I have seen this movie more times than any other. I watch it nearly every year. I love everything about it and loving Scotland probably helps. The various characters, the scenery, Knopfler's beautiful music, the humour, the dialogue, the longing. I came to visiting the seaside town where some of it was filmed, but regrettably didn't. Maybe one day.

This movie ranks as No.37 on the BFI Top 100, and that is what probably led me to watch it. I'm happy I did!When a Texas oil company decides to establish a refinery in Scotland, the company head, Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster) sends one of his Scotsman, Mac (Peter Riegert), there to buy the land from the locals. 'Mac' accepts the job even though he would rather just enjoy his life in Houston. Part of Happer's instructions to Mac is to watch the skies over Scotland for comet activity in the constellation Virgo since Happer's real bliss is astronomy--and having a comet named after him. After arriving in the Scottish village to make the deal, Mac is told by the town's jack-of-all-trades official that he would have to check it out with the locals.While waiting for the results, Mac takes in the local color and evolves from a stuffy executive to a guy in touch with the locals. But, while he waits for 'the town' to make its decision, he is unaware that everyone there is dreaming of leaving the village and getting rich from the Americans. The important lone holdout is an old beach comber, Ben Knox (Fulton Mackay), who owns an important part of the needed land. When negotiations with Knox fail, Happer comes to Scotland to push the deal forward, with unusual results. This is a gem in which the viewer is taken for a fun roller-coaster ride. While watching it, I was reminded of other pretty good British comedies with similar plots, later movies like: Waking Ned Devine (1998) and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995).

Scotch-US relations were explored more or less thirty years before Local Hero when a lone US millionaire, Paul Douglas, sought only to get a shipment of cargo from A to B and had no interest in buying a piece of the country. His frustration when he was constantly thwarted in this aim led to hostile relations between essentially one American and one Scots skipper of a barge. In Local Hero the US representative of a large multinational establishes positive relationships with the local natives albeit with an ulterior motive of buying land which may be rich in oil. Both films were popular with movie goers of different generations so it's difficult to draw any conclusions. Paul Douglas justified his top billing in The Maggie being on screen roughly 85% of the time whilst Burt Lancaster, by far the biggest name in the Local Hero cast list is on screen in inverse ration or about 15% of the running time. We do, however, get to see fledgling actors like Jimmy Yuill, John Gordon Sinclair, Dennis Lawton and Jenny Seagrove all of whom would become familiar faces via television. If you're looking for a category under which to file this one then whimsy is as good as any.

I may watch this film again and again and all the time it is like going home and be with friends.One of my favourite films, and music is perfect. Love it.Only one thing was very surprising for me....sea lions in Scotland....It will leave you with a big smile on your face.Amazing film.Everything I love about Scotland is in this film.All the characters are very real and you just want meeting them again and again.And beautiful nature of Arisaig and Morar ...you go there and you see itall is real.