Robson Green stars as ex-star footballer Michael Flynn who is thrown together with his estranged wife Julie when their teenage son Danny, who has special needs, goes missing while making his first unaccompanied train journey to London from a special college in Wales.

As roguish Flynn and long-suffering Julie chase the missing boy around wild Welsh countryside, years of repressed hostility are exorcised in the heat of their self-imposed rescue mission. Vigorous sparring gradually blossoms into a rediscovery of mutual attraction. As the antagonism dissolves, the possibility of true love emerges.

Meanwhile, Danny discovers a strange and exciting new world outside the relative security of the college. Doggedly determined to reach his goal, Danny overcomes both human and natural obstacles to arrive at Paddington Station unaided. Flynn, jolted into belated maturity by the crisis of the last two days, learns to recognise the value and potential in himself, and at last, in his son.

Cast & Crew

Robson Green - Michael Flynn
Niamh Cusack - Julie Flynn
Raymond Pickard - Danny Flynn
Joy Richardson - Mavis McKendrick
Dinah Stabb - Helen Marten
Anna Marie Heslop - Jackie
Bethan Williams - Sian
Ffion Rowlands - Becky
Charlie Watts - Brian
Mark Pepper - Malcolm
Susie Ann Watkins - Cheryl
William Thomas - Constable

Writer - Christopher Green  ::  Director - David Tucker  ::  Producer - Bill Boyes

Rhinoceros is a heart-warming, bitter-sweet romantic comedy based on a true story, a Coastal and Granada co-production for the ITV Network,  and was filmed on location in Manchester and North Wales. Viewing figures published after its original UK transmission on 11 April 1999, showed us that Rhinoceros come in fourth at just under 11 million viewers. It followed: Big Match Live (ITV) - 11.25, Coronation Street (ITV) - 14.5 and EastEnders (BBC) - 15.2 million viewers.

    

Sunday 11 April 1999

As the opening titles run we see Robson's character Michael Flynn on the football pitch, with the game running into extra time - while back at the hospital his wife Julie is cursing him while giving birth to their first child. Time then skips forward 11 years.

When Flynn's career as a footballer was cut short by a knee injury, he became very confused, his marriage failed and he couldn't seem to deal with the fact that his son had learning difficulties and was also autistic. Flynn's unhappiness lead him to self-destruction and he abandoned his family. His son Danny attends a special residential school in Wales and he visits his Mum in London during the holidays. The Head Teacher believes he is old enough, and it is now the right time for him to travel home on his own to meet his Mum at Paddington Station.

Danny sets off with nothing more than his dirty washing and a wooden rhinoceros given to him by his girlfriend, after memorising the route from the College in Wales to Paddington Station in London - including all the changes in between. However, Danny ends up getting off at the wrong station and heads off in the opposite direction, getting lost in the process.

 

The next time we see Flynn, he's caught literally with is pants down before being berated first by his girlfriend and then by his ex-wife. Julie has come looking for him because she wants him to know that Danny has gone missing in the remote Welsh countryside. Just reunited with his estranged wife, and divorced for eight years, they both set off for Wales to find their son. But it is a journey for all of them - and it gets off to a very rocky start. Chasing Danny over the hills and dales, Julie and Flynn thrash out years of recriminations and their feelings for each other and their son, while Danny is facing all kinds of terrors to gain his adult independence and his future.

Even though they find Danny, locked up in a police cell after being found looking for a bite to eat in someone's greenhouse and being attacked by the guard-dog, they lose him again while having another argument. He's set off to try and find his own way home.

The chase resumes again, only this time in Flynn's old Porsche. They come to a dead end in the cliffs, and the answer finally comes to Flynn - Danny needs to get home on his own steam, and his parents need to let him get there on his own - only then will the journey home be complete. But Julie can't accept this and needs to find her son, but the car ends up getting stuck in the mud in the pouring rain at the dead of night.

Flynn and Julie are forced to stay in the car overnight and an old spark of passion is ignited between them - with the inevitable ending - only this is a small sports car, and they remember the old days when they had to take the roof off to stand up, making use of a very conveniently hidden umbrella (don't ask)!

Danny meanwhile has found refuge for the night in a camper-van owned by a gentleman building his dream home near the sea. The next day he sets off, back on his journey home - leaving behind his lucky charm, the wooden carved rhinoceros. Flynn and Julie are rescued by the same gentleman the next day, who helps them get out of the mud, and Julie eventually finds the rhinoceros while getting into the camper-van for a flask of coffee. This leads them back on the right trail and they catch sight of Danny getting onto a train. Julie attempts to run after the train while Flynn holds her back - she still wants her son safe in her care.

Flynn talks Julie round to letting him go the journey home alone as he had wanted, though they watch from a safe distance and dash to London to try and get to the station in time to meet him. The family reunites like never before, and we have to say, one of the best moments of the film.

As for the rhinoceros - it's Danny’s mascot and lucky charm - and represents "Thick Skin - Small Brain" to Danny and his girlfriend. But producer, Bill Boyes, says: "The title of the drama refers to a good luck charm given to Danny as he sets out on his long journey home. It comes to symbolise his dogged determination to reach his goal".

 

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