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Four Weddings and a Funeral
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Wikipedia article
'Four Weddings and a Funeral' is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It is the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant, and follows the adventures of Charles (Grant) and his circle of friends through a number of social occasions as they each encounter romance. Andie MacDowell stars as Charles's love interest Carrie, with Kristin Scott Thomas, James Fleet, Simon Callow, John Hannah, Charlotte Coleman, David Bower, Corin Redgrave, and Rowan Atkinson in supporting roles.
The film was made in six weeks, cost under 3 million,
BBC Radio 4 The Reunion Four Weddings and a Funeral, 13 April 2014 and became an unexpected success and the highest-grossing British film in history at the time, with worldwide box office total of $245.7 million, and receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Additionally, Grant won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the film won the BAFTA Awards Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Scott Thomas. The film's success propelled Hugh Grant to international stardom, particularly in the United States.
In 1999, 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' was placed 23rd on the British Film Institute's 100 greatest British films of the 20th century. In 2016, 'Empire' magazine ranked it 21st in their list of the 100 best British films. A 2017 poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers, and critics for 'Time Out' magazine ranked it the 74th best British film ever.[https://www.timeout.com/london/film/100-best-british-films#tab_panel_4 "The 100 best British films"]. 'Time Out'. Retrieved 26 October 2017
Curtis reunited director Newell and the surviving cast for a 25th anniversary reunion Comic Relief short entitled 'One Red Nose Day and a Wedding', which aired in the UK during Red Nose Day on 15 March 2019.
Plot
At the wedding of Angus and Laura in Somerset, the unmarried best man Charles; his flatmate Scarlett; his friend Fiona and her brother Tom; Gareth and his Scottish partner Matthew; and Charles's deaf brother David endure the festivities. At the reception, Charles becomes smitten with Caroline (Carrie), a young American, and they spend the night together. In the morning, Carrie jokingly demands that Charles propose to her, observing they may have "missed a great opportunity", and then leaves for the U.S.
Three months later, at the wedding of Bernard and Lydia in London who became involved at the previous wedding Charles meets Carrie again, who is now accompanied by her Scottish fianc Hamish. Charles faces further humiliation from several of his ex-girlfriends, including the distraught Henrietta, and retreats to an empty hotel suite, where he watches Carrie and Hamish depart. He becomes trapped in the room when the newlyweds stumble in to have sex. Later, he is confronted by an angry Henrietta about his habit of "serial monogamy" and his fear of letting anyone get too close. Carrie reappears, and she and Charles spend another night together.
A month later, Charles receives an invitation to Carrie's wedding. While shopping for a gift, he runs into her and helps select a wedding dress. She recounts her 33 sexual partners; Charles, who was number 32, soon awkwardly confesses his love to her, but is unsuccessful.
A month later, Charles and his friends attend Carrie's wedding in Scotland. The gregarious Gareth instructs the group to seek potential mates; Scarlett hits it off with an American, Chester. As Charles watches Carrie and Hamish dance, Fiona deduces his heartbreak. When he asks Fiona why she is single, she confesses that she has loved Charles since they first met; though sympathetic to her feelings, Charles does not reciprocate them. During the bridegroom's toast, Gareth suddenly dies of a heart attack.
At Gareth's funeral, Matthew recites the poem "Funeral Blues" by English-American poet W. H. Auden, commemorating his relationship with Gareth and calling Auden "another splendid bugger". Afterward, Carrie and Charles share a brief moment, and Charles and Tom ponder the fact that despite their clique's pride in being single, Gareth and Matthew were a "married" couple all the while, and whether the search for "one true love" is futile.
Ten months later, Charles's own wedding day arrives; the bride turns out to be Henrietta. Tom, while seating guests, is struck with love at first sight with his distant cousin Deirdre, whom he had met 25 years before when they were children. Shortly before the wedding ceremony, Carrie arrives and tells Charles that she and Hamish have separated. He has a crisis of confidence and is counseled by David and Matthew, but proceeds with the wedding. When the vicar asks for any reason why the couple should not marry, however, the deaf David says in sign language that he suspects the bridegroom loves someone else, which Charles confirms. Henrietta angrily punches him, and the wedding is stopped.
Carrie tries to apologise to Charles, who confesses that, at the altar, he realised she was the one person he truly loved, and that he's loved her since the first second he met her. Charles, who fears marriage, proposes a lifelong commitment without marriage to Carrie, and she accepts it by saying "I do". As they kiss a thunderbolt flashes across the sky.
Henrietta marries an officer in the Grenadier Guards; David marries his girlfriend Serena, whom he met at the second wedding; Scarlett marries Chester; Tom marries Deirdre; Matthew finds a new partner; Fiona is shown in a picture with Prince Charles; and Charles and Carrie have a baby.
Cast
Production
Writing
Screenwriter Richard Curtis's own experiences as a wedding attendee inspired 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. According to Curtis he began writing the script at age 34, after realising he had attended 65 weddings in an 11-year period. At one wedding he was propositioned by a fellow guest, but he turned her down and forever regretted it; accordingly he based the origin of Charles and Carrie's romance on that situation.It took Curtis 17 drafts to reach the final version. He has commented on director Mike Newell's influence; "I come from a school where making it funny is what matters. Mike was obsessed with keeping it real. Every character, no matter how small, has a story, not just three funny lines. It's a romantic film about love and friendship that swims in a sea of jokes."
Curtis chose to omit any mention of the characters' careers, because he didn't think a group of friends would realistically discuss their jobs while together at a wedding.
Casting
Curtis, Newell and the producers began the casting process for 'Four Weddings' in early 1992. Alex Jennings was cast as Charles, but funding for the production fell through in mid-1992. Jennings would eventually go on to play a supporting role in Mindy Kaling's 2019 television miniseries adaptation of the film. The team continued holding auditions for over a year, seeing roughly 70 actors for the role of Charles before Hugh Grant.Grant was ready to give up acting as a career when he received the script for 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'; he stated in 2016 that: "I wasn't really getting any work at all, and then to my great surprise this script came through the letterbox from my agent, and it was really good. And I rang on and said there must be a mistake, you've sent me a good script." Initially, writer Richard Curtis, who had modelled the character of Charles after himself, was opposed to casting Grant in the role, because he thought Grant was too handsome. Curtis favored casting Alan Rickman, but Rickman refused to audition. Curtis was eventually persuaded by Newell and the producers to approve Grant's casting.
Jeanne Tripplehorn was originally cast as Carrie, but she had to drop out just before filming, when her mother passed away. The role was offered to Marisa Tomei, but she turned it down, because her grandfather was sick at the time. Sarah Jessica Parker was also reportedly considered. Andie MacDowell was in London doing publicity for 'Groundhog Day' when she read the script, and was cast. MacDowell took a 75% cut in her fee to appear, receiving $250,000 upfront, but due to the success of the film, she earned around $3 million.
Grant's participation hit another stumbling block when his agent requested a 5,000 rise over the 35,000 salary Grant was offered. The producers initially refused because of the extremely tight budget, but eventually agreed. The supporting cast-members were paid 17,500 apiece.
Production
Duncan Kenworthy produced the film while on sabbatical from Jim Henson Productions. Pre-production for the movie was a long process because funding was erratic, falling through in mid-1992 and leading to much uncertainty. Finally in early 1993, Working Title Films stepped in to close the gap. Nonetheless, another $1.2 million was cut just before production began in the summer of 1993, forcing the film to be made in just 36 days with a final budget of 2.7 million (appr. $4.4 million in 1994). Channel Four Films contributed 800,000. The budget was so tight that extras had to wear their own wedding clothes, while Rowan Atkinson appeared as a vicar at two of the weddings so production wouldn't have to pay another actor.Future Home Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) Amber Rudd was given the credit of "Aristocracy Coordinator" after she arranged for several aristocrats to make uncredited appearances as wedding extras, including Peregrine Cavendish, who was at the time Marquess of Hartington, and the Earl of Woolton, who conveniently wore their own morning suits.
To make Grant look more nerdy, the producers styled him with shaggy hair, glasses, and deliberately unflattering, ill-fitting clothes. Grant was encouraged by director Mike Newell to mess up and trip over his lines, written in "convoluted syntax" as Grant describes them, in order to give Charles a stammering, nervous quality. Grant, who struggled with hay fever throughout filming, was unsure of Newell's direction and his own performance, which he thought was "atrocious"; on Newell he commented that: "He seemed to be giving direction against what I thought were the natural beats of the comedy. He was making a film with texture, grounding it, playing the truths rather than the gags".
The film was shot mainly in London and the Home Counties, including Hampstead, Islington where the final moments take place on Highbury Terrace, Greenwich Hospital, Betchworth in Surrey, Amersham in Buckinghamshire, St Bartholomew-the-Great (wedding number four) and West Thurrock in Essex. Exterior shots of guests arriving for the funeral were filmed in Thurrock, Essex overlooking the River Thames with the backdrop of the Dartford River Crossing and at stately homes in Bedfordshire (Luton Hoo for wedding two's reception) and Hampshire.[http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/f/4wandf.html Filming Locations for Four Weddings and a Funeral]. Movie-locations.com. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
Post-production
According to Hugh Grant, the initial screening of a rough-cut of 'Four Weddings' went very badly.Throughout production, Gramercy Pictures, the U.S. distributor for the film, sent frequent transatlantic faxes objecting to the explicit language and sexual content, fearing the final product would not be suitable for American distribution or television airings. They particularly objected to the opening scene of the movie, in which Charles and Scarlett say the word "Fuck" over and over, after an initial screening of the movie in Salt Lake City led the conservative Mormon members of the city council to walk out. Accordingly, Mike Newell and the actors agreed to reshoot the scene with the British swear word "Bugger" to be used in the American version. The executives also objected to the title, believing 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' would turn off male viewers from the film. In its place they suggested such titles as 'True Love and Near Misses', 'Loitering in Sacred Places', 'Skulking Around', and 'Rolling in the Aisles', none of which were accepted.
Music and soundtrack
The original score was composed by British composer Richard Rodney Bennett. The movie also featured a soundtrack of popular songs, including a cover version of The Troggs' "Love Is All Around" performed by Wet Wet Wet that remained at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for fifteen weeks and was then the ninth (now twelfth) biggest selling single of all time in Britain. This song would later be adapted into "Christmas Is All Around" and sung by the character of Billy Mack in Richard Curtis' 2003 film 'Love Actually', in which Grant also stars. The soundtrack album sold more than 750,000 units.Release
'Four Weddings and a Funeral' had its world premiere in January 1994 at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It opened in the United States on 11 March 1994 in five theatres. The box office receipts from the first five days of the film's general release in the United States so impressed the movie's distributor that it decided to spend lavishly on promotion, buying full-page newspaper ads and TV-spots totalling some $11 million. The movie also benefited from much free publicity because of Grant's reception in the United States, where he became an instant sex symbol and undertook a successful media tour promoting the film. Producer Duncan Kenworthy stated that "It was the most amazing luck that when Hugh went on the publicity trail he turned out to be incredibly funny, and very like the character of Charles. That doesn't ever happen." The film had a wide release in the United States on 15 April 1994.
At the UK premiere in Leicester Square on 11 May 1994, Hugh Grant's then-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley garnered much publicity for the film when she wore a black Versace safety-pin dress which became a sensation in the press. The film opened in the UK on 13 May 1994.
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's critics consensus states, "While frothy to a fault, 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' features irresistibly breezy humor, and winsome performances from Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it "delightful and sly", and directed with "light-hearted enchantment" by Newell. He praised Grant's performance, describing it as a kind of "endearing awkwardness".[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/four-weddings-and-a-funeral-1994 Four Weddings And A Funeral :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews]. 'Chicago Sun-Times'. Retrieved 16 August 2011. Todd McCarthy of 'Variety' called it a "truly beguiling romantic comedy" which was "frequently hilarious without being sappily sentimental or tiresomely retrograde." Producer Duncan Kenworthy later attributed much of the success of 'Four Weddings' at the box office to McCarthy's review.
Writing for the 'Chicago Reader', Jonathan Rosenbaum called the film "generic" and "standard issue", stating that the audience shouldn't "expect to remember it ten minutes later".[http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/four-weddings-and-a-funeral/Film?oid=1064944 Four Weddings and a Funeral]. Chicago Reader. Retrieved 16 August 2011. 'Time' magazine writer Richard Corliss was less scathing, but agreed that it was forgettable, saying that people would "forget all about [the movie] by the time they leave the multiplex," even joking at the end of his review that he had forgotten the film's name.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070712081805/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980327,00.html CINEMA: Four Weddings and a Funeral: Well Groomed]. 'Time' (14 March 1994). Retrieved 16 August 2011.
Box office
Upon its limited release in the United States, 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' opened with $138,486 from five theatres.[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1994&wknd=10&p=.htm Weekend Box Office Results for 1113 March 1994]. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 August 2011. In its wide release, the film topped the box office with $4.2 million.[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1994&wknd=15&p=.htm Weekend Box Office Results for 1517 April 1994]. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 August 2011. The film would go on to gross $52.7 million in the United States and Canada.In the United Kingdom, the film grossed 2.7 million in its opening week from 211 theatres and was number one for nine consecutive weeks, grossing 27.8 million, making it the second highest-grossing film of all-time in the United Kingdom behind 'Jurassic Park'. It surpassed 'A Fish Called Wanda' as the highest-grossing British film. In France, it was number one at the box office for ten weeks, grossing $34.4 million. It was also number one at the Australian box office for five weeks and was the second-highest-grossing film of the year, grossing $A21.4 million. Overall, it grossed $245.7 million worldwide, generating the highest percentage return on cost of films released in 1994. The success of the film cleared Working Title's past losses and generated over $50 million for Polygram, clearing most of their losses in the four years since they started producing films.
Recognition
The film was voted the 27th greatest comedy film of all time by readers of 'Total Film' in 2000. In 2004, the same magazine named it the 34th greatest British film of all time. It is number 96 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".'The Guardian', in a 20th anniversary retrospective of 'Four Weddings', stated that "Its influence on the British film industry, on romantic-comedy writing, on the pop charts, on funeral readings, on 'haircuts', was enormous."
Hugh Grant commented in 2016 on the experience of the film's phenomenal success and its effect on his career: "I was making 'An Awfully Big Adventure' at the time that 'Four Weddings' came out, with Mike Newell again, same director, even tinier budget, in Dublin. And we'd get back from brutal days on the set, very long and no money, and the fax machines...were coming out saying that now your film 'Four Weddings' is #5 in America, now it's #3, now it's #1 and here's an offer Hugh, for 'Captain Blood' and they'll pay you $1 million. It was completely surreal."
Awards and accolades
Year-end lists* 1st Glenn Lovell, 'San Jose Mercury News'
* 2nd Sandi Davis, 'The Oklahoman'
* 3rd National Board of Review
* 5th Joan Vadeboncoeur, 'Syracuse Herald American'
* 5th John Hurley, 'Staten Island Advance'
* 6th Peter Travers, 'Rolling Stone'
* 6th Sean P. Means, 'The Salt Lake Tribune'
* 7th Michael MacCambridge, 'Austin American-Statesman'
* 7th Kenneth Turan, 'Los Angeles Times'
* 7th Janet Maslin, 'The New York Times'
* 7th Todd Anthony, 'Miami New Times'
* 7th Steve Persall, 'St. Petersburg Times'
* 8th James Berardinelli, 'ReelViews'
* 8th Mack Bates, 'The Milwaukee Journal'
* 10th Kevin Thomas, 'Los Angeles Times'
* 10th Douglas Armstrong, 'The Milwaukee Journal'
* Top 7 (not ranked) Duane Dudek, 'Milwaukee Sentinel'
* Top 9 (not ranked) Dan Webster, 'The Spokesman-Review'
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) Bob Ross, 'The Tampa Tribune'
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) Eleanor Ringel, 'The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'
* Top 10 (not ranked) Howie Movshovitz, 'The Denver Post'
* Top 10 (not ranked) George Meyer, 'The Ledger'
* Top 10 (not ranked) Bob Carlton, 'The Birmingham News'
* Best "sleepers" (not ranked) Dennis King, 'Tulsa World'
* Honorable mention Betsy Pickle, 'Knoxville News-Sentinel'
* Honorable mention William Arnold, 'Seattle Post-Intelligencer'
* Honorable mention David Elliott, 'The San Diego Union-Tribune'
* Honorable mention Robert Denerstein, 'Rocky Mountain News'
* Honorable mention Michael Mills, 'The Palm Beach Post'
* Honorable mention Jeff Simon, 'The Buffalo News'
Awards
Franchise
Hulu anthology television miniseries
It was reported in November 2017 that the streaming service Hulu was developing an eponymous anthology television series based upon the film, to be written and executive produced by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton, with Richard Curtis also serving as an executive producer. In October 2018, it was announced Jessica Williams, Nikesh Patel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and John Reynolds had joined the cast. The miniseries premiered on 31 July 2019.
'One Red Nose Day and a Wedding'
On 5 December 2018, it was announced that Richard Curtis had written 'One Red Nose Day and a Wedding', a 25th anniversary Comic Relief television reunion short film. The original film's director, Mike Newell, returned, along with the film's surviving cast, including Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Hannah, Rowan Atkinson, James Fleet, David Haig, Sophie Thompson, David Bower, Robin McCaffrey, Anna Chancellor, Rupert Vansittart, Simon Kunz, Sara Crowe and Timothy Walker. It was filmed on 1314 December 2018 at St James' Church, Islington, London. It centered on the reunion of all the characters from the original film at the wedding of Charles and Carrie's daughter to Fiona's daughter. The involvement of additional cast members Lily James and Alicia Vikander was not announced until the day the film aired in the UK, because they played the young women getting married. The film aired in the US on their Red Nose Day on Thursday 23 May 2019.See also
* BFI Top 100 British films
* 'Notting Hill' (1999), also written by Curtis and starring Grant
* 'Love Actually' (2003), another film by Curtis starring Grant and Atkinson
* Black Versace dress of Elizabeth Hurley, worn by Hurley to the film's premiere
* List of films featuring the deaf and hard of hearing
* Parey Hut Love
References
Buy Four Weddings and a Funeral now from Amazon
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