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...

One to see, especially for Rickman Fans

Shame on all of those who gave most of the plot away. This is a worthwhile film, one I have seen at least twice and will watch any time it is on. True, I am a fan of Alan Rickman, but it goes beyond that. As a slice of British theatre life it is up there with "The Dresser" and is about as depressing. A romp it is not, but so what? Was it marketed badly? Yes, perhaps. But it is well acted, tightly directed and even fun to watch at times. It doesn't end well, but as Brad Pitt said in character in "The Devil's Own" ... "this isn't an American story." Hooray for that.

As a character study of several people, it is about as good as it gets, although I might want a little more depth, especially on Rickman's character. He is gentlemen enough to be destroyed by what he does in the end and it enobles his character. I enjoyed watching Hugh Grant, who is a delightful man in person and not quite the twit he often plays, cast against type as a nasty, bitchy queen. Yeah, he can act. So what if they pay him a lot of money to be himself, more or less, most of the time? When pressed, he can deliver.

If you like Grant and Rickman, you can't go wrong. If you like dark stories of behind-the-scenes theatre life, this is a good 'un for you. And young Ms. Cates, married to Skeet Ulrich gives a great performance, even if she had to lie her way into the part.