An Awfully Big Adventure (1995)

Director:

Mike Newell

Writers:

Beryl Bainbridge (novel)
Charles Wood (writer)

Release Date:

21 July 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In a world of make believe Stella is about to discover the difference between true love... and real life.

Plot:

In Liverpool in 1947, a theatre company is planning to produce a series of plays. Sixteen year old Stella...

Plot Keywords:

Director | Teenage Girl | Actor's Life | 1940s | Virgin

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Alan Rickman	...	P.L. O'Hara
Hugh Grant	...	Meredith Potter
Georgina Cates	...	Stella
Alun Armstrong	...	Uncle Vernon
Peter Firth	...	Bunny
Prunella Scales	...	Rose
Rita Tushingham	...	Aunt Lily
Alan Cox	...	Geoffrey
Edward Petherbridge	...	St. Ives
Nicola Pagett	...	Dotty Blundell
Carol Drinkwater	...	Dawn Allenby
Clive Merrison	...	Desmond Fairchild
Gerard McSorley	...	George
Ruth McCabe	...	Grace Bird
James Frain	...	John Harbour

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and some language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:MA | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 (bw) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bewley's Oriental Cafe - 78-79 Grafton Street, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Georgina Cates had unsuccessfully auditioned for the part of Stella under her real name of Clare Woodgate. Frustrated, she dyed her hair, reinvented herself as a 16-year-old Liverpool girl called "Georgina Cates", and landed the role.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When O'Hara is running down the wharf in 1947, there is a modern car carrier (ship) in the background.

Quotes:

P.L. O'Hara: There were times when I was close to death, and each time I thought "I have a son, and it will not be the end of me." But it is. I may not face it as well as I faced death...

unique

I liked the film and, though I'm sure there were countless other ways that they could've still retained its twisted plot in a more concise way, I enjoyed the uniqueness of its story. It was certainly a sad story and it did catch me by surprise. Alan Rickman was terrific, but I wish I could've seen more of his character because for the amount of time he's in the film it simply wasn't enough, especially since he appeared to be a main character. However, it was entertaining and I really liked it and its originality.