A Cock and Bull Story (2005)

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writers:

Laurence Sterne (novel)
Frank Cottrell Boyce (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 January 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Because everyone loves an accurate period piece.

Plot:

Director Michael Winterbottom (Northam) attempts to shoot the adaptation of Laurence Sterne's essentially unfilmable novel, "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman."

Plot Keywords:

Boots | Midwife | Womb | Giving Birth | Meta Film

Awards:

2 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Steve Coogan	...	Tristram Shandy / Walter Shandy / Steve Coogan
Rob Brydon	...	Capt. Toby Shandy / Rob Brydon
Keeley Hawes	...	Elizabeth
Shirley Henderson	...	Susannah
Raymond Waring	...	Trim
Conal Murphy	...	Young Tristram Shandy - Age 6
Joe Williams	...	Young Tristram Shandy - Age 9
Paul Kynman	...	Obadiah
Mark Tandy	...	London Doctor
Mary Healey	...	Midwife
Dylan Moran	...	Dr. Slop
Jack Shepherd	...	Surgeon
David Walliams	...	Parson
Jeremy Northam	...	Mark
Benedict Wong	...	Ed

Also Known As:

Tristram Shandy (UK) (working title)
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (USA)
Tournage dans un jardin anglais (France) [fr]
Tristram Shandy - Mia istoria gi' agrious (Greece) (festival title) [el]
Tristram Shandy - herrasmiehen paljastukset (Finland) [fi]
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:M18 | USA:R | Argentina:16 | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-11 | UK:15 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norfolk, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

Cameo: [Tony Wilson]The real Tony Wilson (who Steve Coogan played in 24 Hour Party People (2002), another Michael Winterbottom film) plays himself, interviewing Steve Coogan on the film set. The somewhat spiky relationship between the two (who also worked together on local TV in the early 1990s) is subtly referenced in Coogan's lukewarm "let's catch up in Manchester".

Quotes:

Steve Coogan: Do you know there's a good Groucho Marx story about, see, he meets a woman with seven children and says "Why've you got seven kids?" and she says "Because I love my husband." And he says, "Well, I love my cigar, but I take it out now and again."

Movie Connections:

References Lancelot du Lac (1974)

Soundtrack:

The Interview

much funny ado about nothing and everything

Forget anything pedagogical that this film's title might unfortunately imply and as a result keep butts out of seats. it is wildly entertaining, ribald, and simply fun, fun, fun. all of which Sterne intended. the addition of the play within the play within the play is really brilliant.

I loved the behind the scenes bits of story that had to do with the failure of the film's execution-particularly the whole shoe business. By far the greatest bit was the piece about acting techniques. Steve Coogan at first imagines what hot (as in temperature) walnuts- or some type of nut-would feel like dropped down his trousers and caught next to his genitals. He tries many interpretations but the one that slayed the audience was when he actually dropped the "hot nuts" into his trousers in order to see how close his interpretation came to the actual reaction. it was uproariously entertaining.

i was wondering if winterbottom and gilliam have ever thought to produce something together? please sir may we have some more?