Bright Young Things (2003)

Director:

Stephen Fry

Writers:

Stephen Fry (screenplay)
Evelyn Waugh (novel)

Release Date:

3 October 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Tagline:

Sex... Scandal... Celebrity... Some things never change.

Plot:

An adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel "Vile Bodies," is a look into the lives of a young novelist, his would-be lover, and a host of young people who beautified London in the 1930s.

Plot Keywords:

Money | 1930s | Major | Novel | General

Awards:

10 nominations

Cast

Simon McBurney	...	Sneath (Photo-Rat)
Michael Sheen	...	Miles
Emily Mortimer	...	Nina Blount
James McAvoy	...	Simon Balcairn
Stephen Campbell Moore	...	Adam Fenwick-Symes
Stockard Channing	...	Mrs. Melrose Ape
Adrian Scarborough	...	Customs Officer
Jim Carter	...	Chief Customs Officer
Fenella Woolgar	...	Agatha
Dan Aykroyd	...	Lord Monomark
Julia McKenzie	...	Lottie Crump
Bruno Lastra	...	Basilio
David Tennant	...	Ginger Littlejohn
Jim Broadbent	...	The Drunken Major
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	Judge
Simon Callow	...	King of Anatolia
Guy Henry	...	Archie
Alex Barclay	...	Jimmy Vanburgh
Lisa Dillon	...	Jane Brown
Lisa Jackson	...	Mary Moore
Neville Phillips	...	Ambrose
Imelda Staunton	...	Lady Brown
Bill Paterson	...	Sir James Brown
Nigel Planer	...	Taxi Driver
Peter O'Toole	...	Colonel Blount
Stephen Fry	...	Chauffeur
James Jackson Ritchie	...	Arundel Paperboy
Arturo Venegas	...	Alphonse
Harriet Walter	...	Lady Metroland
Angela Thorne	...	Kitty
Margaret Tyzack	...	Lady Thobbing
Richard E. Grant	...	Father Rothschild
John Mills	...	Gentleman
Nicholas Le Prevost	...	Lord Metroland
Ian Hughes	...	Night Editor
Alec Newman	...	Tiger La Bouchère
Alan Williams	...	Bookie
Mark Hardy	...	Angry Gentleman
Gerard Horan	...	Race Official
Tony Maudsley	...	Race Steward
Nigel Hulme	...	Pundit
John Mackle	...	Edwards
Mark Gatiss	...	Estate Agent
Ivan Marevich	...	Foreign Dignitary
Rebekah Staton	...	Imperial Hotel Receptionist
Paul Popplewell	...	Private
Max MacDonald	...	Tommy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emrhys Cooper	...	Ambrose
Kate Loustau	...	Celeste
Haidée Augusta	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Rachel Brooksby	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Stephen Carlile	...	Henry (uncredited)
Rachel Ann Courtney	...	Angel (uncredited)
Tom Frederic	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jessica Hill	...	Angel (uncredited)
David McClelland	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Martina Messing	...	Hermione Duff (uncredited)
Larry Randall	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Annette Roche	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Bobby Valentino	...	Singer in cafe (uncredited)
Anna-Marie Wayne	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Natalie Wilcox	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Tracy Yarkoni	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephen Fry

Writing credits
Stephen Fry		(screenplay)
Evelyn Waugh		(novel "Vile Bodies")

Produced by
Chris Auty	....	executive producer
Gina Carter	....	producer
Miranda Davis	....	producer
Andrew Eaton	....	executive producer
Stephen Fry	....	executive producer
Caroline Hewitt	....	co-producer
Neil Peplow	....	executive producer
Jim Reeve	....	executive producer
Steve Robbins	....	executive producer
Michael Winterbottom	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Anne Dudley

Cinematography by
Henry Braham

Film Editing by
Alex Mackie

Casting by
Wendy Brazington

Production Design by
Michael Howells

Art Direction by
Lynne Huitson

Set Decoration by
Judy Farr

Costume Design by
Nic Ede

Makeup Department
Rebecca Cole	....	hair stylist
Rebecca Cole	....	makeup artist
Paul Gooch	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	makeup artist
Peter King	....	hair designer
Peter King	....	makeup designer
Susan Parkinson	....	crowd hair stylist
Susan Parkinson	....	crowd makeup artist
Liz Tagg	....	hair stylist
Liz Tagg	....	makeup artist

Production Management
James Grant	....	unit manager
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor
Paula McBreen	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonny Benson	....	third assistant director
Cordelia Hardy	....	first assistant director
Matthew Penry-Davey	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Matthew Broderick	....	props
Corina Burrough	....	production buyer
Graham Caulfield	....	drapesmaster
Kimberley Fahey	....	art department trainee
Jane Harwood	....	assistant art director
Dougie Lankston	....	property storeman
Mitch Niclas	....	stand-by propman

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gianluca Buttari	....	assistant dialogue editor
Colin Cooper	....	adr recordist
Colette Dahanne	....	adr mixer
Steve Finn	....	boom operator
Simon Gershon	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Dan Green	....	adr recordist
Jim Greenhorn	....	sound mixer
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Ben Meechan	....	sound effects editor
Marcus Oliver	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Bernard O'Reilly	....	crowd editor
David Turner	....	sound technical coordinator
Hilary Wyatt	....	supervising dialogue editor
Garry Fiferman	....	sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Andy Burrow	....	scanning manager
James Clarke	....	visual effects
Adam Glasman	....	colorist
Lucinda Keeler	....	data operator: Framestore CFC
Rebecca Manning	....	data operation assistant: Framestore CFC
Christian Manz	....	digital compositor
Claire McGrane	....	digital lab producer
Adam Parry	....	title design
Steve Parsons	....	visual effects
Dave Robinson	....	systems engineer
Nicholas Seal	....	digital compositor
Matina Skouteri	....	digital lab operator
Paul Stamp	....	data operator
Maria Stroka	....	film recording producer
Paola Varvaro	....	digital cleanup artist
Tara Walker	....	digital lab operator
Simon Whalley	....	design producer
Stephen Willey	....	systems engineer
Aubrey Woodiwiss	....	digital clean-up
Doron Zar	....	assistant digital colourist
Jan Hogevold	....	digital grade producer (uncredited)
Jack James	....	online editor (uncredited)
Christopher Page	....	digital cleanup artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Henry Brookes	....	stunt driver
George Cottle	....	stunts
Jim Dowdall	....	stunts
Nigel Hulme	....	stunt driver
Charles Knoll-Jones	....	stunt driver
Annette Lynton	....	stunt double
Annette Lynton	....	stunt driver
Julian Majzub	....	stunt driver
Nick Mason	....	stunt driver
Valentino Musetti	....	stunt coordinator
Steen Young	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Gary Cross	....	best boy
John Foster	....	focus puller
Pat Garrett	....	key grip
Giles Keyte	....	still photographer
Ray Meere	....	clapper loader
Miles Proudfoot	....	clapper loader
Larry Randall	....	gaffer
Keith Roberts	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Keith Roberts	....	focus puller
Philip Sindall	....	camera operator
Shawn White	....	electrician

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alan Flyng	....	wardrobe master
Barbara Rutter	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Marcus Alexander	....	digital laboratory editor
Nicola Armstrong	....	post-production coordinator
Marsha Bramwell	....	editor trainee
Heidi Freeman	....	first assistant editor
Ben Renton	....	assistant editor
Jon Thompson	....	post-production consultant
Doron Zar	....	assistant digital colorist

Music Department
Karen Elliott	....	music supervisor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Gerard McCann	....	music editor
Steve Price	....	music recording engineer
Paul Kegg	....	musician: cello (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Guy Bostock	....	action vehicle coordinator
Shane Davey	....	driver

Other crew
Guy Barker	....	production accountant
Ian Buchan	....	web site designer
Jo Crocker	....	assistant to director
Shane Davey	....	production runner
Claire Eastman	....	choreographer
Alex Fuller	....	web site designer
Anne Marie Gormley	....	first assistant accountant
Josh Hyams	....	set runner (as Joshua Hyams)
Ali James	....	location assistant
James Keaton	....	production runner
Alexandra Kosevic	....	production coordinator
Rhys Maitland-Jones	....	sync rushes
Anne Marie Murray	....	first assistant accountant
Heather Noble	....	production secretary
David Pinnington	....	location manager
Dan Precious	....	floor runner
Patric Scott	....	unit publicist
Gemma Smithers	....	accounting assistant
Justin Anderson Smith	....	production executive
Harriet Worth	....	set runner
Annie Wotton	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Film Consortium, The
• UK Film Council (in association with)
• Visionview Production (in association with) (as Visionview)
• Icon Film Distribution (in association with)
• Revolution Films
• Doubting Hall Limited (as Doubting Hall)

Distributors

• FilmFour (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• RCV Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• THINKFilm (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• EuroVideo (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Framestore CFC

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne  developed with the support of
• Angels & Bermans  costumes
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Film Finances  completion bond
• Framestore CFC  digital color grading
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• Fujicolor  colour
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Near North Entertainment  insurance
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Ten Tenths  vintage cars (selected scenes)

MPAA:

Rated R for some drug use.

Runtime:

106 min | Canada:105 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | Netherlands:12 | USA:R | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Eltham Palace, Court Road, Eltham, London, England, UK

Company:

Film Consortium, The

Trivia:

Director Stephen Fry commissioned two contemporary songs from The Pet Shop Boys for the movie - a cover version of Noel Coward's The Party's Over Now and a Pet Shop Boys-penned title track. These songs were written and recorded, but were edited out in the last minute because the director decided to stick to period music.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A television aerial can be seen on the right hand rooftops in the external shot of the hotel that Adam and Nina stay at.

Quotes:

Simon Balcairn: [Telling his fake news story] Never, never, never have such scenes been witnessed in high society, that uneasy alliance between Bright Young Things and old survivors. Perhaps this was the defining moment of our epoch of speed and syncopation. This so-called 20th century of angst...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: (#2.10)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Sing Sing Sing

A must-see

What a fantastic movie, delightfully charming, unrelentingly affable and irresistibly likable. Brilliant acting, excellent realisation and direction; this movie was a joy to watch. A bittersweet love story interwoven with a hilarious array of eccentric English upper class characters from the early 20th century.

Watch out for many faces in small but unforgettable parts, I especially adored Dan Aykroyd's, Michael Sheen's and Jim Broadbent's characters. Fenella Woolgar was also perfect and immensely likable in her role as the dazed and confused but eternally cheerful and optimistic eccentric. Emily Mortimer was flawless as the English rose stuck between marrying money or sticking with her penniless true love. There was palpable chemistry between her and Stephen Campbell Moore's character, which made the whole story work for me.

And of course Peter O'Toole steals the film with barely five minutes of total screen time, but that's the kind of talent he was gifted with. Watch it if you enjoy witty dialogue, period pieces and don't you dare miss it if you're a Stephen Fry fan. He is a very funny man and his direction which remains always affectionate towards the characters he's portraying in his movie, was impressive given he's better known as an actor and writer.

If you liked this movie, you would also like:

- Enchanted April - A Month By The Lake - Widows Peak - In The Bleak Midwinter - A Room With A View

All of these are in my list of top ten favourite films of all time. Bright Young Things just misses the mark to join them, but it's definitely in my top twenty.