Netflix has a great track record of releasing gripping blockbusters led by Hollywood stars. But its latest hit tells the remarkable story of one man from a Lancashire town.
Bank of Dave centres on Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick, a working-class, self-made millionaire who sets up a community bank in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The film has proved a hit for Netflix since its launch on the platform on January 16, after which it spent a week as Netflix’s most-watched film in the UK.
It stars James Bond star Rory Kinnear as the titular character, who made his business empire selling vans and minibuses. Its official synopsis reads: “Based on the true-life experiences of Dave Fishwick; ‘Bank of Dave’ tells the story of how a working-class Burnley man and self-made millionaire fought to set up a community bank so he could help the local businesses of Burnley not only survive, but thrive.
“In his bid to help his beloved community of Burnley he has to take on the elitist financial institutions of London and fight to receive the first new banking license to be issued in over 100 years.”
But while the biopic is based on true events, the filmmakers have taken creative license with several plot points throughout the film.
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Is the Bank of Dave a real bank?
Yes and no – it is true that Fishwick set up Burnley Savings and Loans (BSAL) as a means to help the small businesses and people in the Lancashire town who had struggled to secure loans from bigger banks. It first opened its doors in 2011, with the businessman assembling a small team to offer a more personal service to its customers, issuing loans on a case-by-case basis.
But technically, it isn’t actually a real bank but an independent lending company. In the film, we see the Financial Services Authority (FSA) demanding Dave raise several million pounds in security in order to become a real bank.
That money was never raised and the company is still in the process of getting a banking licence. BSAL returned its first profits within six months of operating, and has since lent millions to its customers, mainly around Lancashire and the North.
Is Hugh a real person?
In Bank of Dave, Kinnear stars alongside Yesterday star Joel Fry as London solicitor Hugh. Hugh travels north to Burnley after taking on the job of representing Dave as he attempts to launch his bank.
Hugh begins to fall in love with Dave’s niece Alexandra (Phoebe Dynevor) and even gives him £1m of his own money to help the bank with its funding. Hugh eventually decides to ditch his London life and stay up north.
In reality, Hugh doesn’t actually exist. He was created as a way for the audience to meet Dave and follow his journey from an outsider’s perspective.
Did Def Leppard play a concert for Dave?
This was also a work of fiction. While it really was the legendary rock band who made a cameo in Bank of Dave, their fundraising gig was a complete fabrication made simply because Fishwick is a big fan in real life.
The band flew from the US just to film their cameo in the film, with frontman Joe Elliott discussing their role on Planet Rock in March 2022. The Sheffield-born singer said: “Bank of Dave is kinda like the new Full Monty, the new Amongst Giants, the new Brassed Off.
“What they did is they wrote us into the story and they’ve obviously enhanced [it] somewhat because our part didn’t really happen. One of his mates knows me for 30 years and says, ‘I think I might be able to get Def Leppard to do a fundraiser for you.’
“So, long story short, we do this fundraiser at [Burnley football stadium] Turf Moor to raise money so he can start this bank and help out all the locals that were getting no help from the banks.”
In reality, the gig never happened and the funds were never raised, which is partly why BSAL is still in the process of getting its banking licence.
Is Sir Charles a real person?
In Bank of Dave, Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville plays villainous banker Sir Charles Denbeigh. In reality, he too is a work of fiction.
It is true that Fishwick received pushback from finance experts and was warned he could end up in prison if he referred to himself as a bank, but there was no devious scheme to sabotage his plans to launch the Bank of Dave.
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