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Film details
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Featuring
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Director
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Country
United Kingdom
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Year
1988
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Genres
Comedy Drama
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Type
Film
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Category
Fiction
Alternative titles
- Withnail and I Alternative
Introduction
“To pronounce oneself immune to the charms of Withnail & I is to declare oneself a philistine, a Puritan and a snob.”
Kevin Jackson, Withnail & I, 2004
Set at the fag-end of the 1960s, Bruce Robinson’s comedy of bad manners sees two struggling twentysomething actors – flamboyant, melancholic narcissist Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and his unnamed, unassuming friend (Paul McGann) – pursue booze, recreation, work and the meaning of life in Camden Town and the Lake District.
Based on Robinson’s own experiences, this labour of love achieved cult status on the strength of its endlessly quotable dialogue and brilliantly eccentric performances (notably Richard Griffiths’ Uncle Monty and Ralph Brown’s Danny the dealer). The beautifully sodden photography and a cannily evocative pop soundtrack help fix the mood. The film is a testament to the potency and sadness of friendship and the compromises required for the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
The script references Bruce Robinson’s own acting work in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968). Robinson and Grant reunited for How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989).
Cast & Credits
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Cast
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Marwood/"... & I"
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Withnail
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Monty
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Danny
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Jake
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Irishman
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Isaac Parkin
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Mrs Parkin
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general
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waitress
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tea shop proprietor
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1st policeman
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2nd policeman
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Presuming Ed
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[bartender]
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Credits
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Direction:
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Directed by
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Assistant Director [1st]
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Assistant Director (2nd)
Production:
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©/Production Company
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Produced by
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[Produced] In association with
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Assistant Accountant
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Accounts Secretary
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Special Production Consultant
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Assistant to Producer
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Production Runner
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Production Runner
Casting:
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Casting Director
Writing:
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Written by
Photography:
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Photographed by
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Focus
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Loader
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Best Boy
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Grip
Stills:
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Stills Photographer
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Stills Photographer (Additional)
Special Effects:
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Special Effects Assistant
Editing:
Design:
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Property Buyer
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Property Master
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Props
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Props
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Props
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Supervising Carpenter
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Painter
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Rigger
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Stagehand
Costumes:
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Wardrobe Mistress
Make-up:
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Hairdresser
Titles:
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Titles by
Music:
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Original Music by
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Original Music by
Sound:
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Sound Mixer
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Sound Maintenance
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Dubbing Mixer
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Footsteps Editor
Consultant:
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Transportation
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Transportation
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Thanks to
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Thanks to
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Thanks to
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Catering by
Publicity:
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Unit Publicist
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Publicity Consultants
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The Greatest Films of All Time 2012
Voted for by 1 critic and 2 directors.