Nil by Mouth (1997)
Theatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
A working class British family struggles with their demons -- sometimes violently -- in this intensely emotional drama that marked the directorial debut of actor Gary Oldman. Janet (Laila Morse) is a widowed factory worker who shares her home with her aged mother Kath (Edna Dore), her daughter Valerie (Kathy Burke), her son Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles), and Valerie's husband Ray (Ray Winstone). Ray is an unstable and out-of-work alcoholic who often uses his pregnant wife as a punching bag, while Billy is a drug addict whose habit has led Janet to throw him out of the house more then once, only to take him back later. Janet is uncertain about what to do when Ray's latest tirade sends Valerie to the emergency room, and Janet also has to come to terms with the financial and emotional costs of Billy's addiction. Kathy Burke, Ray Winstone, and Laila Morse all received prizes from the 1997 British Independent Film Awards for their work in Nil by Mouth; Burke also received Best Actress honors at that year's Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 119 mins
Complete Cast:
- Charlie Creed-Miles - Billy
- Laila Morse - Janet
- Chrissie Cotterill - Paula
- Sam Miller
- Jon Morrison - Angus
- Leah Fitzgerald
- Terry Rowley
- Kathy Burke - Valerie
- Ray Winstone - Raymond
- Edna Doré - Kath
- Steve Sweeney - Danny
- Gerry Bromfield
- Jamie Forman - Mark
- Jamie Foreman
- Director(s):
- Gary Oldman
- Writer(s):
- Gary Oldman
- Producer(s):
- Gary Oldman, Douglas Urbanski, Luc Besson
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Adult Language, Substance Abuse, Profanity, Adult Situations)
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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- 1997 - Nil by Mouth - Cannes Film Festival - Best Actress






