The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Christopher Monger

Writers:

Ivor Monger (story)
Christopher Monger (writer)

Release Date:

12 May 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A romantic comedy about a town that wouldn't give up. A man who couldn't get out. And the mountain that brought them together.

Plot:

When an English cartographer must tell a Welsh village that their mountain is only a hill, the offended community sets out to change that.

Plot Keywords:

Mountain | Hill | Wales | Welsh | WWI

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Hugh Grant	...	Reginald Anson
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Elizabeth aka Betty from Cardiff
Colm Meaney	...	Morgan the Goat
Ian McNeice	...	George Garrad
Ian Hart	...	Johnny Shellshocked (Jones)
Kenneth Griffith	...	Reverend Jones
Tudor Vaughan	...	Thomas Twp
Hugh Vaughan	...	Thomas Twp Too
Robert Pugh	...	Williams the Petroleum
Robert Blythe	...	Ivor
Garfield Morgan	...	Davies the School
Lisa Palfrey	...	Blod Jones
Dafydd Wyn Roberts	...	Tommy Twostroke
Ieuan Rhys	...	Sgt. Thomas
Anwen Williams	...	Mavis
David Lloyd Meredith	...	Jones the JP
Fraser Cains	...	Evans the End of the World
Jack Walters	...	Grandfather
Harry Kretchmer	...	Young Boy
Howell Evans	...	Thomas the Trains
Maisie McNeice	...	Girl in classroom
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nicholas McGaughey	...	Narrator (voice)

Directed by
Christopher Monger

Writing credits
Ivor Monger		(story)
Christopher Monger		(writer)

Produced by
Sarah Curtis	....	producer
Sally Hibbin	....	executive producer
Robert Jones	....	executive producer
Scott Maitland	....	associate producer
Paul Sarony	....	associate producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Stephen Endelman

Cinematography by
Vernon Layton

Film Editing by
David Martin

Casting by
Michelle Guish

Production Design by
Charles Garrad

Art Direction by
Chris Lowe

Set Decoration by
Liz Griffiths

Costume Design by
Janty Yates

Makeup Department
Joceline Andrews	....	makeup artist
Michele Baylis	....	makeup assistant
Kezia De Winne	....	makeup designer
Susie Lawley-Wakelin	....	makeup assistant
Moira Thomson	....	makeup assistant

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Daniels	....	first assistant director
Guy Heeley	....	third assistant director
Stephen Woolfenden	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tom Bowyer	....	construction manager
Billy Bridge	....	chargehand
Janna Craze	....	scenic painter
David Fitzjohn	....	stand-by painter
Gary Fox	....	stand-by props
Alastair Gow	....	stand-by carpenter (as Alistair Gow)
John Greaves	....	storyboard artist
Liz Griffiths	....	props buyer
Robert Gurney	....	construction labor
Joshua Jones	....	stand-by carpenter
Tina Jones	....	assistant art director
Toby Longin	....	stagehand
Mike Malik	....	property master
Robert Manuel	....	construction labor
Ben Pulsford	....	stand-by carpenter
Gawain Rainey	....	construction labor
Guy Rutter	....	stand-by painter
Nick Thomas	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Rusty Coppleman	....	sound editor
Loveday Harding	....	boom operator
Graham Headicar	....	dialogue editor
Richard King	....	sound effects editor
Jacques Leroide	....	adr editor (as Jaques Leroide)
Karl Mader	....	sound assistant
Clive Pendry	....	dubbing editor
George Richards	....	sound mixer
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing editor
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Andy Bunce	....	special effects assistant
Mervyn Loynes	....	special effects supervisor
Jim Davey	....	scanning and recording (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Alex Bicknell	....	digital effects producer
Nicholas Brooks	....	visual effects
Matt Johnson	....	digital compositor
Aviv Yaron	....	data operator: Cinesite
Kim Libreri	....	chief technology officer (uncredited)
Craig Zerouni	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Allan	....	best boy
Ken Ashley-Johnson	....	grip
David Budd	....	camera operator
Raymond Buttons	....	additional grip
Peter Chester	....	electrician
John Deaton	....	focus puller: second unit
Kathy Friend	....	clapper loader: second unit
Finn Hardaker	....	camera trainee
Ossie Jung	....	gaffer
Eddie McCarthy	....	electrician
Jan Pester	....	Steadicam operator
Jan Pester	....	director of photography: second unit
Chris Pinnock	....	focus puller: second unit
Richie Raith	....	additional grip
Alan Rank	....	additional grip
Ian Rice	....	electrician
George Richmond	....	clapper loader
Neil Robertson	....	clapper loader: second unit
Chyna Thomson	....	first assistant camera
Mark Tillie	....	still photographer
Bill Vanderkris	....	crane grip

Casting Department
Sarah Beardsall	....	casting: Wales
Gaynor Richfield	....	casting assistant: Wales

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christian Motta	....	costumer
John Norster	....	wardrobe coordinator
Amanda Trewin	....	costumer: Mr. Grant

Editorial Department
Liz Green	....	first assistant editor
Liz Roe	....	second assistant editor (as Elizabeth Roe)

Music Department
Francesca Adair	....	music assistant
Stephen Endelman	....	conductor: score
Stephen Endelman	....	orchestrator
Isobel Griffiths	....	conductor: orchestra
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
James Nichols	....	score recordist (as James P. Nichols)

Other crew
Lucy Amor	....	floor runner
Hilary Benson	....	production coordinator
Lesley Campion	....	cashier
Elinor Day	....	script editor
Penny Dyer	....	dialogue coach
Karin Fermor	....	stand-in: Tara Fitsgerald
Cherry Fiddaman	....	production accountant
George Higgins	....	stand-in: Mr. Meaney
Christopher John Lee	....	assistant location manager
Floriane Mathieu	....	press attache: France
Susie Menzies	....	production secretary
Sally Morgan	....	location manager
Matthew Morris	....	floor runner
Sara Morris	....	production runner
Mary Norden	....	garden design
Tim Prosser	....	rushes runner
Robert Rhys-Jones	....	floor runner
Steve Ricard	....	stand-in: Mr. Grant
Ann Simpson	....	continuity
Roberta Taylor	....	drama coach
Keith Thompson	....	helicopter pilot
Andrew Jack	....	dialect coach: Colm Meaney (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Miramax Films
• Parallax Pictures

Distributors

• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista International (Spain)
• Falcon (Czech Republic)
• Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (1995) (France) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Miramax International (1995) (worldwide) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• First Effects

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at
• Angels & Bermans  costumes supplied by
• Castle Air  helicopter (as Castle Air, Liskeard, Cornwall)
• Cinesite  special optical effects
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  post-production facilities (as De Lane Lea, London)
• Decca Records  soundtrack
• Epic Soundtrax  soundtrack
• General Screen Enterprises  titles and opticals
• Grip House  grip equipment (as Grip House London Ltd.)
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment
• Phil Symes Associates  unit publicity
• Salon Productions  cutting room equipment
• Samuelson Lighting  lighting equipment (as Michael Samuelson Lighting)
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting

Also Known As:

Anglez, ki je sel na hrib in se vrnil z gore (Slovenia) [sl]
Az angol, aki dombra ment fel, de hegyröl jött le (Hungary) [hu]
Der Engländer der auf einen Hügel stieg und von einem Berg herunterkam (Germany) [de]
El inglés que subió una colina, pero bajó una montaña (Spain) [es]
Engelsmannen som gick upp för en kulle men kom ner från ett berg (Sweden) [sv]
Englænderen der gik op på en bakke men kom ned fra et bjerg (Denmark) [da]
Englantilainen joka nousi kukkulalle mutta laskeutui vuorelta (Finland) [fi]
Englezul care a urcat o colina dar a coborît un munte (Romania) [ro]
L'anglais qui gravit une colline mais descendit une montagne (France) [fr]
L'homme qui gravit une colline et redescendit une montagne (Canada: French title) [fr]
L'inglese che salì la collina e scese da una montagna (Italy) [it]
L'inglese che salì la collina e scese la montagna (Italy) (alternative title) [it]
O Inglês Que Subiu Uma Colina e Desceu Uma Montanha (Portugal) [pt]
O Inglês que Subiu a Colina e Desceu a Montanha (Brazil) [pt]
O englezos pou anevike ena lofo, alla katevike ena vouno (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #33696) | Iceland:L | Finland:S | Germany:12 (w) | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Gyrn Moelfre, Powys, Wales, UK

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Almost at the end of the film is an aerial shot, the camera speeding toward six descendants of the villagers standing on Ffynnon Garw, which is just like a shot at the end of Sirens (1993). Both films starred Hugh Grant and Tara Fitzgerald, and Robert Jones was an executive producer on both.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The Bristol Channel should be visible from the hill. Also missing is the Taff River and Castell Coch.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: For some odd reason, lost in the mists of time, there's an extraordinary shortage of last names in Wales. Almost everyone seems to be a Williams, a Jones, or an Evans. To avoid widespread confusion, Welsh people often add an occupation to a name. For example, there was Williams the Petroleum, and Williams the Death. There was Jones the Bottle, and Jones the Prize Cabbage...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Fast Show: Oh (#2.1)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Men of Harlech

A gentle, affectionate portrait of a village in Wales

This film is a gentle, affectionate portrait of a village in Wales, its people and its Mountain. Within the village, there are long standing feuds and traditions. Then, two Englishmen arrive with a job to do and history is made. It may or may not be based on a real Welsh village. The writer and many of the names in the credits have Welsh sounding names. The scenery is beautiful and the characters are delightfully observed. It is a piece set at the time of the First World War. It has echoes of Under Milk Wood, of The Shooting Party, and of Clochemerle. Kenneth Griffith was memorable in Clochemerle and plays the Reverend Jones in this film. At first, Hugh Grant seems to be playing yet another floppy haired, romantic hero, but as the film unfolds, there is greater depth to his character. The harsh reality of mining is simply portrayed and we are reminded of the heightened need for coal in wartime. The Great War itself casts a shadow over the whole village, making the film poignant and touching.