Gillies MacKinnon

MacKinnon then made the commercially well-received "The Playboys" (1992). Widely distributed in the US, the feature starred Robin Wright, Albert Finney and Aidan Quinn in the story of an Irish unwed mother courted by both a constable and a young actor. Based on that film's success, MacKinnon directed his first US production, "A Simple Twist of Fate" (1994). A modern retelling of the classic novel "Silas Marner," the film focused on a man (played by Steve Martin, who also scripted and produced) who adopts a baby girl and is brought to trial by the child's biological father. While it was a respectable work, the feature met with a mixed critical reception and lackluster box office. Returning to his native Scotland (and collaborating with his brother Billy on the script), MacKinnon turned his attention to "Small Faces" (1995; released in the USA in 1996), a sweeping tale of the parallel between a Scottish industrial city and the London flower power era of the late 60s, focusing on the vigorous street gangs of Glasgow. "Small Faces" opened to mostly respectable reviews. He returned to an Irish setting with "Trojan Eddie" (1996), starring Stephen Rea and Richard Harris. The busy filmmaker earned glowing notices for "Regeneration" (1997), which focused on a World War I-era psychiatrist treating soldiers traumatized by battle.