Danny – Der Champion

Danny, the Champion of the World is a 1989 British drama film starring Jeremy Irons, with his son, Samuel, in the title role. It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, and tells of a father and son who conspire to thwart a local businessman's plans to buy their land by poaching his game pheasants. It was filmed on location in Oxfordshire, with Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, being a prominent feature in the film. The book is written in the style of a reflective memoir by an adult Danny, who the reader might presume grew up in 1950s or 1960s rural England: however, Chapter 6 reveals that the period was in fact the 1970s, given that the "Baby Austin" car that William and Danny were repairing was more than 40 years old, having been made in 1933. The film is set in 1955.