Peter's Friends (1992)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

Rita Rudner (written by) and
Martin Bergmann (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Six former college friends, with two new friends, gather for a New Years Eve weekend reunion at a large English countryside manor after ten years to reminisce about the good times now long gone.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | New Year | College | New Year's Eve | Weekend

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Hugh Laurie	...	Roger Charleston
Kenneth Branagh	...	Andrew Benson
Stephen Fry	...	Peter Morton
Alphonsia Emmanuel	...	Sarah Johnson
Emma Thompson	...	Maggie Chester
Imelda Staunton	...	Mary Charleston
Richard Briers	...	Lord Morton
Phyllida Law	...	Vera
Alex Scott	...	Paul (age 7)
Edward Jewesbury	...	Mr. Gooch, Peter's Solicitor
Hetta Charnley	...	Carol's fan at Airport
Rita Rudner	...	Carol Benson
Bill Parfitt	...	Baby Ben Charleston
Ruby May Musto	...	Baby Ben Charleston
Ann Davies	...	Brenda

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:AL (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Wrotham Park, Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Phyllida Law, who plays Vera the housekeeper in the movie, is Emma Thompson's mother.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Brian is being picked up by his wife, Carol's bags can be seen on the front steps. Carol had already been picked up by a driver prior to Brian's departure.

Quotes:

Mary Charleston: Maggie are you doing a magic trick over there?

Movie Connections:

References "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987/I)

Soundtrack:

If You Let Me Stay

Not being able to like the characters was a bit of a problem but generally it is well written and engaging

It has been just about ten years since Peter last saw his group of University friends and, after his father died, he has inherited the family manor and decided to throw a reunion party for them. Of his friends, Sarah is still pretty much the same and has brought along her latest lover with her. Andrew has long ago sold out and moved to America where he met his wife Carol. Roger and Mary are married but life lives of quiet panic and worry since the death of one of their twin babies. Maggie meanwhile is so alone that she throws herself into the slightest offer of companionship. The friends come together but the tensions and problems are barely hidden and quickly come out.

Opening with the type of privately educated people that I personally find very difficult to relate to, this film immediately had me on the backfoot and worried thanks to this and the sheer volume of luvvies in the cast. However the film manages to get past this for me because the writing is better than the very basic sitcom-come-melodrama that it is only ever a few steps away from being. It goes just where you expect it to though, and the fact that all the wheels fall off the various friends' lives will not surprise anyone but it is interesting and engaging enough. The sense of humour is quiet upper-class and it is sometimes hard to get into the characters because I did get the impression that they were very aloof but it was still solid enough to keep things moving.

The cast work well and indeed many of them have a background that is similar to their characters (in terms of University I mean, not the personal detail). Fry is good although I must admit not caring much for his character. Branagh does a so-so job as director (nothing particularly special) and also as actor he isn't that good here – his drunk act in particular being weak. Continuing the split responsibilities = weakness trend, writer Rudner is not great in her acting role. Laurie is strong but he is outdone by a convincing little turn from Staunton. Thompson is good even if her character could have been made more of. Emmanuel is good but only shows me how hard it is for black actors to get ahead – she has barely been seen again. Slattery is Slattery and those who like him will like him here – I don't but that is by the by.

Overall this is an engaging film despite the fact that I found the characters hard to like. The story may not be the most inspiring or shocking but it is involving nonetheless and comic if not really funny. A very British affair that is generally well written despite the rather pretentious and aloof material that runs across story, characters and performers.