Starring Robert Carlyle OBE
Written by Simon Beaufoy
Directed by Peter Cattaneo
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Released - 1997
The Plot
The film The Full Monty was filmed on location in Sheffield. This film can
thoroughly be recommmend for viewing. It is the story of down to earth Sheffield
steelworkers who have been made redundant and who have fallen on desperate
times.
The men are so hard up for money that they are prepared to become strippers
to raise funds. Will they take off all their kit, and do the Full Monty?
See the film for yourself to find out.
It is a film that mixes the tragedy of unemployment, comradeship, personal
relationships and comedy in a heart-warming tale. What's your favourite
scene? Many will say the queue in the Job Centre - if you haven't seen it,
do take the time to see this film.
Some of the scenes of Sheffield show derelict areas which are rather run
down. For those who do not know the city, the true picture of Sheffield
is not like the scenes you will find in the film. The producers have had
to find cleared sites or derelict land to do some of their filming. Take
the film for what it is, a story about the personalities involved, and not
a study of Sheffield.
Sheffield Locations Here, on the right, is the disused Burton Street School which was
used in the scene where the star of the film met his young son when he
was leaving school. The school now contains a printing company and a boxing
club. Note the cobbled streets in the photo.
This
is the setting for the scene outside the club (actually on Idsworth Road)
where the Full Monty show was performed. It originally was a cinema, and
has been a school of dancing and a snooker hall. It is now a carpet and
furniture warehouse.
In actual fact, the shots inside the club were filmed at the Shiregreen
Working Men's Club on Shiregreen Lane pictured here.
The Stars
Robert
Carlyle OBE is the star of the film. He has also starred
in the TV series Hamish Macbeth and films including Angela's Ashes
and Trainspotting. He plays Gaz and does an excellent job of disguising
his Glaswegian accent.
Mark Addy - born in York who has featured in other films including The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. Mark plays Dave, the tubby security guard and reluctant performer.
Steve Huison played Lomper, the incompetent suicide man.
William Snape - a Sheffield lad who landed the part after volunteers were called for at his school. He was Gaz's son Nathan.
Paul Barber played Horse. Paul is better known to UK audiences for his appearances in BBC TV's Only Fools & Horses.
Female cast members included Emily Woolf (Mandy, Gaz's wife) and Lesley Sharp (Jean, Dave's wife).
Success The film became the UK's biggest box office attraction, overtaking
Jurassic Park. By January 1998, it had taken £47.8m, more than doubling
the takings for Four Weddings & A Funeral.
In February 1998, it was given the Evening Standard Best Film Award and
star Robert Carlyle was voted Best Actor.
The Oscar
The film was nominated for 4 1998 Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Director - Peter Cattaneo, Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - Simon Beaufoy, Best Original Musical or Comedy Score - Ann Dudley. The '98 Oscars were dominated by the film The Titanic but The Full Monty did earn an Oscar for Best Original Music.
More Awards The film has received 4 awards in the British BAFTA Awards ceremony. It was voted Best Film, Best Actor (Robert Carlyle), Best Supporting Actor (Tom Wilkinson) and Audience - Most Popular Film.
The firm has now been voted the "Favourite English movie of all time" beating such titles as Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Italian Job, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Get Carter.
Songs & Music
Songs in the film include Hot Stuff by Donna Summer, You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate, Come Up & See Me Make Me Smile by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Movin on Up by M People, We Are Family by Sister Sledge, Rock & Roll Pt 2 and I'm The Leader of the Gang by Gary Glitter, Je't'aime Moi Non Plus by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, Flashdance by Irene Cara, Land of a Thousand Dances by Wilson Picket and You Can Leave Your Hat On by Tom Jones.
More "instrumental" tracks include The Zodiac, Slaidburn and The Stripper, played by British Steel Stocksbridge Brass Band, Deep Fried in Kelvin & Adios Muchachos.
Meaning of The Full Monty In response to many requests, we can tell you more about the meaning of the phrase 'The Full Monty'. Well, there are 4 choices. You pays your money and takes your choice.
1] Fieldmarshall Montgomery, he of Desert Rats fame, nicknamed Monty, would always insist on getting a full English breakfast every day with all the trimmings. Thus, if anyone got the whole lot, they got the full Monty. OR
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2] Soldiers demobbed from the army were given a full suit of clothes from the tailors - Montague Burton's. Therefore, a full suit was a full Monty.
3] A new theory posted to this site is that the phrase derives from the Medieval French - 'montre' meaning 'to show'. So, a full montre would be to show the lot!
4] Yet another theory is that the term comes from an old Edwardian tale meaning the Full Monte Carlo i.e. dressed up to the nines as quoted by Robert Morley in a 1950's film. Some compare it with the US term for a dressed-up car salesman - the Full Cleveland.
Anyone have any other theories?
Little Known Facts Because the producers did not expect people to know the meaning of the phrase "The Full Monty", various alternative phrases were listed, including Six Ugly Pigs and Fish and Chippendales.
The Musical
The Full Monty has gone on to be turned into a Broadway musical, this time based on six workers from Buffalo. The show transferred to London in 2002 to the Prince of Wales Theatre. See the Full Monty Musical web site.
City On The Move
(The Reel Monty)
City on the Move, launched in 1972, would have been forgotten about if it hadn’t
been for The Full Monty. The footage at the start of the film shows what
the city was like back in the early 70's.
City On The Move has now been released on full-length DVD
together with never-before-seen Sheffield International City follow up. The DVD can be ordered by clicking on the image.
Sheffield Slang Did you understand the film? There were quite a few words used which
many people did not understand or had never heard before. For example "get
your kit off" means get undressed. "Chuffing" is a mild swear word.
Here's a list of Sheffield-ism's that many will find hard to understand.
For our ex-pats, We hope that it brings back some memories of how things
used to be said in Sheffield. Please note, these words are pretty location-specific.
They are not in common use in, say, Barnsley which has its own set of slang
words and a distinctly different accent to the one in Sheffield.
If someone said "Oowerrywethenwerryweeissen", they would be asking "Who
was he with then, was he with himself".
"Eenosenowtabartit" means "He knows nothing about it".
"Iamptgorrit" is "I haven't got it"
Purremineer" (put them in here)
"Eesezeantadit" (He says he hasn't had it)
"Ateldimburrewuntlissen" (I told him but he wouldn't listen)
"Tintintin (It isn't in the tin)
"Eesgorrisatatooam" (he's got his hat at home)
"Midadzgorrajag" (My dad's got a Jag)
"Putwoodintoyal" (put the wood in the hole i.e. shut the door).
Words which only seem to be found or have special meanings in Sheffield
are as follows -
"mash" (brew, as in brew the tea)
"nesh" (feeling cold when others don't, or being unnecessarily frightenend)
"parky" (cold)
"jennel" (an alley)
"sylin down" (raining hard).
Greetings could be - "nahden" (now then)
"Ayyup" (hey up)
"Orreight" (alright?)
"sithee" (see you).
If anyone wants to hear more of this type of slang, let us know.
Yorkshire Dialect Verse
- for those poeple wanting to see and hear more about local dialect.
Compensation Claim A Sheffield businessman is several thousand pounds better off after
a claim for compensation was met by the film producers 20th Century Fox.
His business telephone number was visible in one of the film scenes and
crank callers have made his life a nightmare. To safeguard himself, the
number has been changed so don't continue to ring it folks but the disruption
has caused a loss of business for which the compensation was awarded.
Similar Film There is another film on the theme of unemployment with a strong local
(albeit South Yorkshire) base. This is the film Brassed Off which centres
on how a community is affected by threatened mine closures. A little more
serious but still a down to earth film showing the working man being put
up against it. Check it out. There are some tear jerking moments, brass
bands, earthy language, the occasional funny section and a feel good factor
to it.
Dictionary Entry The phrase "Full Monty" now appears in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Full Monty DVD -
The Reel Monty
Broadway Musical
Full Monty Movie Posters -
Full Monty VHS Video
Broadway Musical Book & Lyrics
Your Views Have you seen the film? Tell us what you think about its portrayal
of Sheffield.Some say that it presents Sheffield as a grey depressing place.
Others think that the Sheffield people are the stars of the film and that
any publicity for the city is good publicity.
Follow-Up Series
In June 2023 a 6-part series was comissioned by The Disney Channel. Again filmed in Sheffield, it catches up with the case 25 years later.
Here are some opinions received about the film. Do you agree?
MAILBOX
R M Blunk writes:
The Full Monty speaks to anyone who has ever endured the humiliation of a job layoff or a dreary unemployment line. And being on the middle-aged and frumpy side, I can identify with Horse and
Gerald - what a funny movie!
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Ken Fozzy writes:
As a Yorkshireman living in Cornwall. Full Monty - Bloody fantastic.
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Peter Brooksbank writes:
Well its five years down the road since the release of The
Full Monty. Sheffield is now the greenest city in Europe. I wonder
what all the negative
critics on your web page are saying about that. I took the time to
review all the e-mails and I am coming up with one constant. All
the people who
wrote negative comments about the movie really have no idea what life
was like living in Sheffield. in the 60s and 70s. That was my era
in
Sheffield(born & raised) Believe me nothing came easy like it does now,
everything you had you worked dam hard for,kids were certainly not
spoilt and no one drifted through their workweek waiting for a paycheque,
you
earned it!!If you wanted to get ahead, it took initiative and daring,just
like in the movie, or you didnt survive.I recommend to anyone to go
and visit Sheffield, it is a beautiful city with lots of surprises, check
it out
on the Internet,theres all kinds of sites.
As a footnote, I just found another movie with Robert Carlyle called Formula
51. Its just as hilarious but completely different subject matter. Check it
out but dont watch it with the kids.You will love it (unless you are a upper
crust snob that does not know the working class way!)
Peter
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Dr Rod Stanley writes:
I was born in Oughtibridge and knew several of
the places in the film. My wife and I saw it first in a cinema
in Houston, Texas, where we now
live. It only spread here in the US by word of mouth (as "Beckham" just did). I was
p******g myself laughing all the way through, often to the annoyance of everyone else, because they
could not have had a clue about the "in" jokes. (There's nowt so queer as folk!). We
bought the tape, and must have seen it 20-odd times by now. It cheers me up. Sheffield always was
a wonderful down-to-earth place. The humour at Hillsborough stadium, that sacred turf, was exactly
the same when I was growing up - Yorkshire folk are just downright funny - and the film made good
use of some really subtle humour. I recommend that people see it at least 4 times, because, even
speaking "Sheffield" fluently, I still found things I'd missed
in the earlier viewings. The video has a place of honour on the top of
my telly, and my kids know where God's country really
is, and have all been there. The movie presented some depressing
period of Sheffield's history, and my brother was laid off from the place
they nicked the girder. But if you really want to see a
depressed place, go to Odessa, Texas.
Oddly enough, I saw the hype bit at the beginning of TFM in a cinema in Tanzania. To anyone going to
Sheffield, two things; yes - we are like that, and right proud on it, and go an see the remains of
the steel industry at Kelham Island museum.
... and where is TFM2?
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Renee Demrow writes:
I recently viewed The Full Monty for the first time and I must say that I believe the movie to be
one of the best I've seen in a while. Although I am no Anglophile, I have always been fascinated
with the "Brits" lifestyle. I had heard of Sheffield even before the movie, but didn't
have a lot of detail about it. This movie in no way depicts a depressing town. To the contrary,
if the characters portrayed in the movie even come close to being realistic, this sounds like a
wonderful place with REAL people and real problems to boot. These characters proved that with a
little laughter and ingenuity you can work through just about anything. In the face of dark times,
these people still found something to smile about. THAT'S the important thing. Should I ever have
the pleasure of being in that neck of the woods, I fully intend on taking a closer look at a town
that in a short time has already made me feel at home. >>>>>
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things-that-squeak@neo.rr.com writes:
As an American fan of British humor since childhood, I laughed terribly hard both times I saw The
Full Monty in the theater. I laughed so hard I bought the movie as soon as I could. I continue to
laugh to the point of stomach cramps every time I watch it. >>>>>
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Johnsonalsuzcor@aol.comwrites:
Brillant film - it reminded my husband of home - he's from Lancashire. I'd recommend it to anyone
and everyone. Great dipiction of the working class during rough unemployment in England. Absolutely
delightful! >>>>>
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Chris Stringer writes:
The Full monty is another example of how mainstream films stereotype northern working class people
has having no other discernable qualities than a "bit of pluck" and a modicum of self respect.
Everything comes as a struggle to these people and in the end all the succeed in doing is dropping
their pants which is quite an appropriate review of the movie.
I believe it was aimed to adhere to peoples prejudices of the north
in it went SO FAR as to use parts of Sheffield that don't exist to
keep the film "gritty". Not realistic but gritty. Yes, it made
comments about comradeship, but do you believe any of these people
were going to succeed in life? No. Did any of them "get the girl
or get the money?" No. Because the stereotypical viewpoint of
Northern working class people is that everything comes hard. Its just
not the case. Its detrimental to focus on these stereotypes especially
in a film that masquerades as realistic.
In fact the film was a lesson in pigeon-holing. One gay, one black, one
obese, one thin. You name the section of the society and the film
tried desperately to fill it, for what purpose?? To give it
that earthy feel? To cover as many sections of society as it could?
Probably.
One wonders whether Simon Beaufoy spent too much time in Bournemouth studying Film to remember what
it is actually like in the North. He "ESCAPED" but no one in The Full Monty did... including the
audience. Apart from the terrible cultural landscape it painted the film was abonimable and bordering
on unwatchable. Fit for human consumption? I think not! Mr Beaufoy must be laughing his head off and
rolling in 10 pound notes as the US audience get suckered into the seats again and again!
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Pedraza Garcia Monica writes:
This film is one of the most beautiful things it could happen to me!
I won't forget the first time I saw it and each time I have the opportunity to see it, I discover new
things. Thank you very much!
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Kevin O'Rourke writes:
I worked on the film and I think you should know that the curtain that the guys danced in front of
was made in a one bedroom flat in Blackpool, the gnomes that had to do battle in the interview
scene were bought at a chain of then Blackpool stores called B&M's and I had to doctor them so
that their heads would break off in the scene. At the time of the film being made the production
company was called Bodger Films and Fox did not get involved with the making of the film but only
the distribution.
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Maria Tagliaferri in Italy writes:
I enjoyed the film very much.
I watched it at the cinema when it first came out in 1999 in Italian; this evening I watched it in
English. I found it very nice both times; I will probably use it in my English lessons with my adult
students. I think that it gives several suggestions in order to organize a lesson starting from
speaking about the town of Sheffield, job centres, unemployment and creativity that you can use in
order to get over it...
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Class 2B in a school in Milan, Italy write:
Hi everyone! We are the 2nd class of a High School in Milan, Italy!
A few days ago, we have just watched 'The Full Monty' in the "Language Lab" in English! It
was fantastic!!!
P.S We have also read the book before the film.
Bye, Bye!
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Luciano Pereira in Brazil, writes:
I think that "The Full Monty" is a very funny and sad film at the same time, so because of
this I think that the author of the film was very intelligent and had a great capacity to mix both
of these aspects that are totally opposite. The film is funny because of the situations the actors
pass through, that's very funny and it's sad because of the problems they have, like Dave has a
problem with his girlfriend and with himself because of his fatness, Gaz has a problem with Mandy
and with money and all of them have a problem finding jobs. Also an good aspect of the film is that
it is with normal people like anyone of us, so this story could happen to anyone of us, it isn't a
fiction or so. It's really a great film where people can learn a lot from it, they can learn about
how is it to be unemployed, about separations, life in general.
Your Views
Sheffield Locations
This
is the setting for the scene outside the club (actually on Idsworth Road)
where the Full Monty show was performed. It originally was a cinema, and
has been a school of dancing and a snooker hall. It is now a carpet and
furniture warehouse. 
Steve Huison played Lomper, the incompetent suicide man.
Paul Barber played Horse. Paul is better known to UK audiences for his appearances in BBC TV's Only Fools & Horses.
Female cast members included Emily Woolf (Mandy, Gaz's wife) and Lesley Sharp (Jean, Dave's wife).