Touches You

A lot of fun.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I watched Wee Geordie out of curiosity but found so much more than that. The story centres around a small rural Scottish boy who was teased and ridiculed at school because of his small stature and who took growth tablets to aid his physical development. He grows into a fine specimen of a man, tall and strong. His strength ultimately leads to him becoming a hammer thrower and representing Britain at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.The film is entertaining throughout. Bill Travers (of Born Free fame) is convincing and engaging as the grown Geordie Mac Taggart and Alastair Sims is a fine laird.I thought that the movie might be based on fact (a la Chariots of Fire) but a review of the Hammer Throw results at the Melbourne Olympics reveals it as a work of fiction. No matter! It does not change the fact that the movie is a delight to watch.The scenes of the final throw of the competition are captivating. Some competitors thrive on crowd support, others wilt under it. Geordie was a crowd favourite, thanks to his involvement in saving a man trapped under a car, but his nerves betray him under that pressure. When he shuts out the crowd and imagines his sweetheart back in the hills of Scotland - at the same time that she whispers into her wireless back home - a little piece of cinema magic is created.There was some licence taken with the location. When Geordie is shown arriving in Melbourne by ship, there are 2 scenes of Sydney Harbour. But that is immaterial to the enjoyment of the film.It is definitely worth the investment of your time and attention.

I do not think it is necessary to put a shallow political spin on this charming film. The film basically follows two plots - one is the boy from a poor background who has a goal of changing himself for the better, and eventually represents his country in the Commonwealth Games in Australia. The other plot is the boy meets girl, falls in love, meets another in Australia - original girl hears about it - gets jealous - he comes home and makes up. All the while a great cast fleshes out some wonderful characters in the Highlands - and it is great to hear Highland accents for a change - against a backdrop of wonderful scenery and some fantastic gaelic choral singing; beautiful, too, for its rarity in film. Bill Travers, early in his career - and just under a decade away from Born Free - gives a spirited performance and is highly endearing in the part. All of this old world Highland Scots seems like a world away from now, but the basic story holds up, and, thank goodness, it was made in colour to show up the Highlands at their best.

Just as with the other commentators, I too saw this film decades ago. It had already been in release for a couple of years, so there was a muzzy sense of age to it, even then.I'm taking a guess here, but I'd be willing to wager that those who remember this film best, are males. We remember the wee Scots lad with his wire-hanger-thin arms and his knobby knees; and then we remember the fine figure of a man that he grew into. Yet, in retrospect, it is Geordie's slightly puzzled reactions to the incidentals that happen as a young man that makes him an endearing character.While filmed in black and white, at the risk of a pun, this is one of the most colorful films ever made. What took it past a Cinderella-esque sort of movie, was Alistar Sim playing the foil. Who will forget the gorgeous old codger when he and Geordie are traipsing in the highlands, shooting for grouse. Feeling a call to nature, Sim discretely tells Geordie to go on ahead, and that he will join him momentarily. "Don't, if you please, shoot into the bushes," he warns Geordie. The young man wanders away, passing time - only to suddenly see a flock of grouse rush for the bush. Taking quick aim, he blasts away with both barrels. Not two seconds later, we see Sim, hobbled with his pants around his knees, thrusting his fist into the air and shouting, "Didn't I tell you to shoot anywhere but into the bushes!" The scene still makes me laugh.Bill Travers went on to achieve considerable star power with "Born Free", and unless I'm mistaken, became an environmental activist. One curiosity: "Geordie" is a term of endearment of the name, George, in the city/district of Newcastle. I haven't been able to reckon out why a Scots lad should bear such an English name. --Any suggestions?

This movie is truly a classic... It is a classic story of a small boy who is tired of being small and rather than having sand kicked in his face, sends off for a "HE-MAN" mail order course... He then trains and dedicates himself to strength training and eventually grows to become an Olympic champion in the Hammer Throw, one of the Olympic strong man events... This movie is great and reminds us of days when Olympic champions were built from desire and hard work rather than todays steroids and other controversial techniques... A must see...