“Bank of Dave” is the warmly told true story of one Dave Fishwick of the little town of Burnley, near Manchester, England. There really is a Dave who owns a bank named the “Bank of Dave.” There was a 2012 documentary about Dave and his bank on the United Kingdom’s Channel 4.
Had Dave lived in a jungle tribal habitat, he would have been the village doctor, but in Great Britain, he hoped to establish his own bank which would put people first and money second. He also had the courage to take on the big banks to make it happen.
Cheers
The titular Dave (Rory Kinnear) enjoys a pint at the local pub, where everyone knows his name, and “cheers” is not an American sitcom but actually what people say to one another in drinking establishments throughout the length and breadth of Merry England.
Dave loves karaoke, too, having an above-average singing voice. He has a franchise of minibus dealerships (he used to sell vans), and has built up enough wealth that he enjoys giving back to the community. He’s been providing loans to the townsfolk for years.
Anyone looking to start a new business knew Dave was the man to see. When banks refused a loan—go see Dave. Maureen (Cathy Tyson) needed medical support, so Dave helped her pay the bills. Eventually, Dave figures he should get legit and start his own bank—easier said than done—but Dave fills out all the required applications.
A London attorney named Hugh (Joel Fry) is assigned to help Dave make his application to the UK’s Financial Regulation Board, and takes a drive up to the North Country to have a firsthand look at the situation.
Hugh’s highly skeptical of small-fry Dave flying in the face of the formidable banking industry, but he soon sees that Dave’s a kindhearted man, and that these well-meaning folks are in need of a village doctor in the form of a banker.
Making It Happen
Things don’t look too good at the outset. In addition to Dave’s non-banking background, the big, corporate banks have had a monopoly on lending in the area, and haven’t approved a new bank for the past 150 years. They’re also, of course, prepared to fight dirty to keep Dave from rattling the status quo by starting his bank.All of the above leads to the movie being partly a legal drama; Hugh thinks Dave’s case is an impossible uphill battle, but slowly comes around to seeing and believing in Dave’s vision to the point where he’s all in to help make it happen. Hugh also finds, along the way, love, camaraderie, and a sense of belongingness.
It must be said that “Bank of Dave” is not overly thrilling or exciting; it’s really a little TV movie, although the cast elevates the material considerably. The courtroom scenes are, however, extremely satisfying. Who doesn’t want to see the big banks lose?
Def Leppard
The other major subplot is friends of Dave organizing a fund-raising concert for him, and bringing in the early-80s-to-early-90s rock band Def Leppard. The soundtrack is also heavily Leppard-laden.This is really the kind of real-life upbeat, positive success story The Epoch Times hopes to deliver more of. Which is why I work here—so tired of the news that’s inherently always about a group of sneaky people trying to get away with stuff, and another group of people exposing them. And in “Bank of Dave,” the sneaky banks are trying to get away with stuff, too, but it’s nice when the little guy wins. And there’s no sex and drugs. There is rock and roll, but in this case, to quote Mick Jagger on the topic, “but I like it, like it, yes I do.”
