Withnail & I (1987)

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... See full summary »

Director:

Bruce Robinson

Writer:

Bruce Robinson

Stars:

Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard E. Grant	...	Withnail
Paul McGann	...	& I / Marwood
Richard Griffiths	...	Monty
Ralph Brown	...	Danny
Michael Elphick	...	Jake
Daragh O'Malley	...	Irishman
Michael Wardle	...	Isaac Parkin
Una Brandon-Jones	...	Mrs. Parkin
Noel Johnson	...	General
Irene Sutcliffe	...	Waitress
Llewellyn Rees	...	Tea Shop Proprietor
Robert Oates	...	Policeman One
Anthony Wise	...	Policeman Two
Eddie Tagoe	...	Presuming Ed

Storyline

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. But when they get there, it rains non-stop, there's no food, and their basic survival skills turn out to be somewhat limited. Matters are not helped by the arrival of Uncle Monty, who shows an uncomfortably keen interest in Marwood...

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Plot Keywords:

cottage | actor | rain | countryside | drug dealer | 

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Taglines:

If you don't remember the sixties, don't worry - neither did they.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

19 June 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mi ketten

Filming Locations:

35 Glebe Place, Chelsea, London, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$1,544,889 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HandMade Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Camberwell Carrot was actually made with herbal cigarettes.

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Goofs

When Withnail and Marwood are driving along the motorway on the way to the cottage, at least one motorway construction vehicle can be seen driving in the same direction, but on the other carriageway. This gives away the fact that the motorway scenes were filmed on a completed but as yet unopened section of the M25 motorway.

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Quotes

Danny: Has he just been busted?
Marwood: No.
Danny: Then why's he wearing that old suit?
Withnail: Old suit? This suit was cut by Hawkes of Savile Row. Just because the best tailoring you've ever seen is above your fucking appendix doesn't mean anything!

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Crazy Credits

Paul McGann is credited only as "and I".

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Connections

Featured in 50 Years of Bad Sex (2011)

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Soundtracks

Film Soundtrack & Original Music Published by Ganga Publishing B.V. Filmtrax plc.

User Reviews

Perennial Favourite

Pretty superfluous to add to the praise of Withnail & I. If Oscars mattered particularly and, further, went to those deserving, surely Richard Griffiths (Uncle Monty) would receive one for his high camp, yet credible and deeply touching turn. That's the key - it's all too credible, 'cos we've done it. As an essay on the final shedding of a strange inverted innocence for the corruption of 'normal' life with its compromises, self-discipline and grind, unsurpassed, I believe. Likewise for its appreciation of the deep platonic love that can spring up between young men in the trenches of poverty and booze. Everything pitch perfect from the herniating slapstick to the pathos, from the soundtrack to the props, from the rain to the booze and all the way from Withnail... to I. 10/10.