"When Tom Proctor's dad dies, his world falls apart; his brother joins the army, his mum is threatened with eviction and Tom faces criminal prosecution after spreading manure over the local bank. All this changes however when Tom meets park ranger Al Thorpe in this inspiring story of two individuals overcoming adversity and finding true friendship."

The film is beautifully shot, and the landscapes alone are well worth 96 minutes of your time (Dan Mackie has won several awards for his cinematography in 'Lad').

The story tugs on the heartstrings in all the right places - you'll laugh, you'll cry, and above all you'll find the characters utterly compelling and believable. There's some wonderful comedic moments to counterpoint the emotional challenges facing the Tom and his mum, and Al's grand-daughter makes a very welcome appearance (certainly as far as Tom's concerned).

As a first time film-maker Dan Hartley does a brilliant job and the cast are both believable and engaging throughout, avoiding the trap of overplaying their roles. The film has won numerous awards at film festivals across the world and justifiably so.

I'm only sad that the film didn't find a mainstream distributor to get it into more cinemas.

What a tear jerker which brough out so many emotions within me. I am still thinking about it now. Although my heart went out to Tom who lost three male influences in his life. I felt for his Mum as not only did she have to endure the loss of her husband and potentially their home , she had to deal with her two sons. The one son going off to the army and all the trauma and heartache around Tom. She was one strong woman, whom I admired to the end. The beautiful Yorkshire Dales were so beautiful, it made me think of how anything bad could happen around their beauty and brought a smile to my face. Being from Yorkshire myself but not having lived there for a very long time, I loved the accents especially Als, his reminded me of my dad who is no longer with us and every time he spoke I had a lump in my throat. Great film, great location, loved it

Beautiful, just beautiful. Beautiful story, beautiful acting (absolutely amazing everyday people pulling off Oscar worthy performances) stunning cinematography, & perfectly suited score. Spawned a great discussion for our library's Film Critics Club, & received 2 thumbs up from all!

This is a very thought invoking film, with many layers of thought going on hear, you have a family that has been torn apart by gut wrenching loss and heart ache, in the loss of their father and Husband, the hardest hit is Tom the youngest at thirteen he felt the brunt of the responsibility for his family as his Brother went off to the Army, he was left to fend for the family having to sell his prized rock collection to send his mother to tractor trailer school, that took heart to do, and steeling that tractor and spreading crap on the bank took wat the Greek,s call Th'rros Guts and courage, and I would say that boy has it in spades, this is a coming of age story for the whole family but will take your full attention because of the Upper Highlands accents, this a one for the whole family no bad language at ,east that we can understand. I would give it a rating of PG loosely. worth a watch

I want to persuade you to watch this movie. I am not going to give an overview of the plot because it is not needed. If you like to stumble on a film where the lead performance is a tour de force, where British talent is showcased and you are intrigued by the Yorkshire backdrop then give this a chance. The story unfolds slowly but it will be etched on your memory.

I saw this movie a while back and have been searching for it, so I'm glad I have a chance to see it again. There's so much to like about it. If you want a fast, loud and shallow movie this isn't for you, but if you want a good story and are willing to allow it to unfold, this might the movie for you. I like it o lot.

Hadn't intentionally set out to watch this film, but on a rainy bank holiday Monday happened upon it... And what a joy..... It reels you in, keeps you hooked and has the most heartwarming story at its heart. It has a little bit of everything - highs and lows, fun and laughter. I'm not from Yorkshire, but the film makes you feel like your home...

The mark of an excellent film in my mind is that it touches every emotion, whether you want it to or not. This film saddens, it gladdens, it's thought provoking, full of pathos, full of realism, beautiful scenery, compelling and the spirit of Yorkshire through and through. Without discussing the plot I urge you to watch this film and make up your own mind. I loved it.

Lovely scenery beautifully filmed. Excellent music which augmented the film. The lad Tom is the kind of kid anyone would love as a son.

I would recommend this film to anyone who likes realistic and emotional drama.

There are some irritating edits in the football match & some of Tom's brother's lines aren't quite right. I also didn't like the short scene where the music made it impossible to hear the dialogue.

If it wasn't for these I would have given it 10 stars.

One believed from the outset that this may be another Grimey North story, but it unfolds like a dragonfly from the stream - soaring above us like a fabulous relation of Kes.

Possibly the best self-distributed film you'll see and deserving of a wider audience. Dan Hartley wrote and directed this film as a tribute to a real person who guided him in his own life. It's well-written, beautifully shot and directed, and worth a few hours of anyone's time. Sadly, because it is a low budget film with an unknown cast Hartley has never been able to get a full distribution or the backing of major players. The film has a high average rating on IMDB and has one several international awards - you get to see it for free.

Tom is a thirteen year old lad living in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales. Kids here make their own adventures with a vast open playground on their doorstep. It's a pretty normal life for Tom, his older brother and his mam and dad until tragedy strikes and Tom's life becomes a troubled one, understandably - thirteen year old lads aren't equipped to cope with normal life, let alone having big issues thrown at them.

The film has a recurring theme of loss and Tom must feel that everything he loves is taken from him - his dad, his brother, his home, his friends and, at one point, his innocence. And yet he keeps things together unknowingly before finding (and understanding) a bit more abouthis place in th world.

The cast are unknown and (I assume) in most cases amateur actors. Nevertheless there are stirring performance from Bretten Lord as Tom, Molly McGlynn as Lucy and a fantastic display by Nancy Clarkson as Tom's mam.

what endears this film to me most is it's unsentimentality. The acting is heart rending at times but doesn't overly rely on speeches of impact or scenes that are obviously written and rewritten to provide a Hollywood version of Yorkshire, the speech is quite natural. The depiction of the Yorkshire Dales is my most treasured element of the film. The local quarry is the employer of Tom's father and many scenes are shown against disused quarries and heaps of spoil. The houses are terraced workers houses, not centuries old stone cottages, and we see the characters in the ginnels and dirt lanes at the back of these houses. This is what the Dales are like for like for many people who work and live there, and yet it is still stunningly beautiful. It is impossible to make any part of the Pennines ugly I think, even filming below grey skies the desolate treeless moors have a magic quality that captivates and probably scares people unused to the unique landscape. I'm biased, mind - I live further south in the Dark Peak and am wed to moorland and old quarries. This isn't All Creatures Great and Small, Last of the Summer Wine, Wuthering Heights or Heartbeat - this is almost real life.

Simple. Understated. Real. Moving. Natural. Great scenery. Really well directed. Well made movie. Watch it, support it, this is real movie-making, about real people in real-life situations, not a franchise. Best 1.5 hrs you'll spend for a long while.

A beautifully shot heartwrenching and heartwarming story. Told through the pace of everyday life, 'Lad' has an extremely real feeling to it; highlighting the everyday journies, and the unexpectaded tragedies of a Yorkshire family. Set against the backdrop of the incredible Yorkshire Dales, the cinematography is stunning. Beautiful natural colours, tones and landscapes. I cried, I laughed, I felt an uplifted faith in human kind, human relationships and compassion.

A heart-wrenching yet heart-warming tale of a family and young boy coming to terms with a major life changing event. The film is beautifully shot and lets the landscape speak for itself. The characters and their reactions to the main event are plausible and realistic. To the films credit nothing is looked at or perceived through rose-tinted glasses or made over-dramatic. A loving tribute to family life and how the interest and support of one another can help us through difficult times. The tale is told with humour and honesty. Al would be proud.

I loved it, though its melancholy story line and exposed and bleak scenery churned me up. I could feel and smell the air. The characters are portrayed so movingly in all their complexity, and the multi-layered emotions they each went through, especially the lad, were so absolutely convincing I felt I knew them. A rare and beautiful film I don't think I will ever forget.

The fantastic landscape is the star of the film. Could have done better with what is essentailly a good story. Unfortunately the amateur cast were a little bit too am-dram and unbelievable. Acting on screen requires toned down acting, something Bretton Lord who plays Tom understood and his performance stands out. Some of the minor roles were particularly unconvincing and over the top (farmer, wealthy banker) and would have been more at home in church hall farce.

Watchable for the cinematography, but not able to invest in characters due to unconvincing acting.

Brilliant film, a cross between Kes and Billy Elliot

A non-Hollywood and quintessentially Yorkshire tale. Tom deals with his fathers death amidst the stunning Yorkshire scenery, worth a watch for the views alone. The story is told at an appropriate pace to allow the watcher to catch the nuances of characters without feeling slow or rushed. We see the emotional turmoil and the coping mechanisms used to deal with grief and the all too real day to day consequences of loss. This, despite the sombre subject matter is an uplifting tale illustrating the positive effect we can have on each others lives through simple understanding and kindness. There are comedic moments which are perfectly woven through the story in a natural and unforced way. In summary, I laughed, I cried and I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

As soon as the music started I thought that I was in for a treat. The area that the filming took place looked stunning. There was just the right amount of humour and emotion within the film, which made it feel very real and believable. I really wanted it to go on, just to see how Tom progressed in adult life.

The Yorkshire landscape is lovingly depicted in this film in all its raw, singular beauty. It is this aspect of the film, along with the performance of the young boy playing Tom, that stood out the most for me. The relationship that forms between the young boy and the ranger, Al, is a touching one and adds moments of poignancy.

However, I found some of the performances amateurish, which detracted from the emotional impact of the film. Also, the supremely wealthy bank manager was a less than believable caricature. Surely it is the fact that such institutions are faceless and anonymous that makes them so dehumanising and callous. The scene that involved the bank manager was a lazy, heavy-handed way of drawing comparisons between the powerful and the powerless.

The main source of the film's success is due to the performance of the young boy playing Tom, which is natural, nuanced and thoughtful.

A gentle, beautifully told story of loss, grief and anger regarding the loss of a family member. All the cast members portray the film's characters with empathy and belief. And the film's backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales make the watching experience extra special.

Watchable story of how a young teenage boy re-builds his life after the death of his father.

Good central performances in a story which deftly mixes comedy and tears and gives an idea of how life can be in the Yorkshire Dales.

Perhaps the real star is the landscape, beautifully shot throughout.

The level of whimsy occasionally threatens to unbalance the film, and there are some lazy caricatures (I doubt that many small-town bank managers live in such well-appointed houses as the one in this film).

All in all a good, warm-hearted watch, a very British film.

I was bowled over! Reminiscent of Kes, this little gem tells a bittersweet tale of the pain of adolescence amidst the turmoil of loss and bereavement. It sends shivers as redemption and regrowth of the soul takes place. Relationships come to sudden abrupt endings and promising new ones begin. Wisdom, time and experience overcome naivety and new life begins. It is a modern day Shakespearean tragedy with the simplicity and freshness of a truly original English film. It is stylish.yet captivating redolent of a time gone by. Not to be missed!

This was a very warm, real film. The situations that happen in this film could easily happen and there was no unrealistic GREAT reward for everything that happens to Tom. It was about him growing mentally and learning how to deal with life. All the characters were true to life and all had their good and bad moments where they get things wrong and act according to what they are facing at the time. The setting was beautiful between the warmth of the verdant countryside and the hardness of the rocks and the quarry. But it is all about the balance of taking the hard with the smooth and empowering Tom to realise that with the 'little' he is willing to give up, he can have a choice in his own future, but still realise that he has to accept some changes - Just like the Serenity Prayer. God Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and Wisdom to know the difference. People come in and out of his life and he learns to adapt with it without falling apart.

A lovely story about the struggles of family life when confronted with the hardship of life and what it throws at you, seen from the perspective of the YORKSHIRE LAD Himself and his coping mechanism, parts of the film will make you laugh out loud and other parts touch you in the heart. It contains all of a young boys emotions in one film