Comfort and Joy 1984

Allan “Dicky” Bird, Bill Paterson, a Glasgow radio disc jockey, is stunned when Maddy, his kleptomaniac girlfriend of four years, announces she’s moving out just before Christmas. His doctor friend Colin, Patrick Malahide, tries to console him, but Bird remains heartbroken and adrift in the city’s quiet pre-holiday rhythm.

To clear his head, Bird heads out for a drive and spots an alluring girl, Charlotte, Clare Grogan, riding in the back of a quirky “Mr. Bunny” ice cream van. On a whim he buys an ice cream cone, only to witness a shocking scene as two men drive up and smash the van with baseball bats; the occupants retaliate with squirts of raspberry sauce. By sheer chance, Bird becomes entangled in a turf war between rival Italian ice cream vendors: the young interloper Trevor, Alex Norton, and the older, more established “Mr. McCool”, George Rossi.

As a celebrated local figure, Bird finds himself bouncing between McCool and his sons Bruno, George Rossi; Paolo, Peter Rossi; and Renato, Billy McElhaney, and Trevor, Alex Norton, all while trying to keep Charlotte connected to the proceedings. The back-and-forth takes a toll on Bird’s life on the air and on his red BMW 323i Baur convertible, which suffers more damage with every new confrontation.

Bird grows increasingly obsessed with finding a peaceful settlement. He begins broadcasting coded messages on his early-morning show to reach the rival sides, prompting his boss Hilary, Rikki Fulton, to question whether Bird’s contract should include a “sanity clause.” Hilary ultimately orders Bird to see a psychiatrist, Arnold Brown, to get a handle on his fixation with the Mr. Bunny clique.

In the end, Bird proposes that the two entrepreneurs join forces to market a new treat: ice cream fritters. The idea excites both sides—Trevor’s frying background and McCool’s ice-cream expertise align, and Bird, who alone knows the secret ingredient of an ancient Chinese recipe, negotiates a 30% cut of the gross along with repairs to his battered car. The plan promises a sweeter future for the pickle-brimmed feud.

During the credits, Bird is heard trying to record a commercial for the new product: “Frosty Hots.”