Notting Hill (1999)

The life of a simple bookshop owner changes when he meets the most famous film star in the world.

Director:

Roger Michell

Writer:

Richard Curtis

Stars:

Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Richard McCabe

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 12 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia Roberts	...	Anna Scott
Hugh Grant	...	William Thacker
Richard McCabe	...	Tony
Rhys Ifans	...	Spike
James Dreyfus	...	Martin
Dylan Moran	...	Rufus the Thief
Roger Frost	...	Annoying Customer
Henry Goodman	...	Ritz Concierge
Julian Rhind-Tutt	...	'Time Out' Journalist
Lorelei King	...	Anna's Publicist
John Shrapnel	...	PR Chief
Clarke Peters	...	'Helix' Lead Actor
Arturo Venegas	...	Foreign Actor
Yolanda Vazquez	...	Interpreter
Mischa Barton	...	12-Year-Old Actress

Storyline

Every man's dream comes true for William Thacker, an unsuccessful Notting Hill bookstore owner, when Anna Scott, the world's most beautiful woman and best-liked actress, enters his shop. A little later, he still can't believe it himself, William runs into her again - this time spilling orange juice over her. Anna accepts his offer to change in his nearby apartment, and thanks him with a kiss, which seems to surprise her even more than him. Eventually, Anna and William get to know each other better over the months, but being together with the world's most wanted woman is not easy - neither around your closest friends, nor in front of the all-devouring press.

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Plot Keywords:

actress | friend | bookstore | love | fame | 

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Taglines:

Can the most famous film star in the world fall for just an ordinary guy?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

28 May 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Coup de foudre à Notting Hill

Filming Locations:

Coronet Cinema, Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$113,700,000 (Non-US) (6 August 1999)

Gross:

SEK 62,089,941 (Sweden) (31 December 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films, Bookshop Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When writer Richard Curtis viewed the film for the first time, he found it to be too similar to his previous film, Four Weddings and a Funeral.

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Goofs

Just after Anna and William have collided in the street, the camera operator is clearly visible reflected in Anna's sunglasses for one shot.

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Quotes

Jeff King: [to Will] Can you adios those dishes and take out that trash?

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Crazy Credits

The coloured dots and symbols pop up in time with the music (And when the word 'heart' is sung, a litte red heart appears)

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Connections

Spoofed in Dawson's Creek: Homecoming (1999)

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Soundtracks

"FROM THE HEART"
Performed by Another Level
Written by Diane Warren
Produced and arranged by Kris Kellow
Executive producer Diane Warren

User Reviews

Brit Wit Rom Com in one of London's most famous districts

After reading the synopsis, 'Notting Hill' sounds like just another melodramatic Julia Roberts rom com. Fortunately, that ain't the case. 'Notting Hill' is fun, sweet, intelligent and … well, simply said, very entertaining. London's Notting Hill does seem like a street you'd like to walk on.

While the storyline itself is larger than life, the characters are real. There is no overt melodrama. We can see that Curtis put a lot of heart and some Brit wit humour into the writing. After meeting William, Anna, Spike, Max, Bella and Honey, we, as audience, really connect to these very interesting characters and care about them. The table discussion in Honey's birthday scene shows how all the characters connect. While a nervous Anna, is new to the group, we see that she eventually gets a hang of them and feels comfortable enough to talk about herself.

Hugh Grant isn't anything different from his other rom coms. Julia Roberts is brilliant. I never liked any of her romantic comedies (e.g. Pretty Woman, I Love Trouble, Something to Talk About etc) but 'notting Hill is an exception. She gives a subtle portrayal as hugely famous but very vulnerable Anna Scott and does full justice. This indeed is one of her finest performances. Rhys Ifans as Spike is standout! While Tim McInnerny, Emma Chambers, Hugh Bonneville and Gina McKee (love her) are excellent. McKee's comedy is extremely subtle and her character is one of the most appealing. She underplays her part with tremendous grace and maturity.

All the actors share a very warm chemistry that just keeps adding on to its quality. The relationship and friendship between the characters is shown in a very sensitive way. While Spike and William are roommates who just seem to get along, we know that they like each other. Also William is about to cancel a date with the world's most famous actress to attend his sister's birthday party. The relationship between Max and Bella is beautiful.

Additional credit must be given to Coulter's amazing cinematography and the visuals. Watch the scene where Thacker is walking through the market and we see the weather change (indicating the passing time). There's a beautiful soundtrack that recites the moods of the scenes. And last but not least, thanks to Roger Mitchell for putting it all together to tell us this sweet entertaining story.