"The older we grow, the more we realize that true power and happiness comes to us only through those who spiritually mean something to us. Whether they are near or far, still alive or dead, we need them if we are to find our way through life. The good we bear within us can be turned into life and action only when they are near to us in spirit," Albert Schweitzer once wrote. Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) is a middle-aged Manchester postal worker whose life is in shambles. After surviving an auto wreck and checking out of the hospital, he returns to his working-class home, which is a mess. Eric's two stepsons, Ryan (Gerard Kearns) and Jess (Stepfan Gumbs) are slobs who don't listen to anything he tells them.

The only thing this frightened and angry man has going for him are his friends led by Meatballs (John Henshaw), a co-worker. They try to cheer Eric up with jokes. That doesn't help much so Meatballs gathers them together and reads to them an imagery exercise from a self-help book in which they are all encouraged to see themselves through the eyes of someone who loves them. The men squirm as they try to bring healing to Eric who still suffers panic attacks when he's feeling anxious.

Eric's grown daughter Sam (Lucy-Jo Hudson) needs him to babysit her infant child while she finishes her degree. This means that he will have to see Lily (Stephanie Bishop), his first wife. He still suffers bouts of deep guilt for having walked out on her 25 years ago when she was pregnant with Sam. While worrying about this in his bedroom, Eric talks to a life-size poster of his soccer hero Eric Cantona (Eric Cantona), a Frenchman with the Manchester Uniteds, who surprisingly shows up in the flesh. He offers advice on how to deal with Lily, speaking in proverbs, such as "Without danger, you can't get beyond danger." The meetings between Eric and Lily are not as bad as he thought they would be. He recalls their most romantic evening together as teenagers when they danced together and he wore his blue suede shoes.

The final straw in Eric's downward spiral is when his stepson Ryan gets in trouble with a local hood, and Eric proves unequal to the task of making things right. He decides to call upon Meatball, his co-workers, and his soccer buddies to help him out.

Looking for Eric is a very entertaining and heartwarming film about the ways in which friendship can half our troubles and provide rewarding benefits of healing and wholeness. It also reveals that it is never too late to put our life in turnaround. The only drawbacks to this British drama is the nonstop profanity and problems understanding some of the heavily accented dialogue.

At one point, Eric asks Cantona about the finest and most memorable moment in his long and illustrious career. He answers that it was when he passed the ball to a teammate who then scored a goal. That is why Eric calls upon his soccer buddies to solve the problem with a local gang. Loach has again made a convincing movie about the ample rewards of human solidarity.


Special features on the DVD include the trailer; a TV spot; and deleted scenes.