Choose life.|Feb. 23, 1996|United Kingdom|94 Min.|TV-14
Genre: Crime;Drama
Description: Mark Renton, a 26-year-old unemployed heroin addict, lives with his parents in the suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. He frequently engages in drug use with his friends: Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson, a deceptive James Bond enthusiast; Daniel “Spud” Murphy, a seemingly calm but cunning con artist; and Swanney, their dealer known as “Mother Superior.” Renton’s other friends, Francis “Franco” Begbie, a violent psychopath, and Tommy Mackenzie, a footballer, warn him about his dangerous addiction, despite their own avoidance of drugs.
Tired of his reckless lifestyle, Renton tries to quit heroin using opium suppositories provided by dealer Mikey Forrester. His withdrawal from heroin boosts his libido, leading him to pursue a girl named Diane Coulston. They have sex at her parents’ apartment, but Renton is horrified to discover Diane is underage. She uses this as leverage to pressure him into continuing their relationship.
After several failed attempts to reintegrate into society, Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud return to heroin use. Tommy also succumbs to drugs after a breakup with his girlfriend Lizzy, triggered by Renton’s actions. Even the tragic death of Dawn, Sick Boy’s infant daughter with his girlfriend Allison, fails to prompt the group to change their ways.
Later, Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud are caught shoplifting. Renton and Spud are arrested, while Sick Boy escapes. Spud is sentenced to six months in prison, while Renton avoids jail by entering a drug rehabilitation program. Despite being prescribed methadone, Renton relapses and nearly dies from a heroin overdose at Swanney’s home. After being revived, his parents lock him in his childhood bedroom to force him through a brutal withdrawal, marked by hallucinations of his friends.
Once released, Renton agrees to take an HIV/AIDS test. Despite years of sharing needles with other addicts, he tests negative.
Cast director: Danny Boyle
Cast actor: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Kevin McKidd, Peter Mullan, James Cosmo, Eileen Nicholas, Susan Vidler
Original name: Trainspotting