explains he gave up his material possessions to sever himself from his previous life. When he agrees to rejoin the band, the others follow. At a pre-show press conference, hostile questions cause Brian to walk out. Everyone but Luke follows and Luke chastises the journalists. Visibly shaken, Brian decides to back out of the show but gives his blessing.
323:
shows go well; the band becomes more optimistic. Following a record deal, the band records a new song written and sung by Les, which Ray had never allowed. After watching a recorded drunken TV interview in which Les and Beano imply that the band was better with Keith and Brian, Ray breaks down again and quits.
314:
The band meets up at the Red Lion pub. Everyone expects Brian Lovell, the band's lead guitarist, to be there. Karen says she could not find him but learned he donated his royalties to charity; everyone assumes he died. Their roadie, Hughie, turns up during their first rehearsal to resume his original
322:
Les and Ray make up and Ray says he "received a positive message" from Brian's ghost. The bus breaks down and Karen confronts the band about their lack of confidence. When the band meet a girl wearing a
Strange Fruit tour T-shirt that belonged to her father, they take it as a good sign. The next few
330:
Beano nearly misses the set when a stalker-groupie, whom he has long mistaken for a tax officer, demands sex. The band starts their set with the same song with which they opened up the last
Wisbech Festival. Though Ray's confidence is shaken, Tony saves him by playing "The Flame Still Burns". Brian
326:
As the band members return to their former lives, Karen and Claire visit Keith's grave to pay their respects. They find a note that quotes "The Flame Still Burns", a tribute to Keith written by Brian. Hughie is then confronted by Karen and reluctantly admits he knows Brian is alive. Karen and Tony
318:
Following a warm up
European tour, Karen negotiates for the rights to their catalogue. Their initial performances are poorly received. Les, Beano and Hughie have little hope for the band, believing the dead Keith and missing Brian to be the main talent. Tony propositions Karen but she resists,
306:
The band
Strange Fruit performs at the 1977 Wisbech Rock Festival. Hughie Case tells how, due to the pursuit of "fame, fortune and fornication" – and the drug overdose of their original singer, Keith Lovell – this is their last performance. After various issues, the band prematurely ends their
310:
Twenty years later, a stranger who turns out to be the
Festival's founder's son recognises keyboardist Tony Costello and convinces him to reunite the band for an anniversary show. Tony tracks down Karen Knowles, their original runaround-girl. Reluctant, she is inspired to return after finding
71:
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in the same concert venue where they played their last gig. The film focuses on the personal lives of the band members and those closest to them, and their individual experiences with approaching middle-age and the success that eluded them.
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gave the movie a B+ rating, saying "The ensemble acting is fun, generous, and gentle, and the music is as good as
Strange Fruit ought to be, with classically grandiose '70s poetic sentiments. When the band hits its reunion climax,
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isn't that it's overly earnest (which it is) or that it's too easy to make fun of (minimum effort required), it's that cast and crew alike seem primed for comedy in the film's first half, and then abruptly depart those
278:(his final film before his death in 2004). The plot concerns a fictional 1970s rock band named Strange Fruit, who, after being split up for two decades, are persuaded to get back together to perform at a
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encourages frankly emotional tears. And why not: There's nothing more comforting than the sight of grizzled old guys rocking on while the rest of us buy a ticket to feel young." Marc Savlov from
495:
praised Brian Gibson's direction for crafting a "solid blend of humor and heart", the performances from the main cast (highlighting Nighy's portrayal of Ray), and the musical contributions from
331:
is pleased to hear the band playing the song, which helps him finally overcome his demons and joins the band onstage to play an inspiring guitar solo, much to everyone's surprise and delight.
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role. Ray insists on playing guitar but is convinced to sing. They find a replacement for Brian in young Luke Shand, a talented guitarist who is ignorant of the band's tensions.
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gave initial praise to the film's "wicked comic energy" found early on, but felt it devolves into "a deadly dull mishmash" it never gets out of, saying "The problem with
552:, saying that if you look past its "cheap charm" you have a mishandled topic about middle-aged former rockers who lack sympathy for viewers to care about.
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can't completely escape the shadow left by the classic rock mockumentaries of the past, but it earns a commendable number of laughs in its own right."
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gives the film a 73% approval rating based on 26 reviews and an average score of 6.56/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "
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Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the
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performance, frustrated over competing egos and members' lack of self-control.
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for capturing '70s rock bombast, calling it a "prime piece of entertainment."
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The songs that the band
Strange Fruit perform in the film are:
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Also, "Stealin'" is performed by Billy
Connolly's character.
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found the film "overly dramatic and often dull" compared to
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895:Higgins, Bill; Hontz, Jenny (16 December 1998).
1516:Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story
576:for "The Flame Still Burns" by Chris Difford,
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274:is a 1998 British comedy film directed by
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1639:Films with screenplays by Ian La Frenais
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580:and Mick Jones, but lost both awards to
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570:Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
292:Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
1634:Films with screenplays by Dick Clement
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1052:Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
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1084:The Further Adventures of Lucky Jim
730:from the original on 4 October 2020
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928:Higgins, Bill (24 January 1999).
940:from the original on 7 June 2019
909:from the original on 7 June 2019
876:from the original on 2 June 2019
839:from the original on 2 June 2019
825:Savlov, Marc (29 January 1999).
806:from the original on 2 June 2019
770:from the original on 2 June 2019
564:received two nominations at the
25:
1614:Films about music and musicians
1044:Further Adventures of Lucky Jim
858:Klein, Joshua (29 March 2002).
1629:Films shot at Pinewood Studios
1619:Films directed by Brian Gibson
1508:Poltergeist II: The Other Side
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606:Still Crazy (soundtrack album)
457:Sean McKenzie as young "Beano"
1:
1540:What's Love Got to Do with It
1524:Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
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460:Matthew Finney as young Brian
1624:Films set in the Netherlands
1594:1990s English-language films
827:"Still Crazy - Movie Review"
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442:Virginia Clay as young Karen
38:about the film's production.
7:
451:Gavin Kennedy as young Tony
290:in 1999 in two categories:
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930:"Globes 'In Love' and war"
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1532:The Josephine Baker Story
1484:The Billion Dollar Bubble
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566:56th Golden Globe Awards
454:Alex Palmer as young Les
1604:Columbia Pictures films
619:"The Flame Still Burns"
373:as David "Beano" Baggot
334:
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640:"What Might Have Been"
36:is missing information
1258:Never Say Never Again
1250:The Prisoner of Zenda
391:as young Keith Lovell
1599:British comedy films
1135:Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
832:The Austin Chronicle
799:Entertainment Weekly
622:"All Over the World"
524:The Austin Chronicle
506:Entertainment Weekly
1589:1990s British films
1338:Across the Universe
1108:Parents of the Band
1092:The Old Boy Network
792:(5 February 1999).
752:(22 January 1999).
611:Strange Fruit songs
583:Shakespeare in Love
1470:Films directed by
1100:Tracey Takes On...
637:"Dangerous Things"
574:Best Original Song
545:This Is Spinal Tap
474:Review aggregator
437:Rupert Penry-Jones
407:Alphonsia Emmanuel
296:Best Original Song
1584:1998 comedy films
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593:Quest for Camelot
578:Marti Frederiksen
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865:The A.V. Club
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860:"Still Crazy"
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794:"Still Crazy"
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759:Rolling Stone
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754:"Still Crazy"
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714:"Still Crazy"
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379:as Luke Shand
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367:as Les Wickes
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1414:(film, 1971)
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628:"Black Moon"
625:"Dirty Town"
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343:as Ray Simms
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195:Clive Langer
98:Dick Clement
85:Brian Gibson
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1556:Still Crazy
1306:Still Crazy
1138:(1983–2004)
975:Still Crazy
964:Still Crazy
562:Still Crazy
529:Still Crazy
519:Still Crazy
480:Still Crazy
359:Stephen Rea
271:Still Crazy
185:Peter Boyle
176:Ashley Rowe
129:Stephen Rea
112:Produced by
81:Directed by
64:Still Crazy
1579:1998 films
1573:Categories
1282:Vice Versa
1194:The Jokers
648:References
600:Soundtrack
588:The Prayer
550:The Rutles
497:Mick Jones
427:as herself
409:as Camille
365:Jimmy Nail
341:Bill Nighy
260:Box office
239:95 minutes
223:1998-10-30
149:Bill Nighy
139:Jimmy Nail
91:Written by
50:April 2023
1548:The Juror
1430:(1991–93)
1422:(1980–84)
1159:Archangel
1146:(1986–94)
1111:(2008–09)
1103:(1996–99)
1063:(1974–77)
1055:(1973–74)
1039:(1964–66)
1015:Works by
870:The Onion
698:21 August
560:In 1999,
556:Accolades
465:Reception
263:$ 524,864
181:Edited by
42:talk page
1266:Bullshot
1242:Porridge
1116:Henry IX
1060:Porridge
938:Archived
907:Archived
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768:Archived
728:Archived
425:Zoë Ball
252:Language
191:Music by
122:Starring
1427:Spender
1226:Villain
1143:Lovejoy
1028:Sitcoms
934:Variety
902:Variety
590:" from
280:reunion
255:English
244:Country
221: (
1559:(1998)
1551:(1996)
1543:(1993)
1535:(1991)
1527:(1990)
1519:(1989)
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1314:Honest
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1154:(1993)
1119:(2017)
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1079:(1978)
1071:(1974)
1047:(1967)
944:2 June
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880:2 June
843:2 June
810:2 June
774:2 June
734:6 June
673:5 July
1373:Billy
1322:Goal!
1274:Water
1202:Otley
1186:Films
586:and "
510:'
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1019:and
969:IMDb
946:2019
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736:2012
700:2023
675:2015
572:and
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