The Last King of Scotland, directed by Kevin Macdonald, written by Peter Morgan (The Crown, Frost/Nixon) and Jeremy Brock based on the novel by Giles Foden was produced by Lisa Bryer, Andrea Calderwoods and Charles steel. The 2006 film tells the story of Idi Amin's rule in Uganda through the lens of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish man who comes to become Amin's personal physician after first joining a missionary clinic in Uganda to serve the people. The film tells the story of Garrigan's close relationship with Amin and the horrors he lived through and was able to escape from.
The film was made on a budget of $6,000,000 and grossed $48 million plus in worldwide box office. It stars Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin, a role that he won an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. This would be the films only Academy nomination/win. It did however receive 5 BAFTA Awards nominations and came away with 3 wins. James McAvoy (Split, X-Men franchise) plays Dr. Garrigan. The film was critically successful based mainly on the strength of Whitaker's performance and strong throughline created by director Macdonald.
The film strays from the books real-life version of the story of Amin as Dr. Garrigan is a fictionalized character created in order to create dynamic conflict between two central character. Garrigan is a composite of many characters that allows the screenwriters and director to move the journey through while being opposed by Amin during the narrative.
