I first heard about this TV made movie from the documentary Back to the 80s with Lenny Henry, a celebration of the best programmes from the 1980s on Channel 4. It was listed at number 20 (of 20), and it was the second film ever shown on the channel, so I was glad when it was broadcast and I could watch it, directed by Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas in the Mist, Extreme Measures, The World Is Not Enough). Basically, set in 1948, fourteen-year-old Alan Duckworth, know to his friends as "Quack Quack" (John Albasiny) is a socially awkward schoolboy with an obsession with cricket. Alan daydreams throughout his day, he makes little academic progress, and his inner thoughts are spoken by a Cricket Commentator (John Arlott). Besides cricket, Alan's other obsession is Ann Lawton (Abigail Cruttenden, sister of comedian Hal Cruttenden), a girl in his class who he is infatuated with. While his friends are all interested in sex, which Alan refers to as "the other thing", he is purely focused on kissing Ann. She is not well regarded by Alan's friends however, since she is very strait-laced. Outside of class, he befriends groundsman Tommy (Garry Cooper), who claims to be a "war hero", while making predictions about what the post-war world will be like. Among other things, Alan predicts that there will be no more wars, everyone will speak Esperanto and everyone, regardless of race or creed, will have a Teasmade. English teacher Miss Land (Alison Steadman) is preparing the students for a school play, Ann and Alan are cast as a married couple, and Alan is excited, but equally terrified, that he will be required to kiss her. The rehearsals for the play go fine, despite Alan's nerves, but each time it gets closer to the kissing scene, something interrupts it. Meanwhile, Miss Land is worried that she is pregnant with Tommy's baby, which would result in her having to resign from her job. It is later revealed, and she is relieved, that a pregnancy test is negative, while Tommy is arrested. It is revealed that he deserted the war three weeks into his service, rather than fighting at Dunkirk, El Alamein, the Battle of the Bulge and in Burma, as he claimed. On the day of the play, Alan is initially nervous on stage and other students laugh and mock him. But he slowly composes himself and gives a good performance. However, when it comes to the kissing scene, Alan shuns the opportunity and simply touches her affectionately, which upsets Miss Land. After school, Alan and Ann walk home together and talk, where he admits that he wants to kiss her, but he wants it to be for real and mean something. Ann finally gives Alan a short kiss before walking away, and Alan enters his home with a big smile on his face. Also starring Maurice Dee as Geoffrey Whitaker, Mark Brailsford as Abbo, Christopher Karallis as Shaz, Frances Ruffelle as Eunice, Robert Urquhart as Headmaster, Garry Cooper as Tommy, and the voice of Maureen Lipman as Alan's mother. Albasiny is likeable as the young lead, and Steadman is interesting as the randy teacher, it is a simple story of teenage lust, but the cricket commentary is inventive and funny, it is a pleasant, gentle, and worthwhile coming-of-age comedy-drama. Good!
Review of P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang
