Little Voice (film)
| Little Voice | |
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DVD cover
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| Directed by | Mark Herman |
| Produced by | Elizabeth Karlsen |
| Written by | Mark Herman |
| Based on |
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Altman |
| Cinematography | Andy Collins |
| Edited by | Michael Ellis |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $4,611,784 |
Little Voice is a 1998 British musical film written and directed by Mark Herman and made in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
The screenplay is based on Jim Cartwright’s play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.
Laura Hoff, an only child, is a reclusive young woman who lives with her mother in a working-class home in Scarborough. She is known as LV (short for Little Voice) for her reticence. She flees reality, hiding away in her room, listening to records and mimicking their artists' voices like Édith Piaf’s, Judy Garland’s, and Shirley Bassey’s; her love of songs is her only source of strength since her beloved father's death. Her mother Mari, a promiscuous woman with countless affairs, jilts a man when her passion wanes.
Billy, a telephone engineer who mends their phone, approaches LV by giving her information pamphlets. Things improve when Mari is seeing Ray: He hears the girl sing, spots her gift and vows to make her a star, while Mari, who dislikes singing, still doubts her child. Ray arranges with Mr Boo for LV to sing at his club. But her performance is understandably somewhat of a failure as she is overcome by stage fright and only manages a few lines of song. Ray sees that LV needs encouragement on stage and organises a big band, lights and a new dress to give her confidence.
Ray gives her a pep talk, persuading her to perform by portraying her act as a tribute to her father. LV, therefore, agrees to sing again, but only as a one-off. When LV is to sing at a nightclub, she visions her father to help perform well. LV brings the house down and is a storming success. Ray thinks she is his ticket to the big time and arranges for a London agent to come up and see LV perform the following night. As Ray, Mari and Mr Boo toast their future success, LV murmurs that she agreed to sing only the one time and slumps to the floor.
The following night LV passively remains in her bed and Ray’s futile attempts to goad LV are dashed. Mari, who still scorns her child, prods her against her will. The selfish natures of Ray and Mari are very much revealed in these scenes. At the cabaret club the London agent finally loses patience after several third rate acts fill the time in LV's absence and leaves. Ray sings 'It's over' as his career disappears before everyone's eyes.
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