The Pebble and the Boy is a contemporary road trip film with a difference. It is British through and through and shuns clichés of Mustangs and Chevrolets that feature heavily in American films. In The Pebble and the Boy, the action starts in Salford and takes place on Vespas and Lambrettas.
It is a very welcome take on the overdone buddy movie genre; given that the sidekick in this film is the protagonist's recently deceased father. John decides to indulge in his dad's passion for all things Mod and elects to take his dad's scooter on a trip to an iconic Mod location to scatter his father's ashes. This manifests in the ultimate trip to the scooter-boy Mecca of Brighton.
The Pebble and the Boy is directed and written by Salford's own Chris Green...
"The film is inspired by The Pebble and the Boy album track by Paul Weller on his As Is Now album; it's a beautiful song" Chris explains "After meeting Paul briefly after a gig in Cork the idea for the film script started to formulate.
"I've always loved Paul's music and style" he adds "This combined with a love of Mods and scooters all came together in the story. Last year I decided to raise some money via Kickstarter crowdfunding in order to make a short promotional film with the intention of raising interest and finance for a full feature film which I'm now hoping to shoot this summer."
On the surface it is a Mod film featuring classic scooters and great music, but The Pebble and the Boy offers much more. Clearly, it is a feast for the eyes with flash scooters, great locations and many references to classic British cinema films like Quadrophenia and This is England. With Chris Green at the helm it is guaranteed that the narrative will be handled with subtlety, passion and a genuine flair.
On John's journey, he encounters many of his father's acquaintances and gains an interesting insight into his past. It soon transpires that John's father was an influential Mod of some repute. However, John meets some resistance as his dad's associates attempt to keep a dark family secret under wraps.
The Pebble and the Boy has an incredible soundtrack that is heavily inspired by the music of Paul Weller. The Modfather has been known to give a cold response to projects that require the use of his impressive back-catalogue. However, he is keen to give his support to The Pebble on the Boy, as Chris confirms...
"Yes, I didn't want to make a film that is inspired by and features Paul Weller without adhering to the correct processes, so I sent Paul the twenty minute promo and I am really pleased to say that he likes what we've done so far and has given his approval for the tracks we have used..."
This positive endorsement adds to the credibility of the project and is one of many occurrences that have blown Chris away... "There have been so many highlights, including working with some of my favourite actors on the promo and riding the main scooter that features in it along Brighton sea front.
"But for me, the hairs really stood up on the back of neck when we came to film the Mod funeral cortege scene" he adds "I'd put a call out for Mods and scooter boys and girls to join us and form an escort behind the amazing Lambretta hearse we were loaned; I only expected about twenty scooters to turn up on the day.
"We were filming another scene and I could hear the sound of scooter engines getting closer, one appeared round the corner, then another, and another until the whole street was packed with cool looking Mods and scooter riders" he says "We were blown away by the response and I am deeply indebted to them and everyone that gave their time and effort to making the promo look fantastic."
Chris will be talking to producers and investors with the intention of securing the finance to make the full film later this year... "If there are any wealthy Mods or Paul Weller fans out there who want to help us, we'd love to hear from them" he says "And if all goes well the film will be released next year."
It looks like Chris has a busy 2017 in store. He releases his first film as writer/director, Strangeways Here We Come!, which was shot entirely on location in and around Salford Precinct and features Salford's Michelle Keegan, Stephen Lord and James Foster among others. The film will be coming out in the summer.
The promo of The Pebble and the Boy receives its premiere screening at 53two in Manchester on Friday 20th January, and as well as the promo, another of Chris' short films will be shown on the night: Tortured is a powerful short film featuring Ricci Harnett. It focuses on a war veteran struggling to cope with life after a traumatic event while fighting overseas. Chris is the writer and director of both films and will take part in a short Q&A afterwards.
If you want a unique view into the early stages of a great film and a peak into the industry, this is a real opportunity that is not to be missed. Get along to 53two and watch the film promo before it becomes a full length feature and box office hit...
The Pebble and the Boy promo
Friday 20th January 7pm £6
53two, Manchester (see here for ace venue details)
There will be secure forecourt parking for scooters.
Tortured (20 minutes)
The Pebble and the Boy (20 minutes)
+ Q & A with Chris Green
For further details and a trailer see The Pebble and the Boy Facebook page – click here
Words by Ian Leslie
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