Emma Thompson's performance is, most writers agree, one of the most memorable things about "The Legend of Barney Thomson." (Most people who comment after seeing the film, agree!) People who dislike Emma Thompson's character, or the way she does it, will probably dislike the film as well.

Besides being "gallows-humour," there is some rather broad satire, and the name of Emma Thompson's character is proof enough of that...."Cemolina," of all things.

I can't tell you what this character does because it would spoil the whole plot! I can tell you that she dies of natural causes, however, and one of the more atmospheric scenes in "The Legend of Barney Thomson" is her wake, at the Saracen Head ("Sarry Heid"), with all her chums singing together. She is also partial to those excursions, on tour buses, to tourist locations all over Scotland.

Robert Carlyle has said that when he cast for "Cemolina," the big consideration was that the character is elderly, has lost her looks, and would require a lot of prosthetic makeup which would render the actress unrecognizable. The reason he thought of Emma Thompson, apart from the fact that he has always admired her, was her "Nanny MacPhee" performance when she went totally, bravely ugly. Also that this character requires a particularly adventurous performance.

Carlyle reports that Emma Thompson looked at the script and decided in favor of the part within one day, saying to Carlyle, "What a hoot!" She especially liked the line -- some other character's -- about Barney Thomson standing about "like a haunted tree...."