Robbie Coltrane Movies
Stocky Scottish comic actor Robbie Coltrane was trained as an artist in Glasgow. During the 1970s, he rose to prominence as an improvisational nightclub comedian, usually working in ensemble groups (one of his partners was actress Emma Thompson). During the '80s, he was in a number of British features and made-for-TV movies. A regular at London's Comic Strip comedy club, he had a habit of appearing as himself in comedy specials like Secret Policeman's Third Ball. He also showed up in small comedic cameos in National Lampoon's European Vacation and Kenneth Branagh's Henry V. Though he was popular in the U.K. on TV shows like Alfresco, Tutti Fruitti, Black Adder, and The Young Ones, he wasn't widely known in the U.S. until his antic performance in Nuns on the Run with Eric Idle. He then starred as the title character in the satiric comedy The Pope Must Die (released in the U.S. as The Pope Must Diet). In 1993, he starred in the British TV detective series Cracker as Fitz, a nervous forensic psychologist who helps crack cases. He won a BAFTA TV award for the role, and he won a Cable ACE award when it was rebroadcast in the U.S. on A&E. When the show ended, he briefly joined up with the James Bond film series as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. In the late '90s, he starred in a few independent films (Montana, Frogs for Snakes) and played Sgt. Peter Goldy in the Hughes brothers' thriller From Hell. However, he's been most successful in the area of family entertainment. He was delightful as the con man in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Elijah Wood; he was Tweedledum to George Wendt's Tweedledee in Alice in Wonderland; and he found a fine place for himself as Hagrid the Giant in the Harry Potter film series. In 2002, he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the British Academy for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In 2003, he returned to British TV to play lawyer Jack Lennox in The Planman. Coltrane continued to work as Hagrid throughout the Harry Potter film series (2001-2011), and lent his voice to films including The Tales of Despereaux (2008) and Brave (2012). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, Message In A Bottle stars Robin Wright Penn as Theresa Osborne, a writer for the Chicago Tribune. While her son visits her cheating ex-husband, Theresa goes on a vacation by herself. One day, while running on the beach, she finds a bottle washed up on the shore. She opens it and inside finds a love letter unlike any she's ever read. Captivated by the author's words of love, she returns to her job at the Tribune where she convinces her boss to run an article about the mystery writer, known only as "G." He approves, and Theresa begins her hunt. Scrutinizing every physical detail of the letter and the path the bottle may have taken, she eventually locates Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), a North Carolina boat-restorer who has not been the same since the tragic death of his beloved wife Catherine. Since her death, Garret has written several letters to his dead wife, put them in a bottles, and let them loose in the sea. As Theresa spends time with Garret, she quickly falls in love with him, though she neglects to tell him she knows about the letters. Garret, prodded by his cantankerous, no-nonsense dad, Dodge (Paul Newman), emerges from his shell of grief and develops an interest in Theresa as well. Theresa returns to Chicago and Garret soon visits her; he meets her son, Jason (Jesse James), but also discovers her knowledge of the letters. Eventually the two, who have both lost love, must cast off their emotional baggage and decide if they will pursue love even if it can't always last. ~ Ron Wells, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, (more)
Originally produced for NBC television, this adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic features an impressive cast, including Miranda Richardson, Martin Short, Ben Kingsley, Whoopi Goldberg, Gene Wilder, Peter Ustinov, and George Wendt. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
James Bond, the world's greatest secret agent, is sent once more into the breach in the name of Queen, Country, and a dry martini. In the 19th Bond adventure, 007 (Pierce Brosnan) must resolve a potentially deadly power struggle between two unstable nations, with control of the world's oil supply as the ultimate prize. Bond is assigned as bodyguard to Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), the daughter of a petroleum magnate who was brutally murdered, and is trying to foil the fiendish plot of Renard (Robert Carlyle), a villain who was shot in the head with an unusual result: he cannot feel physical pain, an apparent failing that proves to be a considerable asset. Denise Richards appears as Dr. Christmas Jones, an expert on nuclear weapons, alongside Desmond Llewelyn as Q, Judi Dench as M, Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny, and John Cleese as R. Alternative rock band Garbage performs the theme song. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, (more)
- 1998
- R
This "neo-noir comic thriller" from director Amos Poe focuses on struggling actress Eva (Barbara Hershey), a waitress who moonlights by making collections for her ex-husband, loan shark Al (Robbie Coltrane). Her day job is at a Lower Manhattan diner owned by Quint (Ian Hart). Others on the scene are Eva's new boyfriend Zip (John Leguizamo), aspiring actress Myrna (Lisa Marie), Al's girlfriend Simone (Debi Mazar), tough thug Gascone (Ron Perlman), and Al's driver U.B. (David Deblinger). Eva is ready to drop both collecting and acting, dreaming of a picket-fence lifestyle with her son Augie (Zak Kerkoulas), but Al needs her for just one more job -- locating the missing $600,000 stolen from him by Flav (Justin Theroux). Al also plans to stage a production of David Mamet's American Buffalo, and he offers a role to U.B. -- if he will kill Zip. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barbara Hershey, Robbie Coltrane, (more)
Jennifer Leitzes made her directorial debut with this gangster comedy. Claire (Kyra Sedgwick) and terminally ill Nick (Stanley Tucci) kidnap an Asian man, put him in the trunk, and drive away. Realizing they've got the wrong person, they pull off a second kidnapping and then dump their first victim. At headquarters, the Boss (Robbie Coltrane) rules over an eccentric group. When the Boss' mistress Kitty (Robin Tunney) checks out, Claire and Nick are dispatched to find her. A few double-crosses later, Kitty, Claire, and Nick are all on the run from the Boss' hitmen. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kyra Sedgwick, Stanley Tucci, (more)
Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of high-seas adventure comes to the screen in this feature film adaptation starring Robbie Coltrane, Steven MacKintosh, and Chris Barnes. Three hapless adventurers have agreed to deliver a cargo of vintage Champagne from Australia to Tahiti. As they set sail for their destination, however, their journey takes a troubling turn when the men discover that the bottles are filled with seawater, and that their ship was meant to sink en route. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robbie Coltrane, Steven Mackintosh, (more)
A lot of people like to say that their pets think they're human, but Trudy Lintz (Rene Russo) has taken this notion to a new level: she likes to treat her pets as if they were human. A wealthy New Yorker, Trudy has a menagerie of animals living in her apartment, including dogs, horses, ducks, and four chimpanzees whom she dresses in human clothing and treats as if they were her own children. Trudy's husband (Robbie Coltrane) is fully aware of his wife's eccentricities but has learned to live with them. However, this gets a bit more difficult when Trudy is persuaded to adopt Buddy, an infant gorilla. Buddy is a tiny creature in poor health when Trudy first meets him, but with love and care she nurses the gorilla back to health. However, the rejuvenated Buddy starts growing into adulthood, and while the chimps are small and docile enough to wear human clothing and obey Trudy's instructions, Buddy becomes a several-hundred-pound adult who hears the call of the wild too clearly to do what Trudy wants, which becomes painfully obvious during a trip to the World's Fair. Jim Henson's Creature Shop helped create the special-effects animals used in the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rene Russo, Robbie Coltrane, (more)
- 1995
Season three of of the hard-boiled British cop drama Cracker is technically the "longest" of the series' seasons, comprised of three different stories rather than the standard two. First on the docket is the two-part "Brotherly Love," in which self-abusing, self-loathing psychologist Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Robbie Coltrane) gets his act together long enough to help the police locate a serial killer of prostitutes. As a bonus, Fitz learns the identity of the man who raped his police contact and sometimes lover Det. Sgt. Jane Penhaligon (Geraldine Somerville) in the previous season's "Men Should Weep." The second of the season's two-parters, "Best Boys," pits Fitz against a gay murderer who may have been motivated by a hopeless romance. Cracker concludes with its final two-part mystery, "True Romance," in which Fitz is saddled with a mysterious admirer -- who turns out to be an extremely methodical homicidal maniac. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robbie Coltrane, Barbara Flynn, (more)
Pierce Brosnan made his first appearance as James Bond in this action thriller, the 17th in the series (excluding the 1967 Casino Royale and the 1983 Never Say Never Again) featuring the suave British super-agent. As the story begins, Agent 007 and his partner, Agent 006 (Sean Bean), pull a daring raid on a chemical weapons plant in the Soviet Union; however, they are captured by Russian troops, and while Bond is able to escape, 006 is not so lucky. Several years later, the Soviet Union and the Cold War are a thing of the past, but Bond is still at work ferreting out evildoers everywhere. Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), a beautiful but vicious villain working with the Russian Mafia, spearheads the theft of the controls to GoldenEye, a high-tech satellite weapons system, and with her gunmen, she kills most of the soldiers and guards at a top-secret military facility in the process. Bond joins forces with Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), one of the base's few survivors, to help track down Onatopp's minions and the controls to GoldenEye, which can destroy all electronic circuits in a given area in a matter of seconds; however, in time, Bond discovers the true identity of the criminal mastermind who is behind this bid for unholy power and world domination -- none other than Alec Trevelyan, the man Bond once knew as 006. In addition to Brosnan, GoldenEye also marked another significant cast change for the Bond series -- Judi Dench made her debut as M, Bond's superior. Minnie Driver also has a cameo as a nightclub singer. Sadly, this was the last film in the Bond series for special-effects supervisor Derek Meddings, who died in the midst of production; the film was dedicated to him. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, (more)
Season two of the gloomy, cynical British cop drama Cracker opens with the three-part mystery "To Be a Somebody," in which abrasive, self-destructive psychologist Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Robbie Coltrane), working in concert with the local police, manages to collar a demented middle-aged "political activist" -- this despite the fact that Fitz has suffered a mild heart attack. In the course of events, Fitz's police officer colleague Det. Sgt. Jimmy Beck (Lorcan Cranitch) is murdered, and is replaced by DCI Charlie Wise (Ricky Tomlinson). The season winds up with another three-parter, "Men Should Weep," which focuses on Fitz's efforts to trap a serial rapist. Things get personal for Fitz when his casual lover, Det. Sgt. Jane Penhaligon (Geraldine Somerville), is herself raped -- though the most likely suspect may not be the culprit. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robbie Coltrane, Barbara Flynn, (more)
- 1994
Part of the U.K. detective series Cracker, "The Big Crunch" originally aired in three parts during 1994. Jim Carter plays Kenneth Trant, a religious schoolmaster who is discovered having an affair with young Joanne Barnes (Samantha Morton). The girl is drugged, scarified, and ordered to be killed, but the religious Dean Saunders (Darren Tighe) lets her go. When Joanne dies in a hospital, the Trant family frames Dean. After getting captured by Det. Sgt. Jimmy Beck (Lorcan Cranitch) and interrogated by Fitz (Robbie Coltrane), Dean hangs himself. The Trant family is eventually taken into custody when Kenneth's infidelity is revealed. Meanwhile, Fitz gets a divorce from Judith (Barbara Flynn) and sleeps with Det. Sgt. Jane Penhaligon (Geraldine Somerville). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- 1994
Part of the U.K. detective series Cracker, "To Be a Somebody" originally aired in three parts in October of 1994. Robert Carlyle plays Albie Kinsella, an average guy who goes crazy after he loses his father, wife, and child. He attempts to kill a Pakistani store clerk, a university professor, and a news reporter. D.C.I. David Bilborough (Christopher Eccleston) tries to track him down, but ends up meeting his own fate. Albie continues his ruthless killing spree, leading up to a bomb threat at the police station. After a violent run-in with DS Jimmy Beck (Lorcan Cranitch), Albie is finally interrogated by Fitz (Robbie Coltrane). Meanwhile, Fitz loses money gambling, suffers from a heart attack, and carries on his marital problems with Judith (Barbara Flynn). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
The two-part opening episode "The Woman in the Attic" couldn't have been more typical for the hard-bitten British cop series Cracker. Severely hung over after losing all his money on the horses, making an ass of himself at a dinner party, and compelling his wife to walk out on him, bleary-eyed psychologist Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Robbie Coltrane) awakens to find that things can get even worse: one of his students has been murdered, and the police are nowhere near solving the case. Offering his services as a "cracker" to use his professional skills in tracking down the culprit, Fitz thereby launches the off-and-on police career that will sustain him through three seasons on Britain's ITV1 network. Subsequent episodes during Cracker's inaugural season include another two-parter, "One Day a Lemming Will Fly," featuring Tess Thomson as Fitz's troubled daughter, Katie; and the three-part "To Say I Love You," in which Fitz tries to clean up his act to impress his attractive police contact Sgt. Jane Penhaligon (Geraldine Somerville) -- and along the way, he chases down a British version of Bonnie and Clyde. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robbie Coltrane, Lorcan Cranitch, (more)
- 1993
Of all the characters in TV's "unlikely detective" genre, the leading character of the British cop series Cracker may well have been the unlikeliest. Robbie Coltrane starred as Dr. Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a brilliant psychologist -- not to mention a chronic gambler, alcoholic, chain smoker, overeater, and serial philanderer. Despite these shortcomings (and others too numerous to mention), Fitz was much revered by the local constabulary for his talent as a "cracker," using his professional skills to solve crimes so complex that they invariably left the official police totally baffled. Others in the cast included Barbara Flynn as Fitz's long-suffering wife, Judith, Geraldine Somerville as Fitz's police contact and sometimes lover Det. Sgt. Jane Penhaligon, and his other colleagues DCI Charlie Wise (Ricky Tomlinson) and Det. Sgt. Jimmy Beck (Lorcan Cranitch). When Beck was murdered at the outset of season two, he was replaced by DCI David Bilborough (Christopher Eccleston). Debuting September 27, 1993, on ITV1, Cracker originally aired in a weekly, one-hour format, with its storylines taking up two to three consecutive episodes. These were re-edited as "TV movies" when Cracker was subsequently rebroadcast in the United States. The series ended after three seasons and a one-off special, "White Ghost," which first aired on October 28, 1996. An American TV version of Cracker, starring Robert Pastorelli in the old Robbie Coltrane role (rechristened Gerry Fitzgerald) was briefly telecast by ABC in 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robbie Coltrane, Lorcan Cranitch, (more)
This eighth adaptation of the timeless Mark Twain novel casts Elijah Wood as Huckleberry Finn, the half-literate son of a drunk who runs away from home and follows the Mississippi River with an escaped slave named Jim (Courtney S. Vance). Along the way, the duo encounter adventures with colorful characters like The King (Jason Robards) and the Duke (Robbie Coltrane), two con men who impersonate British visitors in order to swindle two sisters out of their fortune, and Susan Wilks (Laura Bundy), the spunky 12-year-old girl who gives Huck his first kiss. Jim also re-educates Huck away from the racist views that he has grown up with. Not the most in-depth version of Twain's tale, The Adventures Of Huck Finn is a solid retelling of the classic story. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Courtney B. Vance, (more)
- 1992
- PG
A young man who fantasizes about an older woman discovers his daydreams may be turning into realities in this coming-of-age comedy-drama. Eric (Corey Haim) and Donald (Andrew Miller) are two teenage boys growing up in a small farming community in Canada in the mid-1950's. Eric and Donald are at the uncomfortable age where their interest in women far outstrips their knowledge of how to get women interested in them. Eric is also still recovering from the death of his mother, while he struggles to come to terms with the remarriage of his father, Thorvald (Kier Dullea), to Eva (Genevieve Bujold). As local gas jockey Mr. Todd (Robbie Coltrane) offers Eric and Donald advice on courting the fairer sex, Eric discovers Vera (Barbara Williams), the attractive wife of the farmer living next door, enjoys skinny-dipping with her daughters, and Eric digs a makeshift "hideout" where he can watch her undetected. Eric begins to strike up a friendship with Vera, while unknown to him, Vera becomes increasingly unhappy in her marriage. One day, Vera catches Eric as he watches her swimming, but rather than reacting with anger, she reaches out to the inexperienced youth. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Corey Haim, Barbara Williams, (more)
- 1991
- R
This lively and off-beat Canadian comedy tells the tale of a regular Joe whose life is turned topsy turvy when he teams up with a strange restaurateur who convinces the fellow to invest in his latest project: an Italian restaurant with operatic waiters. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robbie Coltrane, Michael Riley, (more)
- 1991
Made for British television, Alive and Kicking is the bleak but compelling story of two druggies. Smudgen (Lenny Henry) is not only a user but a dealer; his wife Marie (Annabelle Apsion) is in what seems to be a perpetually strung-out state. When Marie has a baby, the authorities take the child away from her because neither she nor Smudgeon show any signs of straightening out. Enter social worker Liam Kane, played by the formidable Robbie Coltrane. Kane's violent, abrasive "cold turkey" technique has a positive effect on the couple, though one wonders if it is truly going to last. In contrast to Smudgeon and Marie, Jane Horrocks appears as Gail, an addict who is perfectly satisfied with her life...or what's left of it. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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