Product Details

• Actors: Bill Paterson, Eleanor David, Clare Grogan, Alex Norton, Patrick Malahide
• Directors: Bill Forsyth
• Writers: Bill Forsyth
• Producers: Clive Parsons, Davina Belling, Paddy Higson
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: March 10, 1998
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000006J0K
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,851 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Horribly underrated., September 7, 2004

By 

Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" (Lakewood, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Comfort & Joy [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Comfort and Joy (Bill Forsyth, 1984)

It's kind of hard to describe the appeal of Bill Forsyth's fourth (yes, there was one before Gregory's Girl) feature film, Comfort and Joy, without sounding like a raving lunatic. Not that that's ever stopped me before. A popular radio DJ, Alan 'Dickie' Byrd (Bill Paterson [Foyle's War, Truly Madly Deeply]), has his girlfriend Maddy (Eleanor David [White Hunter Black Heart, he Wolves of Willoughby Chase]) move out on him a few days before Christmas. While trying to get over it, he spies a gorgeous woman in an ice cream truck and, on a whim, pursues her, and it, to the outskirts of town, where it's attacked by a band of masked robbers. One of them recognizes Alan, which gets him involved in a turf war between the rival ice cream vendors Mr. McCool and Mr. Bunny. Which results, of course, in everyone around him thinking he's utterly mad.

While it's not Forsyth's best work (that title is reserved for Housekeeping), Comfort and Joy is, well, a joy. Forsyth's use of visual tricks and sight gags makes for a wonderful experience, and as for the plot, well, what can be better than warring ice-cream factions? An overlooked gem that's begging for a DVD release. **** ½

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, funny and intelligent film, December 28, 2002

By 

Pati (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comfort & Joy [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a thoroughly enjoyable film that I remember seeing on cable in the mid-1980's, wondering why it never got the attention that other films from the UK get. In the same vein as Bill Forsyth's "Local Hero," this film doesn't star any American actors, just good, Scottish character players. Bill Paterson, (probably best known to American audiences for his bit roles in "Crush" and "Witches") portrays morning drive DJ Alan "Dickie" Bird, whom we meet a week before Christmas--the day his girlfriend leaves him. Depressed and lonely, Alan looks for meaning in his life. Along the way, he stumbles upon a nasty turf war over ice cream (between the "Mr. Bunnys" and the Mr. McCools") and gets sucked in the middle. Set in modern Glasgow at a popular radio station (by the way, the radio station scenes are realistic) this film includes a lot of light, matter-of-fact ironies and funny moments (check out Alan's precious BMW at the beginning of the film and at the end; the xylophone player and the vocalist at the ice cream plant; and the shirts Alan's audio engineer wears). Enjoyable any time, but a shame this film will probably never be available on DVD. My favorite Christmas movie of all time.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oft Overlooked Christmas Gem, January 9, 2004

By 

Terri Lynne Foley (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Comfort & Joy [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A real crime that this isn't available on DVD, as this is my all time favorite christmas movie. Quietly funny, sad and sweet, and the perfect antidote for a lonely christmas. Nice soundtrack by Mark Knoffler, full of quirky oddball performances, and a hilarious "Mr. Bunny" jingle that will stick in your mind whether you want it to or not ("hello folks!").