Trainspotting (1996)


Ewan McGregor           Mark Renton
Ewen Bremner            Spud
Jonny Lee Miller        Sick Boy
Kevin McKidd            Tommy
Robert Carlyle          Begbie
Kelly MacDonald         Diane
Peter Mullan            Swanney
James Cosmo             Mr Renton
Eileen Nicholas         Mrs Renton
Susan Vidler            Allison
Pauline Lynch (II)      Lizzy
Shirley Henderson       Gail
Stuart McQuarrie        Gavin/ US Tourist
Irvine Welsh            Mikey
Dale Winton             Game Show Host
Keith Allen             Dealer
Kevin Allen             Andreas

Directed by:            Danny Boyle
Produced by:            Andrew Macdonald


Smart, funny, sickly and sometimes just plain unconscious, Mark Renton is a hero of our times. Set in an 
underbelly of Edinburgh the city fathers never dreamed of, this is the story of Mark and his so-called 
friends--a bunch of losers, liars, psychos, thieves and junkies. This tragi-comedy charts the disintegration 
of their friendship as they proceed, seemingly inevitably, towards self-destruction. Mark alone has the 
insight and opportunity to escape his fate--but does he really want to "choose life"? On and off heroin, 
he continually weighs the pros and cons of straight living: "car, career, family, fucking big television, 
washing machines, compact disc players, electrical tin openers, good health, low cholesterol, dental 
insurance, starter home, leisurewear, and a choice of sweaters..." When he breaks it all down, choosing 
life doesn't seem all that promising and he's off to the next scheme and score.

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A wild, freeform, Rabelaisian trip through the darkest recesses of Edinburgh low-life, focusing on 
Mark Renton and his attempt to give up his heroin habit, and how the latter affects his relationship with 
family and friends: Sean Connery wannabe Sick Boy, dimbulb Spud, psycho Begbie, 14-year-old girlfriend 
Diane, and clean-cut athlete Tommy, who's never touched drugs but can't help being curious about them.

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A group of disaffected Scottish youths turn to heroin to escape the banalities of modern-day existence. 
Then, they begin to suffer the consequences and discover that there are no easy solutions to the inherent 
loneliness and pain of life.