Gregory's Girl

The sophomore film of Scottish director Bill Forsyth was his first international hit, a typically quirky comedy set amongst colorful Scottish teenagers. Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) is a normal, gangly, hormonally-challenged student who, like his pals, has begun to discover the charms of the opposite sex, particularly those of Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), the new girl in school and a talented soccer player. Dorothy joins the team, and Gregory, who's the goalie, instantly becomes smitten with her. Gregory's affections are given in spite of the fact that Dorothy is a better player than most of the boys on the hapless team, and her presence inspires a great deal of angst and embarrassment. Despite the humiliating lengths to which Gregory is prepared to go in order to win Dorothy's attention (and the fact that she eventually takes his place as goalie), Dorothy's not interested, and she tries to pass Gregory off to a classmate, Susan (Clare Grogan). The winner of a BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay, Gregory's Girl was followed 18 years later by a sequel, Gregory's Two Girls (1999). — Karl Williams