Nello. The marvellous Neil Baldwin, a real-life Forrest Gump?
September 26, 2014 3:15 PM   Subscribe

"Marvellous" - the amazing story of Neil Baldwin on BBC IPlayer (UK only) When I was at Keele University back in the early 90s, Nello was already a legend. A campus fixture, I had no real idea what he did there, or what he was doing there. But the stories were legion. A circus clown turned kit man for Stoke City FC, and a "very good friend" to bishops, politicians, footballers, and, well, just about everyone.
posted by bookbook (7 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
Awesome. I love reading about the awesome lives of truly earnest people. He reminds me a bit of Fred Rogers in that way.
posted by bfranklin at 3:51 PM on September 26, 2014


Well, looks like it's time to move the UK
posted by Green Winnebago at 6:02 PM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]


If you use Firefox, try the Hola Unblocker extension.
posted by sutt at 6:13 PM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]


Not seen the movie, but the trailers indeed made it look like a British Forrest Gump.
posted by MartinWisse at 12:14 AM on September 27, 2014


'Marvellous' is one of those pieces of drama that you know within five minutes is going to win every single BAFTA this year, including all the ones for games and several of the ones they've already given to other people. Clearly made for tuppence ha'penny, a great many favours and the sheer love of the story and belief in the project, it is a film of joy from beginning to end. Watch it, and watch it again.
posted by Hogshead at 1:55 PM on September 27, 2014 [2 favorites]


I finally got around to watching this on Sunday and absolutely loved it. It's a very odd idea for a film, and could have turned out terribly, but was instead one of the most distinctive and best pieces of TV I've seen all year. Thank you for posting a link to the original Guardian article!
posted by DanCall at 1:41 AM on September 29, 2014


I've got a really low sentimentality threshold, but Marvellous was wonderfully affecting. I think the real-life cameo flashbacks (a technique I hadn't seen used before) helped ground this (otherwise entirely unbelievable) life story in reality.
posted by bright cold day at 3:56 AM on September 29, 2014


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