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
Pat Laffan	...	Mr. Harcourt
Patti Love	...	Mary Deare
Hilary Reynolds	...	Babs Osbourne
Tom Hickey	...	Freddie Reynalde
Robbie Doolin	...	Reporter
Brendan Conroy	...	Disley
Johnny Murphy	...	One Eye
Peter O'Farrell	...	Long John Silver
Agnes Bernelle	...	Mrs. Ackerly
Larry Murphy	...	Inspector
Vicky Curtis	...	Ellen
Brian McGrath	...	Vicar
Padraig O'Raghallaigh	...	GPO clerk
Nick Grennell	...	Actor
Willie Smith	...	Empire stage manager
Katy O'Donnell	...	Young Stella
Kate O'Malley	...	Baby Stella
Earl Gill	...	Band
John Drummond	...	Band
Chris Kenevey	...	Band
Jack Bayle	...	Band
Rolf Kholman	...	Band
Horace Hessey	...	Singer
Betty Casey	...	Singer
Paddy Casey	...	Pianist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Holland	...	Rep Actor - Stage Manager (uncredited)
Alan Smyth	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Newell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Beryl Bainbridge		novel
Charles Wood		writer

Produced by
Victor Glynn	....	co-producer
Conor Harrington	....	co-producer
Hilary Heath	....	producer
Philip Hinchcliffe	....	producer
John Kelleher	....	executive producer
Steve Matthews	....	script producer
Mark Shivas	....	executive producer
John Sivers	....	executive producer
Andrew Warren	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Richard Hartley

Cinematography by
Dick Pope

Film Editing by
Jon Gregory

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Mark Geraghty

Art Direction by
David Wilson		(as Dave Wilson)

Costume Design by
Joan Bergin

Makeup Department
Ann Buchanan	....	makeup artist
Francesca Crowder	....	hair stylist
Stephanie O'Rourke	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
George Adams	....	executive production manager
John McDonnell	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Noel Byrne	....	third assistant director
Jim Gorman	....	assistant director
Martin O'Malley	....	assistant director
Mickey Walsh	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Bassett	....	construction manager
Triona Coen	....	stand-by props
Clodagh Conroy	....	art department stand-by
Eddie Cunningham	....	carpenter
Owen Monaghan	....	dressing props
Paddy Murray	....	stand-by props
Tony Nicholson	....	dressing props
Eamonn O'Higgins	....	property master
Alan Scott	....	painter
Jeanne Vertigan	....	production buyer

Sound Department
Philip Alton	....	foley editor
Sue Baker	....	sound editor
Brian Blamey	....	dialogue editor
Mick Boggis	....	dubbing assistant
Stephen Farrell	....	sound trainee
Derek Holding	....	dialogue editor
Tim Lewiston	....	assistant dialogue editor
Derek Lomas	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Maxwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Salter	....	boom operator
Peter Sutton	....	sound mixer
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Martin Grace	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ciarán Barry	....	clapper loader
Alan Butler	....	focus puller
Kenny Byrne	....	second focus puller
Tom Collins	....	still photographer
John Conroy	....	assistant camera
John Conroy	....	clapper loader
Seamus Corcoran	....	additional camera operator
Sean Corcoran	....	camera operator: second unit
Con Dempsey	....	gaffer
Kieran Dempsey	....	best boy
Terry Eiffe	....	electrician
Philip Fitzsimons	....	electrician
Jonathan Hession	....	still photographer
Philip Murphy	....	grip
Jimmy O'Meara	....	rigger
Tony Rowland	....	key grip
Des Whelan	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh	....	assistant costume designer
Gabriel O'Brien	....	wardrobe trainee
Maeve Paterson	....	costume supervisor
Ann Stokes	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Valentina Giambanco	....	second assistant editor
Mick Mahon	....	editor trainee
Clive Noakes	....	color supervisor
Ian Seymour	....	first assistant editor
Ben Yeates	....	second assistant editor (as Ben Yates)

Music Department
Phil Chapman	....	music mixer
Allan Jenkins	....	score assistant engineer

Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Chris Allies	....	title designer
Dougal Cousins	....	location manager
Daisy Cummins	....	extras coordinator
Janette Hamill	....	location coordinator
Andrew Hegarty	....	location assistant
Barbara Holloway	....	publicist
Gerry Lundberg	....	unit publicist
John McKenna	....	chief armorer
Johnny Mulligan	....	assistant accountant (as John Mulligan)
Suzanne Nicell	....	location coordinator
Andrew Noakes	....	production accountant
Sinead O'Brien	....	production runner
Anneliese O'Callaghan	....	production coordinator
Lisa Parker	....	assistant production coordinator
Laerke Sigfred Pedersen	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• British Screen Productions
• Portman Productions
• Wolfhound Productions

Distributors

• Fine Line Features (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (1995) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (Spain)
• New Line Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Top Tape (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Movietech  camera equipment provided by
• Tru-Cut  negative cutting

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...

Don't expect it to be cute

The likely reason people don't like this film is because it was released by Miramax who are infamous for mis-marketing their tough sell pictures ("Muriel's Wedding" was a feel good, laugh a minute romantic comedy? "Captives" was a thriller!). This movie isn't a sweet coming of age story. It's a devastating account of a young woman's loss of innocence in a cruel world.

I tend to really like the movies most people find too depressing. Like the ancient Greeks I find human tragedy the greatest form of emotional catharsis. If you are the same way I recommend this film highly.