Stone of Destiny

2008
6.7| 1h36m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 19 December 2008 Released
Producted By: Infinity Features Entertainment
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Tells of the daring heist of The Stone of Destiny in the 1950s by a charming group of idealistic Scottish undergraduates, whose action rekindled Scottish nationalistic pride.

Genre

Drama, Comedy, Crime

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Director

Charles Martin Smith

Production Companies

Infinity Features Entertainment

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Stone of Destiny Audience Reviews

Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.
Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!
Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
topeka The film was marketed incorrectly, I'm sure. The Scottish-nationalist premise and the political message certainly would have prevented me from seeing the film had it come to our small town. But that's not what the film is about. I caught this flick on a lonely Tuesday. It was on a cheap disk marked 'fantasy' - no doubt because Billy Boyd starred in LOTR.What is this movie about? A college student hatches a plan to steal Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey in 1950. He gathers three accomplices, two of whom are engineering students. Based on a true story, this ridiculous plot actually happened, and the thieves were charged but never prosecuted for reasons that are obvious after watching the film.Why should you see it? Anyone who has been young enough, and dumb enough, and bright enough to give a flip about anything will be rooting for these idiots all the way through. The film takes a bit to get started, but once they decide to steal the Stone of Destiny, it actually runs quite fast, and if you don't pay attention, you'll get lost.The film is remarkably funny. Ever see a 1950's crime-comedy? The story might as well be a comedy. Even the villains - the British - are so charming and normal, one wonders why the kids are so intently interested in the Scottish nationalism.Why was the film panned? Young men, and one young woman valiantly risk their lives and their future for their nation and their community in a daring plot that could only succeed with a divine blessing they never bother to ask for. ... Need I say more? Patriotism. Virtue. Honor. Duty. Charity. Faith. Sacrifice. All wrapped in a plot so stupid only a couple of engineering students could hatch it. No propaganda. No Hollywood spew. The good guys are all Scots. What's not to hate? I'm surprised the flick was even made.If you can stand a flick with pretty good acting, not great, but not civic theater, and a bit of humor, you will enjoy this movie. It is set in the 50's, and but for a couple of probably unavoidable goofs, it feels like the real 50's.I gave the movie a couple of extra stars... it's a special gem we see so little of.
TxMike We saw this on Netflix streaming.Even though Scotland is part of the British empire, they never have fully considered themselves "British." One item particularly, called the 'Stone of Destiny", represented their national pride. But some centuries earlier this stone, which probably weighs a few hundred pounds, was confiscated and then located in a chapel in Westminster Abby, under a chair, built in as part of the chair.Charlie Cox is 1950s vintage Ian Hamilton who, after listening to a lot of idle conversation about Scotland losing its national identity, decided to do something about it. As a gesture he would take the Stone of Destiny and bring it back to Scotland. A mere college student, it was a great task. This movie is based on those events, where Ian got a group of 4 together to make the heist on Christmas Eve and into the early morning hours when he figured security would be the most lax.Kate Mara, a New Yorker, is Scot Kay Matheson who joins Ian's efforts and eventually becomes his girlfriend. Of interest was Robert Carlyle of many "bad boy" roles as John MacCormick who was some Scot official who was aware of the plan. SPOILERS: The group succeeded, in a sort of manner, and did return the Stone to Scotland, but were eventually found out and arrested, but never brought to trial. The stone was subsequently "loaned" to Scotland, subject to recall when a new Soveriegn is installed.
fredericlindsay I for one would like to enter a plea on its behalf that people should see this film and make up their own minds. As someone who knows something about shaping a story, I am sure that a wider audience will find it a very competent adventure story with moments of real suspense, while for Scots it gives them the flavour of a moment in history and catches very authentically the emotions roused in a wide range of people by the Stone's recovery. The participants, though young, had potentially too much to lose for the raid to be dismissed as a student prank. Like it or not, there was real patriotic fervour at work here and a desire to remedy an old wrong. This is a well written, well acted film, although the reaction of the Scottish critics would have you think otherwise. It is hard to know what personal or professional uncertainty made for such a grudging reception, but it would be a pity if it meant that fewer people saw the film.
mimbaxter Stone of Destiny is comfortable, it does not ask why the people of Scotland would want independence. It presents the theft as a student prank, which is supported by society. There is rarely harm in student pranks and the students do learn things, but as in this case they rarely change the world. So, it looks nice, but it would have been good to see more Scottish talent on display. I am very happy looking at Kate Mara on screen, having seen her in 'Shooter' she was one of the reasons that I went to see the film, she was a different character. They all handled their accents well enough for me not to notice, and the group worked well together. The production is well done, and looked right to my eyes for the time of the film. I think that the script could have been developed more. There is a repeated scene with characters running past each other. I did not walk out really understanding the basic desire that drove the theft of the stone.