Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Comedy/Blackball
Blackball poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 68.8 / 100
2003·Comedy / Drama / Sport·1h 36m

BLACKBALL

“At Last, A Sportsman The British Can Be Proud Of”

Blackball follows the fortunes of Cliff Starkey, a working-class fine of lawn bowls with an exceptional talent. Wanting to take on the Aussies he manages to become regional champion, only to get banned. Sports agent Rich Schwartz picks him up and makes him so popular the Bowls Committee deem to lift the ban. Now the question is whether he can regain his form and his friends to beat the Aussies.

Above the Line
Mel Smith·DirectorTim Firth·WriterVernon Layton·Director of PhotographyStephen Warbeck·Original Music ComposerChris Blunden·Editor
Cast
Paul Kaye·Cliff StarkeyJohnny Vegas·TrevorJames Cromwell·Ray SpeightBernard Cribbins·MutleyAlice Evans·KerryVince Vaughn·Rick SchwartzImelda Staunton·BridgetJames Fleet·Alan the PipeKenneth Cranham·Chairman CollinsIan McNeice·Hugh The Sideburns
Full Crew
(30 credits)
Directing· 1
Mel Smith·Director
Writing· 1
Tim Firth·Writer
Camera· 1
Vernon Layton·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Chris Blunden·Editor
Sound & Music· 6
Stephen Warbeck·Original Music ComposerAndie Derrick·Foley ArtistGillian Dodders·Dialogue EditorAndrew Caller·Sound Re-Recording MixerHugo Adams·Foley EditorPeter Burgis·Foley Artist
Art & Design· 11
Anja Mai·Costume DesignNigel Egerton·Costume DesignSarah Kane·Art DirectionGrenville Horner·Production DesignDavid Walley·Art DirectionKevin Alexander·Makeup ArtistKirstin Chalmers·Makeup DesignerLaura McIntosh·Makeup ArtistSara Osborn·Makeup ArtistPeta Dunstall·Makeup ArtistGemma Ryan·Set Decoration
Production· 7
James Gay-Rees·ProducerDuncan Reid·Executive ProducerMel Smith·Executive ProducerBruce Davey·Executive ProducerSteve Christian·Executive ProducerCarrie Hilton·CastingMindy Marin·Casting
Other Departments· 2
Kevin Alexander·HairstylistPhillip Leonhardt·Compositing Artist
By the Numbers
68.8
OF 100
Master Score
5.6
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$48K
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Blackball's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#D60000
#002060
#FFFFFF
Mood
Quirky, Confident
Composition
Split
Era
2000s
Visual Style
Photographic

“A man with dark hair and sunglasses is depicted from the chest up, holding a black bowling ball in his left hand. He wears a blue and white track jacket with a ”

comedysports
Key Elements
ManSunglassesBlack Bowling BallBlue And White Track JacketUnion Jack Flag Elements
Atmosphere
Vibrant
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Abstract
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY MEL SMITH

Every catalog entry where Mel Smith is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE COMEDY

Top-ranked films inside comedy, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 2000S

The best films of the 2000s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows