A Yorkshire coal mine is threatened with closure and the only hope is for the men to enter their Grimley Colliery Brass Band into a national competition. They believe they have no hope until Gloria appears carrying her Flugelhorn. At first mocked for being a woman, she soon becomes the only chance for the band to win.
Acting
Pete Postlethwaite's Danny — a performance so lived-in it hurts.
Score
Actual Grimley Colliery Band; no studio musicians, all calloused fingers.
Writing
Mark Herman's script balances political fury with genuine warmth.
Director
Mark Herman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Filmed in real former mining towns during the 1992-1997 pit closure wave; extras were actual unemployed miners.
The colliery band in the film was the real-life Grimethorpe Colliery Band, who won the National Finals in 1992 — art imitating their own victory.
GB
