In 1989 , Myles took the project to Beacon Pictures , an independent film company established that year by Armyan Bernstein , a former television journalist turned screenwriter and producer . Clement and La Frenais traveled to Los Angeles to discuss the project with Alan Parker , and gave him a copy of the novel . Upon reading the novel , Parker was intrigued by its dialogue and humor , stating , " The book was all dialogue with very little description , but by the use of this wonderful language , and almost nothing but language , in a few lines Doyle was able to make his characters as vivid and strong as a dozen pages of purple Joycian prose . " He signed on to direct the project after concluding work on his previous film '' Come See the Paradise '' ( 1990 ) . After Beacon agreed to finance the film , 20th Century Fox acquired the North American distribution rights , and Parker was given creative control . The film was an international co-production between companies in the United Kingdom and the United States . Randall-Cutler 's The First Film Company and Parker 's Dirty Hands Productions , both based in England , were enlisted as production companies . Parker and the producers later attended the 1990 Cannes Film Festival to secure worldwide pre-sales
1990 Cannes Film Festival
1990 Cannes Film Festival
The Commitments (film)