Alan “Dickie” Bird (Bill Paterson) is an early-morning radio DJ on Metrosound 261 in Glasgow. It’s nearly Christmas and his kleptomaniac sweetheart of many years, Maddy (Eleanor David) has just walked out on him, taking all his possessions with her.
Driving home from the radio studio one day in his red BMW – his pride and joy – a weary Alan follows a Mr Bunny ice cream van through the streets of Glasgow after spotting an attractive young woman (Clare Grogan) working inside it.
When the van stops, Alan approaches and buys an ice cream (remember it’s December in Scotland!), smiles at the woman and walks away – only to see the van attacked by a group of masked thugs.
Recognising Alan, the hooligans stop their attack and ask him to dedicate a record to one of their friends on his next show which leads him unwittingly into an ice cream van turf war between two local Italian families – the McCool cartel led by the Mafia-style boss (Roberto Bernardi) and the fly-by-night Mr Bunny outfit led by Trevor (Alex Norton) – acting as an intermediary between the warring parties.
Cameos include Rikki Fulton as Hilary, Alan’s smooth-talking boss who thinks his star DJ has gone barking mad and Clare “CP” Grogan (from Altered Images) in a stellar turn as Charlotte, the Mr Bunny ice cream van girl.
Directed by “the Scottish Woody Allen”, Bill Forsyth. Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits wrote the soundtrack for the film.
Alan “Dickie” Bird
Bill Paterson Maddy
Eleanor David Charlotte
Clare Grogan Trevor
Alex Norton Colin
Patrick Malahide Hilary
Rikki Fulton Mr McCool
Roberto Bernardi Bruno
George Rossi Paolo
Peter Rossi Renato
Billy McElhaney Rufus
Gilly Gilchrist Gloria
Caroline Guthrie Nancy
Ona McCracken Fiona
Elizabeth Sinclair Sarah
Katy Black
Director
Bill Forsyth
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Driving home from the radio studio one day in his red BMW – his pride and joy – a weary Alan follows a Mr Bunny ice cream van through the streets of Glasgow after spotting an attractive young woman (Clare Grogan) working inside it.
