Looking for Eric Page #3

Synopsis: Eric Bishop, a middle-aged postman working for the Manchester sorting office, is going through a dreadful crisis. For starters, his second life companion has not resurfaced although she was released from prison a few months ago. He is left alone with two stepsons to look after, which is no bed of roses since the two teens disrespect him and keep disobeying him. To make matters worse, Ryan, the older boy, fascinated by Zac, a dangerous gangster, has accepted to hide his gun in Eric's house. On the other hand, he is asked by Sam, his student daughter who has a newborn baby, to get back in touch with Lily, his separated wife. Now, Eric left her not long after she gave back to their daughter. As a result Eric panics... Having lost all his bearings, Eric Bishop soliloquizes face to the poster of his idol, another Eric, French footballer Eric Cantona, when the latter appears just like the genie out of Aladdin's lamp. Through a series of aphorisms peculiar to him, the footballer-philosopher w
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Director(s): Ken Loach
Production: IFC Films
  3 wins & 5 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.2
Metacritic:
66
Rotten Tomatoes:
85%
NOT RATED
Year:
2009
116 min
£215,173
Website
403 Views


Sometimes we didn't do anything,

we just sat there

and just held each other's eyes.

I've never done that with anyone else,

except Lily Devine.

And 30 years later, you can't even

face her. Incroyable, non?

Well, a lot of mistakes have been made.

A lot of water under the bridge.

Can you imagine being asked

by your daughter

to meet your ex-wife on a daily basis,

when you've hardly seen her

for three decades?

Well, I'm just a few weeks

off graduation and I'm...

I'm struggling. I am way behind

with my dissertation. And if...

- If I don't finish it, I can't graduate.

- Right.

And it's been difficult with Daisy.

So I was just wondering, when you

pick her up from nursery,

instead of bringing her back to mine

at 5:
00, like you normally do,

can you keep her

for just one more hour till 6:00?

Yeah, course I can.

No problem, Daisy, eh?

Brilliant. That means I can study

in the library till 10:00.

- Oh, don't worry about it.

- Ah, what's that?

- You're no problem to your granddad.

- Here you are, Dad.

- Are you, eh?

- Come here, chicken. Ah, chicken.

- Hello. What's the matter? Eh?

- Let's get your bottle for ya.

Oh, come here.

- Hey, look at that.

- Are you hungry?

- Look at the sunshine, eh.

- Oh, cheers, Dad.

- She ready for this?

- Here you go.

So where do you want us

to drop her then?

- At Mum's.

- Oh, for God's sake, Sam.

I've hardly seen your mother for years.

Most of your life, for Christ's sake.

- Don't ask me to do that, love.

- Dad.

- I can't, not now, it's just...

- You've both moved on.

It doesn't make sense any more.

- I spoke to Mam and she don't mind.

- Well, what did she say?

Well, it's practical,

by far the easiest.

What did she say?

She said it might be good

to see you again, catch up.

Just tell me exactly what she said, Sam.

She said it doesn't

really matter anymore.

Well, you asked, Dad.

Five words.

"It doesn't really matter anymore. "

That's what she said.

Now that is worse than hatred.

Oui. Much worse.

Oh, well, thanks a lot.

And then when I saw her...

She'd really taken care of herself.

Her hair, the way she stood, everything.

F***.

Brought it all back?

You, Lily and baby Sam?

Oh, God, yeah.

Like it was yesterday. Nearly 30 years.

I'm f***ed.

Oui.

Right with you, mon ami.

So I suggest a jump

off the nearest block of flats.

Oh, it's all right for you.

Flawed genius bastard.

Playing beach football.

VIP. Celebrity pals.

You've even got a f***ing French accent.

Eh, look at me. Scrawny little f***.

You've got it all, mate. All of it.

You think my friends

are better than yours?

It's all just slipping

through me fingers.

The lads look through me.

And I can't even trust meself.

I feel like... I feel like I'm floating

and I'm looking down on meself,

wandering round

like a scabby old f***ing dog.

What? What?

He that forecasts all perils

will never sail the seas.

He that is afraid to shake the dice

will never throw a six.

If you do not enter a tiger's den,

you cannot get his cubs.

Oh, stick your proverbs

up your f***ing arse.

How do you say that in French?

- Huh?

- That's not very nice.

I'm f***ing up to here

with your philosophy.

I'm still getting over the f***ing

seagulls one, for Christ's sakes.

Always got more choices than we think.

Always.

Yeah, like what?

A shave.

Oh, I can't face her. Right?

Yes, you can.

Right?

- Eric.

- Chrissie.

No. Lily. Your first wife.

Yeah. Sorry, just a bit nervous.

She fed about half-hour ago.

There's fruit pure

in the Tupperware.

- The nappies are underneath.

- Amazing.

Oh, and the bibs are underneath.

And there's a bottle of water

in case she needs it.

Fantastic.

- Are you okay, Eric?

- Yeah, fine. Fine.

I'm sorry about the other day.

It's just that

I had a bit of a dizzy spell.

Hadn't slept right.

But, yeah, I'm fine, fine.

- Fighting fit.

- Good.

So are you okay for dropping her

at my place later

- or would you rather meet back here?

- Whatever's easiest.

It's only six weeks, isn't it?

- Yeah.

- Oh, I...

- Yeah.

- I didn't mean it like that. I just...

- Fancy a cup of tea, Lily?

- Why?

Look, Eric, let's just try and get

through this the best we can for Sam.

- Yeah.

- I'll see you later, Eric.

- Okay. See you.

- Bye-bye, gorgeous.

Hello.

Ryan, can I have a word, please?

- It's one of them.

- Ryan, what the f*** is that out there?

Just a rough guess,

but it looks like a cement mixer.

Yeah, I can see

it's a cement mixer, Ryan.

- What the f*** is it doing there?

- It's just chilling there for a bit.

What else do you think it is,

a f***ing go-kart?

- Just having a Bud.

- You've nicked it, haven't ya? Eh?

- Who's nicked it?

- I haven't nicked it.

- You've nicked it.

- I haven't nicked it.

Where's it come from? You've nicked it.

Right, well, I'll get it sorted.

Just chill out.

Yeah, well, get it

shifted now, please, will ya?

- Look, I'll do it when I can.

- Eh?

Here you are.

Hang on a minute.

Where you going?

- Going to the match.

- Yeah. Coming, Eric?

- You got everything?

- Where you going? The match?

Man U versus Barcelona.

Watch the shopping, will you?

Eric, next time I'll try

and get you a ticket.

Zac's a main player.

He's got probably one of

the best boxes in the stadium.

- Come on, lad, stop f***ing about.

- Champagne, the works.

- You'd love it.

- Oi, come on. We've gotta go. Come on.

Where are you

going with that? Get rid of it.

What the f***?

Oh, f***ing hell!

Oh, sh*t! F***ing work coat!

Bastard! Oh, for f***'s sake!

F***ing hell! F***, f***, f***ing hell!

Jack Bishop. Ironmonger.

- Yeah. Yeah.

- Your father.

Were you close?

Well, he sat on me by mistake once.

She sent me this

a week after I left her.

"I can't love you any more than this.

"Lily. "

I never ever answered her.

And the longer I left it,

the worse it was.

And then there was just no going back.

So tell her the truth.

What can you say to someone

who's just laid

their heart out on a plate?

It's just like there.

Let's have a look at that.

You know what, f*** it. F*** it.

There's just no way

I'm gonna get through this.

I can't meet her every day.

I'll just end up back at that

f***ing roundabout going round.

You must speak to her.

- I can't.

- You can't. So write to her.

I haven't got any words. And...

F***.

- Eric?

- Oh, no.

- Eric!

- No.

Come on, we're going for a pint.

Come on.

Go on, Eric. You are a lucky man.

- Come on!

- Go.

- Come on, mate...

- Come on, Eric, shake yourself.

All right, all right. I'm coming!

Stop banging! I'm on me way down now!

F***ing hell.

- Don't forget your wallet.

- All right.

Hey up, hey up. What's the shirt, mate?

FC United, mate. People's club.

- Wouldn't wipe my arse on that, pal.

- Oh, yeah?

Sit down, Spleen.

You're gonna have a heart attack,

- for God's sake.

- F***ing give us that pint.

Listen, pal.

You run off and left us.

They left me.

Who left you? United?

The most famous team in history.

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Paul Laverty

Paul Laverty (born 1957) is a Scottish lawyer and scriptwriter. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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