Director Gaby Dellal’s “On a Clear Day” contains many of the trappings we’ve come to expect from stock inspirational dramas from the UK — a working-class hero at a crossroads, familial discord and gooey sentimentality, triumph over adversity, and, bless her heart, Brenda Blethyn. Like its formulaic forebears, “The Full Monty,” “Billy Elliott,” and “Calendar Girls,” this flagrantly feel-good feature is as warm and comforting as a spot of tea on a rainy afternoon. What it lacks in originality, “Clear Day” makes up for with a delightful cast, some cheeky Brit wit, and oodles of pub-style charm.
Peter Mullan (“My Name is Joe”) stars as Frank Redmond, a poker-faced 55-year-old Glaswegian shipbuilder who suddenly finds himself unemployed after 30-some-odd years on the job. Frank’s little boy drowned 25 years ago and his relationship with loving wife Joan (Blethyn) and surviving son Rob (Jamie Sives) has been in gradual decline ever since. Unsure of how to repair his strained family ties or what to do with his newfound free time, Frank decides to take on a daunting challenge — he’ll swim the English Channel. He enlists his best mates — a motley assortment of types led by ex-hobbit Billy Boyd as the funny guy — to help him train, all the while hiding his intentions from his family, who begin to suspect something wicked is afoot.
Performances and technical elements are solid all around, but Mullan is the movie’s anchor. Not only is the swim designed to restore Frank’s sense of purpose, it’s symbolic of his epic struggle to exorcise his demons and save his family. Mullan adroitly captures all the pathos of Frank’s situation while avoiding waves of schmaltz. His is an utterly convincing portrait of an ordinary man on an extraordinary quest, one in which he attempts to figure out one stroke at a time. (NOT RATED. RUNNING TIME: 98 MINUTES)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 7, 2006. Read the original PDF.