Peter's Friends (1992)

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 | Reunion | Countryside | New Year's Eve

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
Magdalena Buznea	...	Old Lady
Tony Slattery	...	Brian
Alex Lowe	...	Paul (age 17)
Chris Pickles	...	The Benson's Chauffeur
Nicola Wright	...	Brian's Wife
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yasser Arafat	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Leonid Brezhnev	...	Himself (uncredited) (archive footage) (unconfirmed)
George Bush	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Boy George	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mikhail Gorbachev	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rock Hudson	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Saddam Hussein	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Michael Jackson	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ayatollah Khomeini	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Major	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nelson Mandela	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pope John Paul II	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dan Quayle	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Salman Rushdie	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sylvester Stallone	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Donald Trump	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Kenneth Branagh

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

Produced by
Martin Bergmann	....	co-producer
Kenneth Branagh	....	producer
Stephen Evans	....	executive producer
David Parfitt	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Roger Lanser

Film Editing by
Andrew Marcus

Production Design by
Tim Harvey

Art Direction by
Martin Childs

Costume Design by
Susan Coates
Stephanie Collie

Makeup Department
Peter Frampton	....	makeup supervisor
Martin Samuel	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mark Cooper	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Newman	....	first assistant director
Carl Oprey	....	third assistant director
Keith Young	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Brian Aldridge	....	property manager
Micky Bacon	....	property master
Celia Bobak	....	property master
Martin Kingsley	....	property manager
Alf Newvell	....	rigger
Terry Newvell	....	stagehand
Trevor Nicol	....	carpenter
Andy Soane	....	property chief
Brian Western	....	painter

Sound Department
Mark Auguste	....	sound editor
Orin Beaton	....	sound assistant
Gary Beckerman	....	jobfit sound trainee
Jeremy Child	....	assistant sound editor
David Crozier	....	production sound mixer
Martin Evans	....	sound editor
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bettina McCaul	....	assistant sound editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Sissons	....	sound maintenance
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: CFC (uncredited)
Mark Nelmes	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Janek Sirrs	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Angela Conway	....	jobfit camera trainee
Clive Coote	....	still photographer
Kevin Edland	....	best boy
John Higgins	....	gaffer
Chris Mortley	....	electrician
Terry Mulligan	....	electrician
Toby Plaskitt	....	grip
Andy Shuttleworth	....	Steadicam operator
Simon Starling	....	clapper loader
Gary Turnbull	....	focus puller

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa Shanley	....	wardrobe assistant
Fiona Smithies	....	wardrobe assistant
Nancy Thompson	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Simon Cozens	....	second assistant editor
Kerry Kohler	....	associate editor
Lucy Maunsell	....	first assistant editor
Bob Wenokur	....	studio post-production representative (uncredited)

Music Department
Bob Bryan	....	vocal coach
Clive Farrell	....	music supervisor
Gavin Greenaway	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Peter Allison	....	driver
Mike Crawley	....	driver
Richard Moore	....	driver

Other crew
Liz Barron	....	production accountant
Joyce Branagh	....	unit runner
Hugh Cruttwell	....	production consultant
Graham Kern	....	montage openeing title sequence design & production
Randal McDonell	....	production assistant
Iona Price	....	production coordinator
Al Senter	....	production notes
Paul Shersby	....	location manager
Neris Thomas	....	production secretary
Tamar Thomas	....	assistant: Mr. Branagh
Peter Thompson	....	press representative
David Toguri	....	choreographer
John Trevithick	....	unit runner (as Jonathan Trevithick)
Richard Turner	....	financial controller
Annie Wotton	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Channel Four Films
• Renaissance Films
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Cine Company S.A. (Spain)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (UK)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Look Filmes (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC) (end title)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  light equipment
• Film and Television Completions  completion bond
• Five Star Location Services  caterer
• Media Film Services  Arriflex 535 camera and Zeiss Lenses
• Peerless Camera Company  titles and optical effects
• SVC Television (London)  post-production for montage opening title sequence
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Technicolor  processing
• Twickenham Film Studios  sound re-recording
• Walton & Parkinson  insurance

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:

Several members of the leading cast did actually attend university together. Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, and Tony Slattery met when they were members of the Cambridge Footlights Amateur Dramatic Club.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the film, Mary and Roger's nanny Brenda refers to Mary as "Mrs. Anderson", but according to the credits, Mary and Roger's last name is Charleston

Quotes:

Sarah: You'll probably be stuck with that Joan Collins impersonator for the rest of your life!
Andrew: You're talking about the woman I almost love.
Sarah: God, I've never seen anyone wear more makeup! How does she take it off? With a chisel?

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Orpheus In the Underworld

Not a Rip Off of the Big Chill!

This movie has often been dubbed another rip off of The Big Chill. Except for the whole reunion bit, this movie bears little resemblance to the former. It is funnier, wittier and the characters are more clearly defined.The movie centers around Peter, whose father has just died and left him the house. He decides to have a big party and invite his friends from college that he hasn't seen in years.As it turns out, everyone has their problems. Roger and Mary have just lost a child,Maggie is trying to find a man and has her eye on Peter, who is definitely not interested,Sarah is involved with a married man and seems to have trouble getting involved with anyone who's available,Andrew and his Hollywood actress wife are having marriage problems.This movie is well acted, the script is well written,thanks to Rita Rudner and her husband Martin Bergman and the casting is excellent. Starring Stephen Fry as Peter,Kenneth Branagh as Andrew,Hugh Laurie as Roger,Emma Thompson as Maggie,Alphonsia Emmanuel as Sarah and Imelda Staunton as Mary.With Rita Rudner as Carol.