Paul is such an interesting character. So disheveled, so huggable. Don't you wonder what he and Sarah did most of the time as they had absolutely nothing in common, especially music (a Bread woman).

Judy:
You forgot shaggable. Surely that is the only thing you would get up to with him. I would have been his perfect mate. I love football, don't like Bread and loved his boxers.

One of my favourite scenes was at the interview; he looked gorgeous in his jacket and tie and I really felt for him in his discomfort. Another fave was him asleep on the park bench. I would have done a Bridget and stared at him while he was asleep. Oh and didn't he look so big stretched out, those curls, that mouth. Oh help!

Karen:
(Judy) You forgot shaggable
Ahhh nevah forget shaggable. Is a given. Only one, maybe two movies (am mulling over Charlie Holroyd's shaggability now) in which I haven't found Colin's character to be "shaggable."

(Judy) I would have been his perfect mate. I love football, don't like Bread and loved his boxers.
But did he want to share any of that with Sarah? It's far easier to claim, "you don't understand any of us."

Judy:
(Karen) But did he want to share any of that with Sarah?
Did Sarah wanted to share any of it with him? She scoffed at what was important to him.

Eileen:
(Karen) Paul is such an interesting character. So disheveled, so huggable
...so stuck at age 16. One of the reasons I consider FP among CF's best is that he absolutely convinces me he's an adolescent inside a man's body. One of my favorite scenes is where Ted approaches him about the head of year job. “It's more work, why would I want to do that?”. I love it when he's jumping around with the team after the goal is scored, just one of the boys.

(Karen) Don't you wonder what he and Sarah did most of the time as they had absolutely nothing in common, especially music
Initially I thought their relationship was entirely unrealistic. Everything about their getting together was wrong. Over time I've just accepted it as 'opposites attract.' At first, they probably didn't have much of a relationship outside the bedroom. Sarah says in the fixture list scene, "we've been seeing each other, or rather sleeping together, for six months."

Another favorite is how Paul's love of Arsenal infects everyone around him. We see young Paul's mother and sister becoming more involved along with him, discussing the team over dinner. We see his mother dressing her cat in Arsenal colors. We see Sarah and then Jo become affected. Part of it has to do with caring for Paul—since Arsenal's important to him, it becomes important to them. It also has to do with getting caught up in the spirit of football. It comes together so well during the cup final, when they're all watching and rooting.

Lastly, as a rabid [American] football fan I completely relate to Paul as a fan. When your team wins and you're there, you really do feel as though you made a difference (especially when crowd noise forces a penalty). Paul's desire to leave before halftime during the big match is completely understandable, as is his 'love them and hate them all at the same time' line.

Judy:
(Eileen) I've just accepted it as 'opposites attract'
I struggled to see what it was about Sarah that Paul found appealing. I thought that RG was a weak link in the film and it was CF's strong presence that carried her.

Evelyn:
I'm watching and reading the script as I go along and finally understand some of their mumbling. It really is a sweet movie but only because of CF. Paul, IMO, is a loser but a lovable one, because Colin makes him so. And you forgive him for all his juvenile antics and think them endearing. It's a credit to his versatility. But you do have a point, Eileen, that Paul’s love of the game is infectious. And, of course, in the end he admits that there is more of a balance in his life, but I'm not there yet.

Little Paul sure mimics Colin's walk and he has dimples!

The screenplay intro says: "any number of brilliant actresses read for the part, but none of them seemed to understand how it was possible to love Paul....Ruth understood immediately and intuitively that Paul wasn't so bad; in her audition she struck up just the right note of indulgent impatience, while showing... Sarah’s buttoned-up neuroticism." I didn't think she was so bad. except for her voice. Wasn't an easy role.

Sadie:
I agree that Paul is so appealing because of CF's great talent. And it's great fun to watch CF in this role, so obviously enjoying himself.

I wasn't as put off by their opposite personalities as some. Sarah needed some loosening up, and Paul needed to learn to be in an adult relationship. I can see how they'd be drawn to each other. She was pretty patient with him until she feared he was going to impose on her freedom. But I'm glad she got more swept up in the spirit of things than she intended. Don't you just love the ending? I'm thinking particularly of the adorable way Paul yells out the window, then realizes it's Sarah and makes the choice to run after her. *Sigh* Still, I'm very glad he didn't miss the big win. It's so funny and cute, the way he dives for the TV. I would have been devastated for him if he had missed it.

Eileen:
(screenplay) "none seemed to understand how it was possible to love Paul....Ruth understood immediately and intuitively that Paul wasn't so bad"
I can see Sarah being attracted to Paul, but I had a harder time accepting Paul being attracted to Sarah. For example, during the parent conference, he's got a long line of people waiting to see him while she has nobody. He's clearly more popular than she is and she's attracted to that (not to mention his looks, even with that hair and stubble). So what if he was obsessed with Arsenal, had no ambition and always left the toilet seat up? ;-) On the other hand, I would think that the quasi-adolescent Paul would reject the staid, file-folder counting, buttoned-up Sarah. But he didn't exactly hunt down other women; she was there, available and interested. If she hadn't made that first, unexpected overture one can assume he never would have.

You can see they go on to have a relationship based on a lot of teasing. For example, Sarah's comment about his having a Bollock Brothers album; she hides his Arsenal boxer shorts and he finds them (v. nice little bit); at the end she says he's still a "horrible human being."

My favorite lines:

Paul: What are these for, then?
Sarah: They’re not for anything. They just look nice.
Paul: They yours?

Sarah: What are you thinking about?
Paul: Oh, stuff.
[and] I've got the vary the answers, haven’t I? I can't say Arsenal every time.

Paul (quoting Byron): '...black and old gold.' Crap.

Donna:
Do you think Holly Aird would have made a better Sarah? I read both she and Mark Strong had tested for the leads.

When Paul is talking to the headmaster, Ted, always cracks me up:

Paul: I thought you'd be pleased.
Ted: About which part? The clandestine affair? The accidental pregnancy?
Paul: Not those bits maybe. But me applying for the job. That's good news, isn't it?
Ted: Are you a complete fool, Paul? I'll talk to you later.

The restaurant scene is a winner, not just because the napkin/fire part which is funny, but for when he tells her about all his plans: mortgage, bigger house, applying for job:

Sarah: Oh, Paul, I don't want to have to extinguish your napkins with one hand and change nappies with the other.
Paul: That was just a one-off. I've never done that before. I promise it won't be a regular feature of life.
Sarah: Paul, I haven't made up my mind what I'm going to do about this yet. Do you understand?
Paul: Yes. Well...not really, no.

Arami:
(Evelyn) How does he get his eyes to talk like that.
Method acting? He lives the part, becomes the character, pours the emotions from his own heart. For that particular moment he is Paul and he means it.

Karen:
(Judy) at the interview, he looked gorgeous in his jacket and tie and I really felt for him in his discomfort
Yes, that is probably one of the only scenes where he truly looks like he's trying to be serious and adult but Stephen Rea won't let him be.

You've pointed out something very interesting though. After Ted notifies him that he didn't get the job and Sarah comes over to console him, he does the 18 years’ rant about how he couldn't possibly care about that "poxy job." Do you believe him? During the interview, it did look like he was trying to give it his best shot.

(Judy) asleep on the park bench...those curls, that mouth. Oh help!
Oh help is right! That flat-footed running! ;-) (although markedly better than MOTM and SIL)

(Judy) Did Sarah wanted to share any of it with him? She scoffed at what was important to him.
Did he appear to care about anything that was important to her? But that would've been another movie.

Their entire relationship can be summed up by the exchange in the school corridor when she complains about the football chants.

Paul: You'll get used to it.
Sarah: I don't want to get used to it.

(Eileen) how Paul's love of Arsenal infects everyone around him.
It's called colonization and will leave it at that or else will turn into Shazzer and go into huge rant. Where's my Chardonnay? ;-)

(screenplay) "but none seemed to understand how it was possible to love Paul...Ruth understood immediately and intuitively that Paul wasn't so bad"
Loving Paul shouldn't be difficult to understand, but staying with him would be because she'd have two kids on her hands to manage alone. Sarah's such a realist and wouldn't think that she could change him. She knew she'd have to take him "as is."

Sarah's reason for staying with Paul is so eloquently put forward by Hornby in the pub scene with Jo.

Jo: If everything's as bad as you let on, how come you haven't been applying for jobs in Pitlochry?
Sarah: I don't know, really, I suppose...I know Paul's gone completely mad, but it sort of rubs off on you somehow.

(Sadie) Sarah needed some loosening up, and Paul needed to learn to be in an adult relationship.
She sure did and perhaps he could be taught the rudiments of adult behavior, but am only hoping that he makes it to age 21 or so. ;-)

(Eileen) If she hadn't made that first, unexpected overture one can assume he never would have.
Absolutely. He noticed her and mentioned her to Steve at the night game, but he completely wrote her off because he assumed she wouldn't be interested in him. "Oh, she's just one of those women. You know, if you like football, you must be a yob." Which leads into one of my favorite lines by Paul: "a) she hates, b) I hate her and c) what's the point of all that anyway? It's a fucking waste of fucking time." The path-of-least-resistance philosophy of life strikes again.

(Eileen) What ludicrous questions, Paul! Hel-LO!
Actually, they aren't. But for their meaning you'd have to read FP, the nonfiction book.

Paul (quoting Byron): '...black and old gold.' Crap.
(Eileen) Don't know why, but they crack me up every time.
As well they should. Poor Sarah was expecting Paul to quote one of Byron's great romantic verses. Instead he quotes from The Destruction of Sennacherib, which is about a battle but sounds remarkably like a football match.

(Donna's fav scene) Ted: Are you a complete fool, Paul? I'll talk to you later.
I love that one too. Then two seconds later, we see Sarah walking across the playing field and the first words out of her mouth are, "are you a complete fool?"

(Evelyn) Paul is trying to be a lit buff to impress Sarah
I don't think so. Paul tells her exactly why he lied. He is like a child. He blurted out the truth. He tried to cover up what he was really thinking about.

(Evelyn) Watch his eyes. There's a hurt there
My reading of his eyes is that he truly doesn't have a clue as to what she means. He automatically says yes, but he hasn't grasped that she's considering whether to keep the child.

Arami:
(Karen) My reading of his eyes is that he truly doesn't have a clue as to what she means.
Right, and that's why he is hurt. He doesn't like not being able to follow her meaning instantly. She is practical and smarter and he is intellectually lazy (stuck with his immaturity). Yet another example of how they don't "click" together. They don't seem to be well matched, yet there's something which attracts one to the other nevertheless. Maybe it's that reluctance to look for a more suitable partner (or any other partner, for that matter). Neither can be bothered, so they try to make the best of what's readily available. It's anybody's guess if they succeed in the end, but our hopes and wishes are for the best.

(Karen) That flat-footed running! ;-) (although markedly better than MOTM and SIL)
Yes, what is it with this man's certain movements? He is sometimes so awkward and ungainly. His feet didn't seem flat on stage in the Donmar, so it's not a physical impediment. Mind you, I think this gawkiness is very endearing.

Karen:
(Arami) Yes, what is it with this man's certain movements? He is sometimes so awkward and ungainly.
But he's a top-notch stair taker (MLSF, DQ). I rewind often. Second to none. ;-)

Judy:
(Karen) Do you believe him? During the interview, it did look like he was trying to give it his best shot.
I don't think he was bothered about the job; he never considered it a career move. With a baby on the way, money became more important and being promoted was his way to show Sarah he was trying to grow up. I think it was his conception of an adult thing to do and never his wish.

(Karen) but that would have been another movie
Agree. My problems stem from Sarah's character not being given any detail. Their knowing about each other’s mum and sister was, to me, NH's weak attempt to introduce a bit more depth into their relationship.

Heide:
(Sadie) She was pretty patient with him until she feared he was going to impose on her freedom.
At what point are you suggesting he's imposing on her freedom? I'm assuming it's during his suggestion they get married but am wondering if it might even be before.

(Eileen) I would think that the quasi-adolescent Paul would reject the staid, file-folder counting, buttoned-up Sarah. But he didn't exactly hunt down other women; she was there, available and interested. If she hadn't made that first, unexpected overture one can assume he never would have.
Bingo! Not that he seems to be in the position to reject too many women. They're not exactly knocking down his door. A relationship with a woman is not a high priority for Paul but easily available sex is manna from heaven. And our dear Paul mistakes this sexual relationship with a mature love relationship. Oh, why do I love this dear boy so? Probably because I tell myself he really is maturing as the film progresses. And probably because he's just so damn cute.

I like Ruth Gemmell in the part. Think she's just saucy enough besides being pert and cute. Love how small she is and how easily she gets swallowed up in those big hugs.

(Karen) After Ted notifies him that he didn't get the job and Sarah comes over to console him, he does the 18 years rant about how he couldn't possibly care about that "poxy job." Do you believe him? During the interview, it did look like he was trying to give it his best shot.
Hmmm. I'm unsure. Agree he seemed to give it his best shot (and probably wore his best [only] suit), but then never in the following scenes does it seem that he's at all disturbed. My guess is it would have to bother him at some level, but he's so good at rationalizing away real-life failure. By the way, I hate watching this scene; can't stand that Stephen Rea's character is allowed to get so out of hand. I fast forward.

(Karen) Which leads into one of my favorite lines by Paul: "a) she hates, b) I hate her and c) what's the point of all that anyway? It's a fucking waste of fucking time." The path-of-least-resistance philosophy of life strikes again.
The man doth protest too much.

Which brings up a favorite sticking point of mine. Why doesn't Sarah have a key to his flat? At this point, they've been sleeping together for more than 6 months. They obviously have sex a lot (I mean, wouldn't you?) and most likely always at his place. I'd want a key to come and go as I please at this point. I don't think it would occur to him to refuse if she asked for one.

Evelyn:
(Evelyn) Paul is trying to be a lit buff to impress Sarah
(Karen) I don't think so. Paul tells her exactly why he lied. He is like a child. He blurted out the truth
Of course you have the benefit of having read the book; I haven't. But I don't think he maliciously meant to deceive her. He is just bringing up a topic he thought she might enjoy (D.H. Lawrence) rather than Arsenal again. But he couldn't carry it off, so he told her the truth. It was Sarah who accused him of lying.

(Karen) My reading of his eyes is that he truly doesn't have a clue as to what she means.
(Arami) Right, and that's why he is hurt. He doesn't like not being able to follow her meaning instantly.
I looked at his eyes again and IMO he wants to "do the right thing" and Sarah's ambivalence about the pregnancy disturbs him. Paul can follow what people say. Paul is simple but not a simpleton. He's no Forrest Gump, sitting on a bench eating a stupid box of chocolates;-)

Emma:
(Donna’s fav) T: Are you a complete fool, Paul? I'll talk to you later.
This is one of my fav funny moments too. It shows that Paul is completely clueless.

(Evelyn) Paul is trying to be a lit buff to impress Sarah
(Karen) I don't think so. Paul tells her exactly why he lied. He is like a child. He blurted out the truth.
Paul is trying to show Sarah that he is not just a yob IMO.

(Heide) Why doesn't Sarah have a key to his flat?
At first I thought it was just one of those movie devices. If Sarah had a key, we would not have the "Would you please, please" scene out the window, the last minute near miss of the final goal, or the lonely and rejected Sarah.

Which leads to the very last scene, when Sarah said, "I've never seen him so happy." Maybe it helped her understand Paul a little better.

The more I watch the film, the more I like RG. In the restaurant scene, the expression on her face was priceless when Paul started comparing her to the football coach.

Gi:
(Heide) Why doesn't Sarah have a key to his flat?
So what? To "sleep with" someone doesn't mean giving away your privacy to them.

Back to Discussion Index

The Bucket's main page