United is a British television film directed by James Strong and written by Chris Chibnall. It is based on the true story of Manchester United's "Busby Babes" and the aftermath of the 1958 Munich air disaster, with the film's events taking place between August 1956 and May 1958. In particular, the film focuses on the experiences of assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, played by David Tennant, and Bobby Charlton, played by Jack O'Connell.
Largely filmed around the North East of England, the film was first broadcast on 24 April 2011 on BBC Two and BBC HD, but is being sold internationally as a theatrical picture by Content Media Corp. The series gained a 14.3% rating in its time slot and was generally well received by television critics.
Plot
The drama primarily focuses on the relationship between assistant manager Jimmy Murphy and the young player Bobby Charlton. The film begins in the autumn of 1956 as manager Matt Busby gives Charlton his first chance to play a match with Manchester United's first team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes" due to their unique pedigree as an almost entirely club-nurtured team of players, with the exception of a few slightly older players who have been purchased from other clubs.
The other players to come through the ranks and who feature greatly in the film include centre-half Mark Jones, left-half Duncan Edwards, right-half Eddie Colman and outside left David Pegg. A rare signing is then made when Busby signs Northern Irish goalkeeper Harry Gregg in late 1957.
Meanwhile, Busby has persuaded Football League administrator Alan Hardaker to allow his team to play in the European Cup with the proviso that they are back in time for each scheduled fixture. They first compete for this title in the 1956-57 campaign after winning the league title and able to compete in the cup again the following season after retaining their domestic crown.
The team sees success both at home and abroad. However, on the return flight from a European Cup match in Belgrade, their aeroplane crashes attempting to take off after refuelling in Munich and seven of the club's players (including Jones, Colman and Pegg) are killed. Gregg is instrumental in saving survivors from the wreckage of the plane, while Charlton suffers minor injuries. Edwards and Busby are seriously injured.
Within a week, Charlton is allowed to leave the hospital and return to England but Edwards and Busby remain in a critical condition at this stage. Murphy was not on the plane when it crashed due to his duties with the Welsh national side but flies out as soon as he can in order to visit his injured colleagues in hospital and travel home with Charlton.
Two weeks after the crash, Edwards dies in hospital, heaping fresh devastation on Charlton, who is ready to give up football until he has a visit from Murphy and is soon playing for United again.
Against the odds, Murphy vows to present a team to play their next home game and, ultimately, the 1958 FA Cup Final, taking charge of the first team until the following season as Busby recovers from his injuries.
Cast
David Tennant as Jimmy Murphy
Jack O'Connell as Bobby Charlton
Sam Claflin as Duncan Edwards
Dougray Scott as Matt Busby
Dean Andrews as Bert Whalley
Kate Ashfield as Alma George
David Calder as Harold Hardman
Neil Dudgeon as Alan Hardaker
Tim Healy as Tommy Skinner
Melanie Hill as Cissie Charlton
Philip Hill-Pearson as Eddie Colman
Thomas Howes as Mark Jones
Ben Peel as Harry Gregg
Brogan West as David Pegg
Production
The film was produced by World Productions with a budget of £2 million ($3.2 million). In writing his script, Chris Chibnall drew on first-hand interviews with the survivors and their families. It was shot in November and December 2010 in the north of England including the Tyneside Cinema, Tynemouth Metro Station, Newcastle Civic Centre and the Assembly Rooms. Brunton Park in Carlisle doubled for the inside of Old Trafford in the 1950s. The shoot took four six-day weeks of filming and was hindered by heavy snowfall in December; one extra day cost the production £30,000 because the project was not insured against inclement weather conditions.