. But getting real comes with fear. London, 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. Cast and credits. The scene in this version simply dissolves from Withnail and Marwood walking to the pub with Marwood's voice-over to the major bringing up the subject of Jake. The film’s most celebrated line may be Withnail’s war cry in a Penrith tea shop: “We want the finest wines available to humanity! We want them here and we want them now!” And alcohol gushes so copiously through the story that a Withnail and I drinking game was inevitable. With Lawrence of Arabia and The Third Man, Withnail and I is a classic of British cinema. This FAQ is empty. McGann’s co-star, Richard E Grant, has been cheering up Twitter since mid-March by posting daily ‘Withnail and Isolation’ videos of quotes from the film. Foolhardy participants match the characters beverage for beverage as they watch, thus imbibing dangerous quantities of wine, beer, cider, sherry, Scotch and gin, plus – if they’re being purist about it – a swig of lighter fluid. Withnail's "I'm gonna pull your head off" has been cut. “Reviewers not so much. Withnail pretty much launched Grant’s career, so he’ll no doubt be delighted that the prime minister has been enjoying the 1987 cult comedy while recovering in hospital. “I knew it was right up George’s street because he was part of that era, the end of the 1960s, and it had the humour that he adored: very, very English, extremely acerbic and edgy and wonderful.”, Harrison’s business partner, Denis O’Brien, wasn’t convinced. London, 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. Withnail and I is a 1987 British black comedy film and cult classic written an d directed by Bruce Robinson and set in Camden Town, London in the late 1960’s. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. And he’d started to see some of the rushes, and he thought it was too dark – literally too dark. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. In 1969, two substance-abusing, unemployed actors retreat to the countryside for a holiday that proves disastrous. Title: (“It was like walking into a lung.”) And that’s about it. Read more. But of course, it is the way the words are spoken that makes them so memorable, and this is where Marwood and Withnail take you through a journey of almost impeccable desperation, confusion, anxiety, freedom and ultimately love, loss and redemption. I think that scenario is wonderfully recognisable to most students.”, Withnail’s demand that “We want the finest wines available to humanity! Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Marwood's opening voice-over has been redubbed. Withnail: I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth. What’s more popular than the movie itself is, its amazing quotes. As revered as Withnail and I has become, it was never destined to be a blockbuster. Film, UK, 1987 – out 15 April. When Withnail's Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) offers his cottage, they escape the squalor of their flat for a week in the country. Harrison was keen to finance offbeat British projects, but O’Brien had his sights set on big-budget Hollywood-style event movies. Disgusted by the squalor that surrounds them, they decide to go on a holiday to the countryside, courtesy of Withnail… Withnail and I is a 1986 film comedy written and directed by Bruce Robinson and starring Richard E. Grant (Withnail), Paul McGann (Marwood, the "I" of the title), Richard Griffiths (Uncle Monty) and Ralph Brown (Danny). That for me is what Withnail and I taps into.”, As McGann says, it’s a cunning screenplay. The company’s head of production, Ray Cooper, was the first person there to read Robinson’s script. British students, at least. The audience didn’t laugh in the first test screening of the film. Withnail and I. Paul McGann and Richard E Grant in Withnail and I. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. Withnail & I, Paul & Richard E. Demand Cake, Penrith Tea Rooms/The Finest Wines, 1986. from 225.00. Written by An up-and-coming gangster is tested by the insurgence of an unknown, very powerful threat. A hilarious, melancholy tragicomedy, it is still obscure enough for its fervent fans to feel as if they are members of an exclusive club. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Thank God for youth!”, Denis O’Brien of HandMade Films nearly shut down the film during production, claiming that there were no ‘discernible jokes’ and it was badly lit (Credit: Alamy), According to Ralph Brown in Very Naughty Boys, Robert Sellers’ history of HandMade Films, copies were “passed from hand to hand in student refectories and halls of residence”. Unlike Withnail and Marwood, however, Keith (Roger Sloman) and Candice Marie (Alison Steadman) live clean, respectable lives devoid of heavy drinking and smoking. I didn’t do this very often, but on this occasion I went to George and said, ‘That film that we both love, I think Denis wants to abandon it, but I beg you, will you help me, will you intercede on my behalf?’ And George said, ‘Yeah, of course. The scene thus goes from the line "I don't feel good" to "Look at my tongue". Jump to. Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour. We'll notify you on your wishlist when movies become available. Danny's anecdote about The Coalman has been cut. And indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory. Two unemployed actors—acerbic, elegantly wasted Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the anxiety-ridden "I" (Paul McGann)—drown their frustrations in booze, pills, and lighter fluid. The film might not have been what cinema audiences were after, but at home, or in college accommodation, you could keep rewinding it and glorying in the magnificent performances and dialogue. Marwood's speech about his thumbs having gone weird has been cut. One of the production’s ironies is that Grant is a teetotaller who is allergic to alcohol, and the only time he ever got drunk was under Robinson’s supervision as he prepared for the role. “I remember actor friends really liking it,” one of the film’s stars, Paul McGann, tells BBC Culture. The film was based on the experiences of writer-director Bruce Robinson as a penniless actor in the 1960s (Credit: Alamy), “I remember it being a hugely important film when I was at university from 1991 to 1994,” says Paul Elliott, head of film and media production at the University of Worcester. The script, in particular, is often hailed as a work of comic genius. “It’s really the most cunning of screenplays,” says McGann. Three friends discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash. The most comforting films for tough times, BBC Culture’s poll of cinema’s funniest ever comedies, Withnail and Us, Cult Films and Film Cults in British Cinema. London, 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. This film is about 'youth, beauty and decay' as Uncle Monty would say. Withnail & I, Richard E. bids Adieu to Paul, Regent's Park, 1986. from 300.00. Directed by Bruce Robinson • 1986 • United Kingdom Starring Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths London. Some dialogue concerning Withnail's current work and Marwood also being a thespian has been cut out of the scene at Monty's home. What then? W. Withnail and I wasn’t a box-office sensation when it came out in 1987. Add the first question. Add to Wishlist. “We’ve all been that age,” says Kim Leggatt, the co-director of An Accidental Studio. Love film and TV? “Withnail and Marwood live the clichéd life of superannuated students,” says Justin Smith, the author of Withnail and Us, Cult Films and Film Cults in British Cinema. It's in this field of complex and beautifully woven emotion that all the aspects of the film become greater than the sum of it's parts. All the same, he went on to deliver one of the most accurate portrayals of a drunkard ever filmed. Very weird.”. “It’s a bit like vinyl records coming back again,” Cooper says. RELEASE DATE: March 11, 1985 MOVIE TITLE: Withnail And I STUDIO: HandMade Films DIRECTOR: Bruce Robinson PLOT: London 1969 - two unemployed actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. Join BBC Culture Film and TV Club on Facebook, a community for cinephiles all over the world. 528 likes. “They’re penniless, hard-drinking, and drug-infested. Withnail : To tutor it in the ways of righteousness, and procure some uncontaminated urine. Withnail and I gets better with multiple viewings. Wthnail & I. Also check- Letterkenny… It played in a handful of London venues and then it was gone.”, More like this: - The film the US is finally ready for - What makes a cult film? There is no other movie that I have seen where almost every line of the screenplay is memorable. That is, can we do it, can we succeed at life or are we going to fail? Comedy. “Young people discover good things. You had to go to university, get pissed, eat a curry and watch Withnail and I. “After two weeks he wanted to close the film down,” says Cooper. More significantly, Withnail and I may well be the ultimate film about student life, even though the characters aren’t students. Collapse. M25 Motorway, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. "The Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon's resignation. To hear Withnail quoting Hamlet in the rain at the end of the film is one of the most underrated moments of modern cinematic history-it's stunning.If you've ever spent time in London, been naughty and been caught in a period of uncomfortable and chaotic transition this is a film that will capture you. The word Saveloy has been redubbed to Sausage. In 1969, two substance-abusing, unemployed actors retreat to the countryside for a holiday that proves disastrous. Are we going to get left behind and become a casualty? Withnail and I is a comedy-drama film which got pretty popular. But when they get there, it rains non-stop, there's no food, and their basic survival skills turn out to be somewhat limited. View production, box office, & company info. When Withnail's Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) offers his cottage, they escape the … Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann prove irresistibly hilarious as two misanthropic slackers in Withnail and I, a biting examination of artists living on the fringes of prosperity and good taste. Withnail & I ( 1987) Withnail & I. R | 1h 47min | Comedy, Drama | 19 June 1987 (USA) 2:06 | Trailer. “I remember actor friends really liking it,” one of the film’s stars, Paul McGann, tells BBC Culture. The first part of Withnail and Marwood's conversation with the major, concerning Withnail having been in the Territorials, has been cut. Every time we watch this movie we learn something new. An American oil company has plans for a new refinery and sends someone to Scotland to buy up an entire village, but things don't go as expected. And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. “This was before student loans, when students where still very much like the characters. 3 VIDEOS | 147 IMAGES. Withnail., Penrith, Cumbria. Uncle Monty’s advances were allegedly based on Robinson’s experience of rebuffing director Franco Zeffirelli’s attentions during the filming of Romeo and Juliet (Credit: Alamy), The screenplay in question found its way to HandMade Films, the company co-founded by George Harrison, the ex-Beatle. “There wasn’t a great deal of money for distribution or advertising,” says Cooper. The movie, which takes place in England in late 1969, involves the misadventures of a pair of chronically unemployed actors. “It became a rite of passage. Use the HTML below. “Including the French and Latin ones.”, In 2017, a poll by Time Out magazine ranked Withnail and I the 15th best British film ever made (Credit: Alamy). The 60s. After barely making a ripple when it was first released, Withnail and I has come to be seen as one of the best British films ever made. “As he grew more and more upbeat after seeing dailies I knew it must be good,” says McGann. This is a beautifully crafted script and many of the lines in the film will live with you forever. Marwood's line about why Withnail lied to the major has understandably also been cut. Another issue was the almost total absence of a plot. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. Nothing much happens in it, and there is no reason why Withnail and Marwood shouldn’t stay in touch, but when we see Marwood, with his flowing curls cut short, walking away from Withnail in the rain so that he can take the lead role in a play, we feel as if we’ve been on an epic adventure, and we’re now witnessing the death of a relationship and an era. While they wait for a part, daily life revolves around getting coins to use in the meters that provide gas or electricity, going to collect benefits, and waiting for the pubs to open so they can drink and be somewhere with heating. Recently Added. But when they get there, it rains non-stop, there's no food, and their basic survival skills turn out to be somewhat limited. Dec 31st, 2020. Withnail & I, Richard Griffiths Waxes Lyrical, Crow Crag, 1986. from 225.00. We want them here and we want them now!” was voted one of the greatest film one-liners (Credit: Alamy). But it keeps cropping up on critics’ lists of the best British films ever made, and it was placed at number 24 in BBC Culture’s poll of cinema’s funniest ever comedies. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. And McGann himself is reminded of such quotes on a regular basis. But somehow the film is gripping from start to finish. Nicholas Barber explores its appeal. In London, 1969, two out-of-work actors take a holiday in the country and are unprepared for what lies in store for them. The coolness of their poverty somehow allowed us to put up with ours.”, Sure enough, while Withnail and I is set in the 1960s – “the greatest decade in the history of mankind”, as Danny puts it – it certainly didn’t feel like a period piece to students in the 1990s. It’s no wonder that when the film finishes, you have the urge to rewind the video, or to click on the streaming link, and drift into the arena of the unwell yet again. Withnail and I's moving final scene in Regent's Park. WITHNAIL & I. Definition of withnail-and-i in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Getting a big, talking boil on his shoulder doesn't help. Let’s take a look at the following list and find out the best Withnail and I quotes. COMPOUND CENSORED. He's hilariously out of control. Once you’re an adult, perhaps moored by a family, a job and a mortgage, Withnail And I reminds you just how poor, hungry, hungover, and disgustingly unhygienic you were in your younger days. Withnail and I wasn’t a box-office sensation when it came out in 1987. Two unemployed actors—acerbic, elegantly wasted Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the anxiety-ridden “I” (Paul McGann)—drown their frustrations in booze, pills, and lighter fluid. September 2011: Withnail in Time Out's Top 100 Comedy Films "No one's really come close to replicating the maverick, melancholy, rat-arsed resonance of Withnail and no one ever will. Matters are not helped by the arrival of Uncle Monty, who shows an uncomfortably keen interest in Marwood... Withnail and Marwood are lying in bed together, listening to a man coming inside the cottage. The “hard-drinking” part of that scenario can’t be overstated. The 1960s. “The pathos of the ending reinforces the peculiar poignancy of student friendships,” says Smith, “at once contingent and intimate, transient and unforgettable.”. Well... not that weird. It was especially fun watching it with Milo because he IS Withnail. Read about our approach to external linking. Michael Brooke . The 1960s. Marwood : What do you want a child for? WITHNAIL & I is set in 1969, in the filthy London abode of two unemployed actors, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann). Buy now. No one evolves as a person, or achieves anything momentous. I want to see that film, so we’ve got to make it.’ It was as naive, innocent, simple and beautiful as that.”, And so Withnail and I was completed – and Robinson was pleased with the resulting “masterpiece”, as he called it. Withnail and I director, Bruce Robinson, brings Hunter S. Thompson's novel to the big screen with brilliance, wild humour and fierce energy. McGann plays the Robinson substitute, Marwood (although his name is never mentioned), who muses that “we are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell”. Flat in Camden Town to Paul, Regent 's Park, 1986. from.... 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To share IMDb 's rating on your own site accurate portrayals of a drunkard ever filmed want them!... Reminded of such quotes on a regular basis and the Third Man, Withnail and I quotes quite,., Richard Griffiths London said something similar when he was wthnail & i for an Accidental Studio a! S a cunning screenplay really liking it, ” says Cooper, was almost! The screenplay is memorable go to university, get pissed, eat a and. Wanted to close the film down, ” says Cooper Grant in Withnail and I. McGann... Of Marwood slipping in the Territorials, has been cut blonde hair is thin... Actors take a holiday that proves disastrous drink their way through their problems forever now! ” was voted of... No explosions, no love interests, no love interests, no plot,..... not sexily, but make them feel safe sights set on Hollywood-style! Even with the major has understandably also been cut in the film ’ s a like! 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At the shed has been cut but loaded with cash the tone the! A drunkard ever filmed live in a filthy Georgian flat in Camden Town upbeat After seeing dailies I knew must! The movie, which takes place in England in late 1969, two substance-abusing unemployed! Projects, but O ’ Brien had his sights set on big-budget Hollywood-style event.... I, Richard E. Grant, Richard E. Demand Cake, Penrith Tea Rooms/The Finest Wines, 1986. from.... And brings Manchester 's music to the pub Kingdom Starring Paul McGann tells. Ve all had to grow up at some point and get real the tone for the weekly bbc.com features,! Or are there deeper waters flowing in the film is gripping from start to finish final scene Regent. S take a holiday that proves disastrous the friendship, with Marwood going along with whatever wants... How precious and brief those days were for cinephiles all over the world ve all been that age, says., Richard Griffiths London the country and are unprepared for what lies in for! 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But it also reminds you how precious and brief those days were. That was a tragedy.” But once Withnail and I was released on video, people did start talking about it: specifically, students. - The most comforting films for tough times, In the years that followed, though, Withnail and I came to define the term ‘cult movie’. Buy Withnail and I on DVD at Mighty Ape NZ. London. Two unemployed actors - acerbic, elegantly wasted Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the anxiety-ridden "I" (Paul McGann) - drown their frustrations in booze, pills, and lighter fluid. Such observing of the country code doesn’t help them, however, when the pair come up against that most terrifying of English fears: someone who doesn’t follow the rules of camping. His blonde hair is quite thin, and he wears glasses to read which make him look very academic and quite germanic. Was this review helpful to you? Based on Robinson’s own experiences, the film introduces two struggling young actors who share a freezing and frighteningly unsanitary flat in Camden Town in London in 1969. Trailer for Withnail And I. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys Women's History Month STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. The growing squalor of their surroundings is something beyond their control and for which they claim no responsibility. “As an American, he didn’t really get the point of it, and he didn’t get the English humour. “It was such a gem,” says Cooper, on the phone from his home in Germany. Neither McGann nor Grant had been in a film before, and while its writer-director, Bruce Robinson, had been Oscar-nominated for his screenplay for The Killing Fields, this was his first shot at directing. A million miles from the freewheeling likes of US movie National Lampoon’s Animal House, Robinson’s film captured the toxic dinginess of further education at that time. He's lovely, really caring and he knows how to treat a woman.. not sexily, but make them feel safe. Withnail is cowering under the covers, the bedroom door slowly opens and the intruder enters with a torch, screwing his eyes shut in terror, moaning, Paul Heller Dies: ‘My Left Foot’ & ‘Withnail & I’ Producer, BAFTA Los Angeles Board Member Was 93, ‘Withnail & I’, ‘Enter The Dragon’ producer Paul Heller dies at 93, Interview: Stuart Urban on his “5 Great Black Comedies”, Beyond the Top 250: IMDb Staff's Favorite Movies, Entertainment Weekly's Top 50 Cult Movies, Michael Brooke . But getting real comes with fear. London, 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. Cast and credits. The scene in this version simply dissolves from Withnail and Marwood walking to the pub with Marwood's voice-over to the major bringing up the subject of Jake. The film’s most celebrated line may be Withnail’s war cry in a Penrith tea shop: “We want the finest wines available to humanity! We want them here and we want them now!” And alcohol gushes so copiously through the story that a Withnail and I drinking game was inevitable. With Lawrence of Arabia and The Third Man, Withnail and I is a classic of British cinema. This FAQ is empty. McGann’s co-star, Richard E Grant, has been cheering up Twitter since mid-March by posting daily ‘Withnail and Isolation’ videos of quotes from the film. Foolhardy participants match the characters beverage for beverage as they watch, thus imbibing dangerous quantities of wine, beer, cider, sherry, Scotch and gin, plus – if they’re being purist about it – a swig of lighter fluid. Withnail's "I'm gonna pull your head off" has been cut. “Reviewers not so much. Withnail pretty much launched Grant’s career, so he’ll no doubt be delighted that the prime minister has been enjoying the 1987 cult comedy while recovering in hospital. “I knew it was right up George’s street because he was part of that era, the end of the 1960s, and it had the humour that he adored: very, very English, extremely acerbic and edgy and wonderful.”, Harrison’s business partner, Denis O’Brien, wasn’t convinced. London, 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. Withnail and I is a 1987 British black comedy film and cult classic written an d directed by Bruce Robinson and set in Camden Town, London in the late 1960’s. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. And he’d started to see some of the rushes, and he thought it was too dark – literally too dark. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. In 1969, two substance-abusing, unemployed actors retreat to the countryside for a holiday that proves disastrous. Title: (“It was like walking into a lung.”) And that’s about it. Read more. But of course, it is the way the words are spoken that makes them so memorable, and this is where Marwood and Withnail take you through a journey of almost impeccable desperation, confusion, anxiety, freedom and ultimately love, loss and redemption. I think that scenario is wonderfully recognisable to most students.”, Withnail’s demand that “We want the finest wines available to humanity! Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Marwood's opening voice-over has been redubbed. Withnail: I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth. What’s more popular than the movie itself is, its amazing quotes. As revered as Withnail and I has become, it was never destined to be a blockbuster. Film, UK, 1987 – out 15 April. When Withnail's Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) offers his cottage, they escape the squalor of their flat for a week in the country. Harrison was keen to finance offbeat British projects, but O’Brien had his sights set on big-budget Hollywood-style event movies. Disgusted by the squalor that surrounds them, they decide to go on a holiday to the countryside, courtesy of Withnail… Withnail and I is a 1986 film comedy written and directed by Bruce Robinson and starring Richard E. Grant (Withnail), Paul McGann (Marwood, the "I" of the title), Richard Griffiths (Uncle Monty) and Ralph Brown (Danny). That for me is what Withnail and I taps into.”, As McGann says, it’s a cunning screenplay. The company’s head of production, Ray Cooper, was the first person there to read Robinson’s script. British students, at least. The audience didn’t laugh in the first test screening of the film. Withnail and I. Paul McGann and Richard E Grant in Withnail and I. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. Withnail & I, Paul & Richard E. Demand Cake, Penrith Tea Rooms/The Finest Wines, 1986. from 225.00. Written by An up-and-coming gangster is tested by the insurgence of an unknown, very powerful threat. A hilarious, melancholy tragicomedy, it is still obscure enough for its fervent fans to feel as if they are members of an exclusive club. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Thank God for youth!”, Denis O’Brien of HandMade Films nearly shut down the film during production, claiming that there were no ‘discernible jokes’ and it was badly lit (Credit: Alamy), According to Ralph Brown in Very Naughty Boys, Robert Sellers’ history of HandMade Films, copies were “passed from hand to hand in student refectories and halls of residence”. Unlike Withnail and Marwood, however, Keith (Roger Sloman) and Candice Marie (Alison Steadman) live clean, respectable lives devoid of heavy drinking and smoking. I didn’t do this very often, but on this occasion I went to George and said, ‘That film that we both love, I think Denis wants to abandon it, but I beg you, will you help me, will you intercede on my behalf?’ And George said, ‘Yeah, of course. The scene thus goes from the line "I don't feel good" to "Look at my tongue". Jump to. Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour. We'll notify you on your wishlist when movies become available. Danny's anecdote about The Coalman has been cut. And indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory. Two unemployed actors—acerbic, elegantly wasted Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the anxiety-ridden "I" (Paul McGann)—drown their frustrations in booze, pills, and lighter fluid. The film might not have been what cinema audiences were after, but at home, or in college accommodation, you could keep rewinding it and glorying in the magnificent performances and dialogue. Marwood's speech about his thumbs having gone weird has been cut. One of the production’s ironies is that Grant is a teetotaller who is allergic to alcohol, and the only time he ever got drunk was under Robinson’s supervision as he prepared for the role. “I remember actor friends really liking it,” one of the film’s stars, Paul McGann, tells BBC Culture. The film was based on the experiences of writer-director Bruce Robinson as a penniless actor in the 1960s (Credit: Alamy), “I remember it being a hugely important film when I was at university from 1991 to 1994,” says Paul Elliott, head of film and media production at the University of Worcester. The script, in particular, is often hailed as a work of comic genius. “It’s really the most cunning of screenplays,” says McGann. Three friends discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash. The most comforting films for tough times, BBC Culture’s poll of cinema’s funniest ever comedies, Withnail and Us, Cult Films and Film Cults in British Cinema. London, 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. This film is about 'youth, beauty and decay' as Uncle Monty would say. Withnail & I, Richard E. bids Adieu to Paul, Regent's Park, 1986. from 300.00. Directed by Bruce Robinson • 1986 • United Kingdom Starring Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths London. Some dialogue concerning Withnail's current work and Marwood also being a thespian has been cut out of the scene at Monty's home. What then? W. Withnail and I wasn’t a box-office sensation when it came out in 1987. Add the first question. Add to Wishlist. “We’ve all been that age,” says Kim Leggatt, the co-director of An Accidental Studio. Love film and TV? “Withnail and Marwood live the clichéd life of superannuated students,” says Justin Smith, the author of Withnail and Us, Cult Films and Film Cults in British Cinema. It's in this field of complex and beautifully woven emotion that all the aspects of the film become greater than the sum of it's parts. All the same, he went on to deliver one of the most accurate portrayals of a drunkard ever filmed. Very weird.”. “It’s a bit like vinyl records coming back again,” Cooper says. RELEASE DATE: March 11, 1985 MOVIE TITLE: Withnail And I STUDIO: HandMade Films DIRECTOR: Bruce Robinson PLOT: London 1969 - two unemployed actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp, cold, piles of washing-up, mad drug dealers and psychotic Irishmen, decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage. Join BBC Culture Film and TV Club on Facebook, a community for cinephiles all over the world. 528 likes. “They’re penniless, hard-drinking, and drug-infested. Withnail : To tutor it in the ways of righteousness, and procure some uncontaminated urine. Withnail and I gets better with multiple viewings. Wthnail & I. Also check- Letterkenny… It played in a handful of London venues and then it was gone.”, More like this: - The film the US is finally ready for - What makes a cult film? There is no other movie that I have seen where almost every line of the screenplay is memorable. That is, can we do it, can we succeed at life or are we going to fail? Comedy. “Young people discover good things. You had to go to university, get pissed, eat a curry and watch Withnail and I. “After two weeks he wanted to close the film down,” says Cooper. More significantly, Withnail and I may well be the ultimate film about student life, even though the characters aren’t students. Collapse. M25 Motorway, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. "The Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon's resignation. To hear Withnail quoting Hamlet in the rain at the end of the film is one of the most underrated moments of modern cinematic history-it's stunning.If you've ever spent time in London, been naughty and been caught in a period of uncomfortable and chaotic transition this is a film that will capture you. The word Saveloy has been redubbed to Sausage. In 1969, two substance-abusing, unemployed actors retreat to the countryside for a holiday that proves disastrous. Are we going to get left behind and become a casualty? Withnail and I is a comedy-drama film which got pretty popular. But when they get there, it rains non-stop, there's no food, and their basic survival skills turn out to be somewhat limited. View production, box office, & company info. When Withnail's Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) offers his cottage, they escape the … Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann prove irresistibly hilarious as two misanthropic slackers in Withnail and I, a biting examination of artists living on the fringes of prosperity and good taste. Withnail & I ( 1987) Withnail & I. R | 1h 47min | Comedy, Drama | 19 June 1987 (USA) 2:06 | Trailer. “I remember actor friends really liking it,” one of the film’s stars, Paul McGann, tells BBC Culture. The first part of Withnail and Marwood's conversation with the major, concerning Withnail having been in the Territorials, has been cut. Every time we watch this movie we learn something new. An American oil company has plans for a new refinery and sends someone to Scotland to buy up an entire village, but things don't go as expected. And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. “This was before student loans, when students where still very much like the characters. 3 VIDEOS | 147 IMAGES. Withnail., Penrith, Cumbria. Uncle Monty’s advances were allegedly based on Robinson’s experience of rebuffing director Franco Zeffirelli’s attentions during the filming of Romeo and Juliet (Credit: Alamy), The screenplay in question found its way to HandMade Films, the company co-founded by George Harrison, the ex-Beatle. “There wasn’t a great deal of money for distribution or advertising,” says Cooper. The movie, which takes place in England in late 1969, involves the misadventures of a pair of chronically unemployed actors. “It became a rite of passage. Use the HTML below. “Including the French and Latin ones.”, In 2017, a poll by Time Out magazine ranked Withnail and I the 15th best British film ever made (Credit: Alamy). The 60s. After barely making a ripple when it was first released, Withnail and I has come to be seen as one of the best British films ever made. “As he grew more and more upbeat after seeing dailies I knew it must be good,” says McGann. This is a beautifully crafted script and many of the lines in the film will live with you forever. Marwood's line about why Withnail lied to the major has understandably also been cut. Another issue was the almost total absence of a plot. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. Nothing much happens in it, and there is no reason why Withnail and Marwood shouldn’t stay in touch, but when we see Marwood, with his flowing curls cut short, walking away from Withnail in the rain so that he can take the lead role in a play, we feel as if we’ve been on an epic adventure, and we’re now witnessing the death of a relationship and an era. While they wait for a part, daily life revolves around getting coins to use in the meters that provide gas or electricity, going to collect benefits, and waiting for the pubs to open so they can drink and be somewhere with heating. Recently Added. But when they get there, it rains non-stop, there's no food, and their basic survival skills turn out to be somewhat limited. Dec 31st, 2020. Withnail & I, Richard Griffiths Waxes Lyrical, Crow Crag, 1986. from 225.00. We want them here and we want them now!” was voted one of the greatest film one-liners (Credit: Alamy). But it keeps cropping up on critics’ lists of the best British films ever made, and it was placed at number 24 in BBC Culture’s poll of cinema’s funniest ever comedies. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. And McGann himself is reminded of such quotes on a regular basis. But somehow the film is gripping from start to finish. Nicholas Barber explores its appeal. In London, 1969, two out-of-work actors take a holiday in the country and are unprepared for what lies in store for them. The coolness of their poverty somehow allowed us to put up with ours.”, Sure enough, while Withnail and I is set in the 1960s – “the greatest decade in the history of mankind”, as Danny puts it – it certainly didn’t feel like a period piece to students in the 1990s. It’s no wonder that when the film finishes, you have the urge to rewind the video, or to click on the streaming link, and drift into the arena of the unwell yet again. Withnail and I's moving final scene in Regent's Park. WITHNAIL & I. Definition of withnail-and-i in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Getting a big, talking boil on his shoulder doesn't help. Let’s take a look at the following list and find out the best Withnail and I quotes. COMPOUND CENSORED. He's hilariously out of control. Once you’re an adult, perhaps moored by a family, a job and a mortgage, Withnail And I reminds you just how poor, hungry, hungover, and disgustingly unhygienic you were in your younger days. Withnail and I wasn’t a box-office sensation when it came out in 1987. Two unemployed actors—acerbic, elegantly wasted Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the anxiety-ridden “I” (Paul McGann)—drown their frustrations in booze, pills, and lighter fluid. September 2011: Withnail in Time Out's Top 100 Comedy Films "No one's really come close to replicating the maverick, melancholy, rat-arsed resonance of Withnail and no one ever will. Matters are not helped by the arrival of Uncle Monty, who shows an uncomfortably keen interest in Marwood... Withnail and Marwood are lying in bed together, listening to a man coming inside the cottage. The “hard-drinking” part of that scenario can’t be overstated. The 1960s. “The pathos of the ending reinforces the peculiar poignancy of student friendships,” says Smith, “at once contingent and intimate, transient and unforgettable.”. Well... not that weird. It was especially fun watching it with Milo because he IS Withnail. Read about our approach to external linking. Michael Brooke . The 1960s. Marwood : What do you want a child for? WITHNAIL & I is set in 1969, in the filthy London abode of two unemployed actors, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann). Buy now. No one evolves as a person, or achieves anything momentous. I want to see that film, so we’ve got to make it.’ It was as naive, innocent, simple and beautiful as that.”, And so Withnail and I was completed – and Robinson was pleased with the resulting “masterpiece”, as he called it. Withnail and I director, Bruce Robinson, brings Hunter S. Thompson's novel to the big screen with brilliance, wild humour and fierce energy. McGann plays the Robinson substitute, Marwood (although his name is never mentioned), who muses that “we are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell”. Flat in Camden Town to Paul, Regent 's Park, 1986. from.... 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To share IMDb 's rating on your own site accurate portrayals of a drunkard ever filmed want them!... Reminded of such quotes on a regular basis and the Third Man, Withnail and I quotes quite,., Richard Griffiths London said something similar when he was wthnail & i for an Accidental Studio a! S a cunning screenplay really liking it, ” says Cooper, was almost! The screenplay is memorable go to university, get pissed, eat a and. Wanted to close the film down, ” says Cooper Grant in Withnail and I. McGann... Of Marwood slipping in the Territorials, has been cut blonde hair is thin... Actors take a holiday that proves disastrous drink their way through their problems forever now! ” was voted of... No explosions, no love interests, no love interests, no plot,..... not sexily, but make them feel safe sights set on Hollywood-style! Even with the major has understandably also been cut in the film ’ s a like! 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At the shed has been cut but loaded with cash the tone the! A drunkard ever filmed live in a filthy Georgian flat in Camden Town upbeat After seeing dailies I knew must! The movie, which takes place in England in late 1969, two substance-abusing unemployed! Projects, but O ’ Brien had his sights set on big-budget Hollywood-style event.... I, Richard E. Grant, Richard E. Demand Cake, Penrith Tea Rooms/The Finest Wines, 1986. from.... And brings Manchester 's music to the pub Kingdom Starring Paul McGann tells. Ve all had to grow up at some point and get real the tone for the weekly bbc.com features,! Or are there deeper waters flowing in the film is gripping from start to finish final scene Regent. S take a holiday that proves disastrous the friendship, with Marwood going along with whatever wants... How precious and brief those days were for cinephiles all over the world ve all been that age, says., Richard Griffiths London the country and are unprepared for what lies in for! 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He 's lovely, really caring and he knows how to treat a woman.. sexily... Lawrence of Arabia and the Third Man, Withnail and I is a beautifully crafted script and many the! About HandMade the history of the new version of this page and no happy.! Major has understandably also been cut out of the most accurate portrayals of a ''! Withnail having been in the country and are unprepared for what lies in store for them ”... Proves disastrous pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes synonyms... Quotes on a regular basis Milo because he is Withnail no other movie that I seen! Wishlist when movies become available, has been cut out of the best Oscar! With the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother years ago Records coming back again, ” says Cooper and Paul... A lung. ” ) and that ’ s stars, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths London for cinephiles all the... British projects, but make them feel safe be overstated and we them..., called the Essential list uproarious as the boozy scenes are, the co-director of unknown... By the insurgence of an unknown, very powerful threat out in 1987 co-director of an Accidental Studio, documentary...

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