A Room with a View (1985)

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

E.M. Forster (novel)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 April 1986 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

When Lucy Honeychurch and chaperone Charlotte Bartlett find themselves in Florence with rooms without views...

Plot Keywords:

1900s | Florence Italy | Gardening | Mother Daughter Relationship | Author

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Maggie Smith	...	Charlotte Bartlett, a chaperon
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Lucy Honeychurch, Miss Bartlett's cousin and charge (as Helena Bonham-Carter)
Denholm Elliott	...	Mr. Emerson, an English tourist
Julian Sands	...	George Emerson
Simon Callow	...	The Reverend Mr. Arthur Beebe
Patrick Godfrey	...	The Reverend Mr. Eager, Chaplain of the Anglican Church in Florence
Judi Dench	...	Eleanor Lavish, a novelist
Fabia Drake	...	Miss Catharine Alan
Joan Henley	...	Miss Teresa Alan
Amanda Walker	...	The Cockney Signora
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Cecil Vyse (as Daniel Day Lewis)
Maria Britneva	...	Mrs. Vyse, Cecil's mother
Rosemary Leach	...	Mrs. Marian Honeychurch
Rupert Graves	...	Freddy Honeychurch
Peter Cellier	...	Sir Harry Otway, a landlord
Mia Fothergill	...	Minnie Beebe
Kitty Aldridge	...	New Lucy
Brigid Erin Bates	...	Maid at Windy Corner
Isabella Celani	...	Persephone
Luigi Di Fiore	...	Murdered Youth (as Luigi di Fiori)
Matyelok Gibbs	...	New Charlotte (as Matyelock Gibbs)
Mirio Guidelli	...	Santa Croce Guide
Freddy Korner	...	Mr. Floyd
Patricia Lawrence	...	Mrs. Butterworth (as Patty Lawrence)
Elizabeth Marangoni	...	Miss Pole
Peter Munt	...	Coachman
Luca Rossi	...	Phaeton (as Lucca Rossi)
Stefano Serboli	...	Fighting Youth
Phillida Sewell	...	Lady at Sir Harry's Garden Party
Margaret Ward	...	Lady at Sir Harry's Garden Party
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Robbins	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Wilby	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
James Ivory

Writing credits
E.M. Forster		(novel)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala		(screenplay)

Produced by
Paul Bradley	....	associate producer
Peter Marangoni	....	associate producer
Ismail Merchant	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard Robbins

Cinematography by
Tony Pierce-Roberts

Film Editing by
Humphrey Dixon

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Brian Ackland-Snow
Gianni Quaranta

Art Direction by
Elio Altramura
Brian Savegar

Costume Design by
Jenny Beavan
John Bright

Makeup Department
Christine Beveridge	....	makeup artist
Sally Harrison	....	assistant makeup artist
Carol Hemming	....	hair stylist
Paolo Mantini	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Lanfranco Diotallevi	....	production manager
Carlo U. Quinterio	....	production manager
Ann Wingate	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kevan Barker	....	assistant director
Simon Moseley	....	second assistant director
Daniel Sonnis	....	second assistant director

Art Department
John Chapple	....	painter
Bob Coleman	....	carpenter
Bob Cross	....	construction manager
James Ede	....	painter
Mick Flanders	....	set dresser
Dennis Fruin	....	property master
Mark Fruin	....	stand-by propman
Roberto Galante	....	assistant art director
Roy Hansford	....	carpenter
James Loftus	....	stagehand
Goffredo Massetti	....	property master
Kieron Mcnamara	....	stand-by prop man
Ulderico Nanni	....	carpenter
Anita Overland	....	assistant art director
Franco Pizzonia	....	construction manager
Floriano Porzionato	....	set dresser
Stefano Secchi	....	assistant art director
Len Serpant	....	stagehand
Dennis Simmonds	....	set dresser
Malachi Smyth	....	assistant art director
Antonio Vandilli	....	painter
Umberto Vandilli	....	painter
Jeanne Vertigan	....	property buyer

Sound Department
Philip Alton	....	assistant sound editor (as Phillip Alton)
Ray Beckett	....	sound recordist
Peter Compton	....	sound editor
Tom Freeman	....	assistant sound editor
Nick Hammond	....	boom operator
Alan Killick	....	sound editor
Richard King	....	sound re-recordist
Tony Lenny	....	sound editor
Anna Shepherd	....	assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Luigi Bisioli	....	gaffer
Harry Bisson	....	electrician
Lou Bogue	....	gaffer
Stephen Dembitzer	....	assistant camera (as Steve Dembitzer)
Jonathan Earp	....	clapper loader
Massimo Fantauzzi	....	rigger
Adriano Gangi	....	assistant camera: second unit
Katya Grenfell	....	still photographer
Dennis Harrison	....	rigger
Malcolm Huse	....	grip
Aldo Laureti	....	electrician
Sergio Melaranci	....	camera operator: second unit
Glen Parsons	....	best boy
Sarah Quill	....	still photographer
Alvaro Romagnoli	....	best boy
Marco Romagnoli	....	electrician
Steve Senior	....	electrician
Sergio Serantoni	....	grip
Angelo Tiberti	....	grip
Massimo Zeri	....	assistant camera
Dennis Morgan	....	daily clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brenda Dabbs	....	costume supervisor
William Pierce	....	costume coordinator
Elena Puliti	....	assistant costume supervisor
Sally Turner	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Kevin Brooks	....	assistant editor
Joanna Garland	....	first assistant editor (as Joanna Jimenez)
Paul Keye Jr.	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Barrie Guard	....	conductor
Barrie Guard	....	orchestrator
Simon Heyworth	....	music producer
Brian Masterson	....	music recordist
Francis Shaw	....	conductor
Francis Shaw	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Chris Allies	....	title designer
Nicky Kentish Barnes	....	production secretary
Andrew Bergen	....	production assistant
Folco Cianfanelli	....	title backgrounds
Dino Colizzi	....	re-voicing: Italian
Jane Delandro	....	production assistant
Renée Glynne	....	continuity (as Renée Glynn)
Jilly Gutteridge	....	location manager: UK
Nayeem Hafizka	....	production assistant
Graham Hazard	....	follow focus
Caroline Hill	....	production coordinator
Alan John	....	production accountant
Sunil Kirparam	....	production accountant
Linsey Lee	....	special assistant to director
Sarah Lucraft	....	assistant accountant
Carlo Mantegazza	....	production assistant
Daniele Nepi	....	location manager
Daniele Nepi	....	production assistant
Pippo Pisciotto	....	assistant to director
Zakiya Powell	....	publicist
Luigi Riitano	....	production accountant
Paul Scacchi	....	production assistant
Lisa W. Strout	....	production secretary (as Lisa Stout)
Elizabeth Swisher	....	production assistant
Frans J. Afman	....	financial services (uncredited)
Kevin Phelan	....	unit projectionist: Mercury Theatres, London (uncredited)

Thanks
Donna Rezia Miari-Corsini	....	thanks
John Pym	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Goldcrest Films International (as Goldcrest)
• National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC) (in association with) (presents)
• Curzon Film Distributors (in association with) (presents)
• Film Four International (in association with) (presents)
• Merchant Ivory Productions (as A Merchant Ivory Film)

Distributors

• Curzon Film Distributors (1986) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinecom Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• BBC America (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (HD)
• Cinema Ten Corporation (1987) (Japan) (theatrical) (censored) (edited)
• Norstar Releasing (198?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Only Hearts Company (1996) (Japan) (theatrical) (revival) (uncut)
• VCM (1987) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Adyton International (2000) (Poland) (TV)
• Aquarius TV (2001) (Greece) (TV)
• BBC America (2004) (USA) (DVD) (PAL master)
• Eagle Pictures (Italy) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Karelia Food (1994) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2000) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• TV3 (1991) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD) (PAL)
• VTC-Video (1987) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (PAL master)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates

Other Companies

• World Wide Sound  sound re-recording (as World Wide Sound, London)
• Windmill Lane Recording Studios  music recording (as Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin)
• Filmtrax  soundtrack
• CBS Masterworks  music courtesy of: Puccini arias
• Arabesque Records  courtesy: "Mademoiselle Modiste" (as Caedmon/Arabesque Records)
• Caedmon Records  courtesy: "Mademoiselle Modiste" (as Caedmon/Arabesque Records)
• Eastman-Dryden Orchestra, The  performers: "Mademoiselle Modiste" (as The Dryden Orchestra of the Eastman School of Music)
• Cosprop  costumes (as Cosprop, London)
• Technicolor  processing and prints (as Technicolor, London)
• Alitalia  thanks
• Comune di Firenze  thanks
• Estonian Legation, The  thanks (as The Estonia Legation, London)
• National Gallery, The  thanks (as The National Gallery, London)
• National Trust, The  thanks
• Hotel Pensione Quisisana & Pontevecchio  thanks (as Pensione Quisisana)
• Victorian Society, The  thanks

Runtime:

UK:117 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | Spain:T | Netherlands:6 | Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:R | Norway:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 (f)

Filming Locations:

Bluebell Railway, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Goldcrest Films International

Trivia:

First cinema film of Helena Bonham Carter.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The psalm chant sung by the choir was written after the purported date of the film.

Quotes:

Mr. Emerson: I don't care what I see outside. My vision is within! Here is where the birds sing! Here is where the sky is blue!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

Soundtrack:

Chi il bel sogno di Doretta

That rarest of great novel adaptations-- a film that's better than the book

No disrespect to the achingly elegant prose of E.M. Forster, but the last chapter of his novel simply cannot compare to this film's last shot, of a pair of lovers in a pensione in Florence, finally with their view of the Arno. As for the rest of this brilliant adaptation, it is populated with actors so perfectly cast it's as if they'd been invented for the roles-- Julian Sands as the Edwardian bohemian George Emerson, Helena Bonham-Carter, radiant as Lucy Honeychurch, Denholm Elliott, once again stealing every scene he's in, and Daniel Day-Lewis as the priggish Cecil Vyse, in a performance so self-consciously stiff he looks as though he were taken off the cover of the New Yorker. It's romantic, funny, stylish and impassioned. I first saw this film when it was released, and even at a young age, I knew I'd fallen in love. Twenty years later, I'm still in love with it.