Me Without You (2001)

Director:

Sandra Goldbacher

Writers:

Sandra Goldbacher (screenplay) and
Laurence Coriat (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 November 2001 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

From Sandra Goldbacher, writer/director of The Governess, comes a film about the agonies and ecstasies of friendship.

Plot:

Two best friends grow up on the outskirts of London in the 1970s and 1980s.

Plot Keywords:

Best Friend | 1970s | Friendship | 1980s | Bed Jumping

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Ella Jones	...	Young Holly
Anna Popplewell	...	Young Marina
Cameron Powrie	...	Young Nat
Trudie Styler	...	Linda
Allan Corduner	...	Max
Deborah Findlay	...	Judith
Nicky Henson	...	Ray
Anna Friel	...	Marina
Michelle Williams	...	Holly
Oliver Milburn	...	Nat
Hannah Bourne	...	Carolyn
Russell Mabey	...	Craig (as Russell Maybey)
Blake Ritson	...	Tim
Francis Lee	...	Paul
Eve Cooper-Rose	...	Sophie
Lee Williams	...	Ben
Marianne Denicourt	...	Isabel
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Daniel
Andrew Beck	...	Stuart
Ariana Fraval	...	Earnest Girl
Annabel Mullion	...	Meredith
Adrian Lukis	...	Leo
Steve John Shepherd	...	Carl
Coco Sumner	...	Holly and Marina's Child
Natalie Moss	...	Holly and Marina's Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Appleby	...	Rob the Barman (uncredited)

Directed by
Sandra Goldbacher

Writing credits
Sandra Goldbacher		(screenplay) and
Laurence Coriat		(screenplay)

Produced by
Steve Christian	....	executive producer
Judy Counihan	....	co-producer
Finola Dwyer	....	producer
Ulrich Felsberg	....	co-producer
Torsten Leschly	....	co-producer
Jonathan Olsberg	....	executive producer
Paul Ritchie	....	line producer

Original Music by
Adrian Johnston

Cinematography by
Denis Crossan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Ellis

Casting by
Kathleen Mackie
Jill Trevellick

Production Design by
Michael Carlin

Art Direction by
Steve Carter		(as Stephen Carter)

Set Decoration by
Rebecca Alleway

Costume Design by
Rosie Hackett

Makeup Department
Mark Anderson	....	hair stylist: Trudie Styler
Christine Blundell	....	hair stylist
Christine Blundell	....	makeup artist
Chris Colbeck	....	makeup artist: Trudie Styler
Dianne Jamieson	....	hair stylist
Dianne Jamieson	....	makeup artist
Denise Kum	....	hair stylist
Denise Kum	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Polly Duval	....	post-production supervisor
Khalid Mohammed	....	post-production supervisor
Sandra Shuttleworth	....	production manager
Jackie Vance	....	post-production supervisor: WAVE Pictures

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lucy Amor	....	second assistant director
Ben Dixon	....	third assistant director
Stephen Woolfenden	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Rob Anderson	....	construction manager
Paul Bradburn	....	stand-by props
Alan Briant	....	dressing props
Lee Bryant	....	dressing props
Nina Chakrabarti	....	title illustrator
George Dean	....	chargehand painter
Billy Edwards	....	stand-by props
Russell Hanson	....	dressing props
Kathy Heaser	....	art department trainee
Mark Hedges	....	storeman
Springer Horrill	....	prop master (as David 'Springer' Horrill)
Simon Hutchings	....	stand-by painter
Stefan Kopec	....	stand-by rigger
Richard Mason	....	carpenter
Jane Morton	....	additional designer
Eddie Murphy	....	carpenter
Steve Nicholls	....	painter
Mark Overall	....	carpenter (as Marc Overall)
Sandra Phillips	....	art department assistant
Sophie Phillips	....	props buyer
Antoine Robin	....	construction manager
Stuart Rushbrook	....	carpenter (as Stewart Rushbrook)
Russell Sargent	....	carpenter
Kevin Siggers	....	stand-by rigger
Christopher Smith	....	stand-by carpenter (as Chris Rushby-Smith)
Terry Stinson	....	dressing props
Sam Stokes	....	stand-by art director
Graham Thomas	....	carpenter
Lloyd Vincent	....	stand-by props
Penny White	....	stand-by props
Terry Woods	....	props master

Sound Department
Kasper Val Bjerregård Larsen	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Søren Bjerregaard-Ryan)
Michael Corden	....	supervising sound editor
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer
Julian Dodwell	....	dialogue editor
Barry Doyle	....	boom operator
Stevie Haywood	....	sound recordist: second unit
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Svenn Jakobsen	....	foley mixer
Alan O'Duffy	....	sound mixer

Visual Effects by
Matt Butcher	....	Flame artist: Wave Pictures
Colin Kinnear	....	technical support: Wave Pictures
Alasdair MacCuish	....	digital lab producer: Framestore CFC
Stanley Monahan	....	optical effects
Paul Round	....	Inferno artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Rob Andrews	....	electrician
Kerry Brown	....	still photographer
Bill Chambers	....	electrician
Liam Daniel	....	photographer
Ross Grainger	....	electrician
Riff Mahmood	....	camera trainee (as Rif Mahmood)
Micky Page	....	gaffer
David J. Palmer	....	clapper loader (as David Palmer)
Ray Peters	....	generator operator
Martin Shepherd	....	focus puller
Pat Sweeney	....	best boy
Ben Tanswell	....	electrician
Alex Tate	....	grip
Michael Toher	....	electrician
Peter Wignall	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Lina Todd	....	casting: USA
Nicole Wohl	....	casting associate: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jane Lewis	....	costume supervisor
Leigh Nicol	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Thomas Caspersen	....	on-line conforming editor: Wave Pictures
Polly Duval	....	post-production executive
Peter Ferrari	....	grader
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Amy Quince	....	first assistant editor
James White	....	digital film recordist: Wave Pictures

Music Department
Kle Boutis	....	music supervisor
Nigel Stone	....	music editor

Transportation Department
John Belton	....	facilities driver
Duncan Broadhead	....	facilities driver
Frank Charles	....	unit driver
Jack Evans	....	facilities driver
Ade Holland	....	unit driver: Isle of Man
Jim King	....	unit driver
Mike Lewis	....	transportation captain: Isle of Man
Paul Mason	....	driver
John Moloney	....	transportation captain
Mike Rodderick	....	facilities driver
Roy Smith	....	facilities driver
Douglas Wallace	....	unit driver (as Dougie Wallace)
Ian Yea	....	facilities driver

Other crew
Sarah Bing	....	legal services: SJ Berwin & Co.
Hattie Bowering	....	assistant to producer and director
Rebecca Chambers	....	assistant location manager
Natalie Cheary	....	unit publicist: Freud Communications
Sarah Cormish	....	runner
Sarah Cormish	....	stand-in
Robin Craine	....	runner
Robin Craine	....	stand-in
Judy Dixon	....	press publicist
Julie Dunne	....	extras coordinator
Penny Dyer	....	dialogue coach: Michelle Williams
Steve Dyke	....	assistant chef
Nicky Earnshaw	....	runner (as Nicola Earnshaw)
Nicky Earnshaw	....	stand-in (as Nicola Earnshaw)
Charlotte Farrar	....	assistant accountant
Mike Fraser	....	rushes transfer
Debi Gibson	....	runner
Debi Gibson	....	stand-in
Laura Goulding	....	script supervisor
Lisa Heathcote	....	food stylist
Samantha-Jane Hunt	....	runner
Samantha-Jane Hunt	....	stand-in
Tim Johnson	....	legal services: SJ Berwin & Co.
Jane Kearney-Collins	....	production accountant
Clyde Lane	....	chef
Paul Mason	....	runner
Carla Meyer	....	dialogue coach: Michelle Williams, USA
Zoe Morgan	....	script supervisor
Robin Pim	....	location manager
Christelle Randall	....	unit publicist: Freud Communications
Bill Ridealgh	....	unit nurse (as Bill 'Bill the Pill' Ridealgh)
Dorothy Sewell	....	unit nurse
Ben Shipton	....	runner: Dakota
Ben Shipton	....	stand-in: Dakota
Andy Stebbing	....	production coordinator
Sarah Stuart	....	post-production accountant: Wave Pictures
Eve Swannell	....	production secretary
Paul Swann	....	laboratory liaison: Technicolor
Jesse Acton Thompson	....	floor runner (as Jesse Acton-Thompson)
Bruno Tonioli	....	choreographer
Luke Walker	....	runner
Luke Walker	....	stand-in
Lucy Williams	....	location manager: Isle of Man
Sophia Wood	....	title designer

Thanks
Rob Garvie	....	special thanks (as Rob Garvey)

Production Companies

• Fireworks Pictures
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (presented by) (as Samuel Goldwyn Films)
• Momentum Pictures
• Road Movies Filmproduktion (as Road Movies)
• Isle of Man Film Commission
• British Screen Productions (with the participation of) (as British Screen)
• British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) (with the participation of)
• Dakota Films
• Finola Dwyer Productions (in association with)
• WAVEpictures (in association with) (as Wave Pictures)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (developed with the support of)

Distributors

• Alcine Terran (Japan) (theatrical)
• Fandango (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Fireworks Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (a CanWest company)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (as Samuel Goldwyn Films)
• Capitol Films (non-USA)
• IDP Distribution (2002) (USA)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance (as AON/Albert G. Ruben)
• Bristol Television Film Services  facilities vehicles (as BTFS)
• Chloé  thanks (as Stella McCartney for Chloé)
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Film Finance  completion guarantor
• Freud Communications  unit publicity
• Genesis Digital Imaging  stills processing
• Hear No Evil Studios  original score recorded at (as Hear No Evil)
• J&J International  catering
• Kodak Entertainment Imaging  film stock
• Lee Lighting  lighting equipment (as Lee Lighting)
• M&C Executive Cars  unit vehicles
• Network Security  unit security
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• SJ Berwin  legal services
• Vehicles in Vision  action vehicles supplier

Also Known As:

Meine beste Freundin (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content and drug use.

Runtime:

USA:107 min | Germany:94 min (TV version)

Country:

UK | Germany

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA | Iceland:12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Company:

Fireworks Pictures

Trivia:

Anna Friel originally auditioned for the role of Holly.

Quotes:

Holly: I talk to you in my head all the time.

Movie Connections:

References "Dynasty" (1981)

Soundtrack:

White Man in Hammersmith Palais

Surprisingly good...

Friendship is a curious thing, and it's a topic which hasn't been explored too recently at the cinema. Me Without You puts this right, following the relationship between Holly (Williams) and Marina (Friel) from the seventies through the present, watching as them grow up and exploring their feelings towards each other and each other's families.

Imagine a British answer to The Ice Storm or American Beauty, and you're about half-way there, as this contains performances of genuine passion and emotion which leads you to engage on a surprisingly deep level with the characters as it delves beneath the surface of friendship. There is a moment about an hour in with Holly where it was impossible not to feel her character's desperation. While mostly drama, there are many moments of subtle humour which are effective without disturbing the overall flow of the piece.

The direction, especially with some inspired lighting in the last half hour is more than adequate, and the soundtrack perfectly evokes the spirit of the era, as do the costumes which have obviously had great care taken over them.

More importantly, though, this is a film which will really make you think, make you question the nature of friendship and your friends - you'll want to recommend this film to them, but you probably won't for fear of losing them afterwards!

A delight, and not at all what you might expect from a British film starring an ex soap actress. The two leads put in fine performances, and the supporting cast more than pull their weight. It's fair to say that I felt some of the nudity and drug use were slightly gratuitous, but this is a criticism that could also be levelled at American Beauty to a certain extent. This isn't quite a five star film, but it's pretty close.