John C. Reilly, Steve Coogan
Who were the men behind Laurel & Hardy, Hollywood’s greatest comedy double act? Starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly in delightfully bang-on-target performances as the legendary movie icons, Stan & Ollie is the heart-warming story of what would become the pair’s triumphant farewell tour.
n 1953, several years after their last film and with their immense celebrity on the wane, Stan ‘Laurel’ and Ollie ‘Hardy’ embark on a gig tour of British seaside towns and music halls. Surprised by the modesty of the bookings and cramped little guesthouses, the tour starts off subdued. But with the support of their wives Lucille (Shirley Henderson) and Ida (Nina Arianda) – a formidable double act in their own right – the pair’s love of performing, as well as for each other, they secure their enduring place in the hearts of their adoring public as they head towards a big London finale.
Coogan and Reilly are known for their brilliance as physical comedians, but their body language, mannerism and routines raise to a new comedic level in Stan & Ollie. Together with director Jon S Baird (Filth), screenwriter Jeff Pope (Philomena) and producer Faye Ward (whose Wild Rose also screens at Screening Days), the cast and crew have succeeded in creating a fitting tribute to two of cinema’s comedy geniuses that has the honour of playing as the Closing Night Gala of BFI London Film Festival only days before our event.