The Boat That Rocked (2009)

Action, Comedy, Drama, Music
Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Darby, Gemma Arterton, Emma Thompson
The year is 1966, *the* era of British rock and roll. Despite the music's popularity among the British people, the British government has enacted legislation restricting the BBC or any other broadcaster on British soil to playing rock music for a maximum of one hour per day in favoring classical music. This law has led to the emergence of Rock Radio, one of a number of pirate radio broadcasters with half the British population listening to such stations every day. With Rock Radio, the term pirate applies in more ways than one, including they circumventing the legislation by broadcasting from a ship anchored outside of British waters in the North Sea. In addition to playing rock music, the collection of DJs themselves has achieved rock star status among their listeners, and have a rock star existence in inviting groupies on board to party whenever they can. While the on-air talent generally get along despite they being a disparate group, the arrival of two on board has the potential figuratively to rock the boat. One is Gavin Kavanagh, a legend in the DJ world that Quentin, the station manager, is able to coax out of retirement. Two is seventeen year old Carl, Quentin's godson whose mother, Charlotte, sent him in hoping it would give him a sense of responsibility in just having been expelled from school. While some on board make it their mission to assist in that growing up by doing whatever they can for Carl to lose his virginity to one of the many groupies, others believe that Charlotte sent Carl so that he could spend more time with his unknown biological father in the assumption that he is Quentin. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has appointed cabinet minister Sir Alistair Dormandy to do whatever he needs to shut down Rock Radio. After a number of missteps, Sir Alistair believes he has figured out what will be the death knell of Rock Radio. He is unaware that this action will potentially be Rock Radio's death knell in another way.—Huggo
  • 2009-04-01 Released:
  • N/A DVD Release:
  • N/A Box office:
  • N/A Writer:
  • Richard Curtis Director:
  • N/A Website:

All subtitles:



Trailer: