The Navigators Page #9

Synopsis: In South Yorkshire, a small group of railway maintenance men discover that because of privatization, their lives will never be the same. When the trusty British Rail sign is replaced by one reading East Midland Infrastructure, it is clear that there will be the inevitable winners and losers as downsizing and efficiency become the new buzzwords. A cheery camaraderie is soon replaced by uncertainty and turmoil when their depot manager fills them in on the details of the new arrangement. Privatization means that the customer now comes first, something that is instilled into the men in new training sessions. But there are inconsistencies and shortsightedness to the new ways. Men used to working together now find themselves belonging to different, competing companies. Some even have to tender for their old jobs. Others decide to take the redundancy packages offered by the firm. As always, corners are cut in the interest of lowering costs, leading to a series of misadventures.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director(s): Ken Loach
Production: First Look Pictures
  3 wins & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.0
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
R
Year:
2001
96 min
Website
171 Views


No disres pect, lads ,

but you need eight men to lift a sleeper.

- And you need signalman's permission...

- Yeah, all right.

- ..to shut road to all traffic.

- Look, all right, I'll tell you what, I Il do it.

You get out there and tell us when it's all clear,

all right? Now get moving!

- It's still wrong.

- Oh, get moving, will ya? Jesus !

Right, lads. On three. One, two up !

- (Groaning)

- That's it. Swing it round. Over the rails .

That's it. Piece of piss .

Go on. Keep it up .

That's it, lads .

- (Groaning)

- Well done, lads. One more. Just one more.

So are you gonna come and see me

in my new flat, then, or what?

- Is it... big?

- Is it big? Er,... it's cquite big.

- All right?

- Yeah, I'm fine.

Um, this is the rest of your stuff.

- Oh, great.

- I ironed your shirts for you.

Oh, that's good of you.

Thanks very much, very kind of you.

I'm gonna make you some sandwiches ,

as well. Just to put you on a bit.

Great. Yeah, lovely. Ta.

Come back whenever you want, you know.

Just...

- Hiya.

- All right, love.

I'm just putting the kettle on for Paul.

D'you want a cup of tea?

- Oh, I'd love one. Is he still here?

- Yeah, he's just sorting himself out.

- All right, Webby? Tha's still here, mate?

- Aye, I've got a big bag to pack, haven't l?

- (Groans) Right day, today.

- You had a bad 'un?

Oh, got this right bloody idiot as a gaffer.

Didn't know his arse from his elbow.

Er, the agency rang.

They want you to ring 'em back.

- What did they want? Did they say?

- No. Dunno.

Hm.

- Is it this number, above phone?

- Yeah.

Yeah?

- Where's little 'un? ls she asleep ?

- Yes, she's in bed.

- Is she all right?

- She's fine, yeah, she's just tired.

Er, this is Mick Williams .

I've had a message to ring in.

Cheers .

What, they don't want me

to go back to Donnie tomorrow?

Did he say why not?

Well, there's loads of work to be done there.

All right, then. What's your name?

All right, Sue... Yeah, thanks .

Ta.

- What's up ?

- They don't want me to go back tomorrow.

- Why not?

- Didn't say.

- What's up ?

- They don't want me to go back tomorrow.

Right, in you go.

- Come on, in you go.

- Where?

- It's a bit chilly.

- Bit chilly.

Yeah, but it's nice and warm upstairs. Go on.

- OK.

- That's it. Run up them stairs .

Wahoo.

Come on.

- Where's my bedroom?

- I'm gonna show you the kitchen first.

All right, mate?

- Kitchen.

- Oh, wow!

(Eve) Look at the TV.

- (Paul) What d'you think?

- It's not as cosy as our house.

Come on, I'll show you your bedroom.

That one?

Ready? Shut your eyes .

Da-da!

- Wow!

- Wow!

That one's yours. And that one... is yours .

- Oh, wow!

- D'you like it?

- Yeah! I like my penguin!

- Yeah, that's for you.

- And you've got a teddy, Chloe.

- Yeah!

Should really take your shoes off

before you get on your bed,

- shouldn't you?

- (Mobile rings )

Hello?

Yeah.

At... At Totley? When?

- Daddy, I need the toilet.

- Just a minute, darlin'.

- Tomorrow morning? Er, what time?

- I need the toilet, Daddy.

Yeah. Sorry about this, love.

Me daughter really needs the toilet.

Come on.

Um, well,... you see, I've got me little girls

and it's a bit difficult for me, getting anyone...

Downstairs, love. That's it.

Quick, cquick, cquick, cquick.

Just bear with us one second, darling, will you?

Hang on! Let me...

Let me just open the door, love.

- There you go. In you go.

- Shall I go in with her?

- Yeah, you go in with her. That's it. OK.

- What about...?

Right, well, you see,

it's five o'clock in t'morning, love.

You know, it's really difficult for me

cos I've got my girls, you see.

Um,... right, well, I'll just have to send them back

to their mum's .

No. I won't let you down, no.

All right, love. OK. Right. B... Bye.

(Whis pers) F***ing hell!

(Sighs) Bollocks !

(Tracy) I'm here.

Hiya. (Hums )

- (Baby cries )

- Shh.

(Whis pers) It's all right. Shh. It's all right.

Shh, shh, shh, shh, that's it.

Shh, you have a sleep .

What are you doing?

When I asked you to clean it,

I meant give it a wipe round.

Oh, aye, it were filthy, Trace.

(Sighs) Look, can you just... budge out the way

for a bit while I sort this shop ping out?

- But I ain't finished.

- Just go in there for a bit, all right?

Look, Mick, we're gonna have to

sort something out.

I've got to go and pick Jamie up from school

in half an hour and then I'll have to get his tea.

- So what d'you want me to do, then, Trace?

- You're gonna have to put it back together.

- Well, I would if you'd give me a chance!

- Well, all right, then.

You go sort that out and then...

I think when you've done that you should

go down to agency and just show your face.

They know me face down that agency, Trace,

and they don't like it.

Oh, Mick, I asked you

to bring the... stupid washing in!

- (Sighs )

- Well, I got involved wi' cooker, didn't l?

I were only gonna gi' it a wipe

and it were that filthy!

Oh, all right!

Have you never cleaned it?

When's the last time you cleaned it?

Look... Please, try and sort something out

for yourself, will ya?

I can't do with this, it's driving me mental. OK?

We're gonna have to

do summat, though, aren't we? Eh?

You're gonna have to get something

I don't know what.

Go back to doing

summat you were doing before.

(Scoffs) Trace, I don't know if you've noticed,

like, but steelworks are nearly shut.

Or they're mechanised. All right?

Look, I've been phoning up every morning

and I just don't get it.

I know there's loads of work cos all t'lads I used

to work wi', they seem to be getting plenty.

Well, the problem is, Mr Williams, you've

been getting a lot of bad reports from site.

- Have l?

- You have.

- About me?

- Yes .

I might have been involved

in a couple of misunderstandings .

Well, on more than one occasion,

the contractors have rung in and s pecifically said

not to send you to site any more.

- Have they?

- They have.

That's why you've not been getting the work.

Well, I think... I think that's because

I've misunderstood how things are now.

Well, we can't afford

to get a bad reputation as an agency.

I know that. But look, I haven't worked for weeks

and I need to work.

I'm... I'm gonna learn... to fit in.

Look, just gi' us another chance.

(Whis pers) Oh, sh*t!

- (Door opens) Hiya, Gerry.

- Hi, Fi.

- Message from Mr Jackson.

- Harpic? What does he want?

A job up at Holmes, clearing out troughing.

Bit of a rush.

- Troughing job?

- Mm-hm.

There's a lot of work in them.

I'll have to think about that one.

Well, ap parently, contractors haven't turned up .

They've got four men coming from agency

tomorrow but you'll have to meet 'em there.

- Oh, I might ring in sick.

- Didn't hear that one!

- So you'll be there tomorrow, then?

- Might be.

Right.

Oh, have you, er, seen or heard

from Paul since he left?

No, I haven't. No.

Nothing. Don't even know where he's living.

All I know he's moved out of Mick's, though.

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Rob Dawber

Robert "Rob" Dawber (8 January 1956 – 20 February 2001) was a British railwayman turned writer whose script for the film The Navigators was commissioned by director Ken Loach and shot in Sheffield, where Dawber lived. He was a long-standing member of the Trotskyist group the Alliance for Workers' Liberty. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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