Oscar Goes to the Five Corners of the Globe

This year’s best picture nominees represent an unprecedented sweep of the world, with each one having been set or filmed in a different country: “The Postman (Il Postino)” in Italy, “Babe” in Australia, “Braveheart” in Scotland, “Sense and Sensibility” in England and “Apollo 13” in the United States. So we dispatched correspondents to each site to find out how filming affected the area, how the finished film touched the locals--and who everyone will be rooting for on Monday night.

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Welcome to Braveheart country.

Since September, when Mel Gibson’s movie version of the life of 13th century Scottish rebel hero William Wallace opened here, this historic city has seized the chance to position itself as the epicenter of the “Braveheart” industry.

Tourism is the main thrust of this initiative. Stirling’s elected lawmakers and tourist board officials decided that if movie audiences would show up in large numbers to see a film about Wallace, they might want to visit Stirling too.

Why? Not because Wallace was born within 50 miles of here. Nor because Stirling was the location where Gibson shot “Braveheart”; filming was in Fort William, 100 miles north, and in Ireland.

Yet Stirling has a strong justification for appropriating the “Braveheart” name. It was here in 1297 that Scottish rebel troops led by Wallace routed the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge--a significant victory in Scotland’s struggle for independence.

So it is that Gibson’s likeness, blue and white warrior stripes on his face, now figures prominently in brochures, videos and TV commercials extolling the beauties of the Stirling area.

A 60-second spot, being shown in theaters where “Braveheart” is playing and on the video of the film (which is being released in Britain on Monday to coincide with the Oscar ceremonies), shows clips of Gibson intermingled with shots of glorious scenery in and around Stirling. “Experience the very heart of Scotland,” intones a narrator. “Stirling is ‘Braveheart’ country.”

Without question, its 35,000 citizens are behind the push. The town persuaded 20th Century Fox (which had foreign rights; Paramount released the film in the States) that it should host the film’s European premiere in September. “More people were on the town’s streets than at any time since the Allied victory in World War II,” said the provost, or mayor, of Stirling, Pat Greenhill.

They appreciated the film too: “We had 30,000 people in to see it,” said Denise Melville, manager of Allanpark, Stirling’s only movie theater. “Only ‘Jurassic Park’ has ever done better business.”

Yet tourism here will derive longer-term benefits from the film. In the 10 weeks after the film’s British release in September, visitor numbers at Stirling’s Wallace Monument, a 200-foot tower overlooking the town, increased from 10,000 to 30,000.

“Braveheart” may yet provide a permanent legacy. Next year marks the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and plans are underway for an exploration in the River Forth to establish the site of the original bridge, which could then be developed as a historic site.

Town elders acknowledge that there was friction with Fort William when Stirling was chosen to host the “Braveheart” premiere and then made Gibson’s image a central feature of its tourist campaign.

“It’s true the film wasn’t shot here,” said Donald Pow, Stirling’s tourism marketing manager. “But this town plays a very important part in the Wallace story.”

Just one more thing, in the interest of historical authenticity: Before Gibson’s film, had Stirlingers ever heard anyone call Wallace “Braveheart”?

Pow and James Fraser, director of tourism for the entire region, shot each other a slightly embarrassed glance. “No,” they said in unison. Not that this detracts from the welcome to Braveheart country, you should understand.