Bright Young Things (2003)

Director:

Stephen Fry

Writers:

Stephen Fry (screenplay)
Evelyn Waugh (novel)

Release Date:

3 October 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Tagline:

Sex... Scandal... Celebrity... Some things never change.

Plot:

An adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel "Vile Bodies," is a look into the lives of a young novelist, his would-be lover, and a host of young people who beautified London in the 1930s.

Plot Keywords:

Money | Novelist | Major | 1930s | Customs

Awards:

10 nominations

Cast

James McAvoy	...	Simon Balcairn
Michael Sheen	...	Miles
Emily Mortimer	...	Nina Blount
Stephen Campbell Moore	...	Adam Fenwick-Symes
Stockard Channing	...	Mrs. Melrose Ape
Adrian Scarborough	...	Customs Officer
Jim Carter	...	Chief Customs Officer
Fenella Woolgar	...	Agatha
Dan Aykroyd	...	Lord Monomark
Julia McKenzie	...	Lottie Crump
Bruno Lastra	...	Basilio
David Tennant	...	Ginger Littlejohn
Jim Broadbent	...	The Drunken Major
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	Judge
Simon Callow	...	King of Anatolia
Guy Henry	...	Archie
Alex Barclay	...	Jimmy Vanburgh
Lisa Dillon	...	Jane Brown
Lisa Jackson	...	Mary Moore
Neville Phillips	...	Ambrose
Imelda Staunton	...	Lady Brown
Bill Paterson	...	Sir James Brown
Nigel Planer	...	Taxi Driver
Peter O'Toole	...	Colonel Blount
Stephen Fry	...	Chauffeur
James Jackson Ritchie	...	Arundel Paperboy
Arturo Venegas	...	Alphonse
Harriet Walter	...	Lady Metroland
Angela Thorne	...	Kitty
Margaret Tyzack	...	Lady Thobbing
Richard E. Grant	...	Father Rothschild
John Mills	...	Gentleman
Nicholas Le Prevost	...	Lord Metroland
Ian Hughes	...	Night Editor
Alec Newman	...	Tiger La Bouchère
Alan Williams	...	Bookie
Mark Hardy	...	Angry Gentleman
Gerard Horan	...	Race Official
Tony Maudsley	...	Race Steward
Nigel Hulme	...	Pundit
John Mackle	...	Edwards
Mark Gatiss	...	Estate Agent
Ivan Marevich	...	Foreign Dignitary
Rebekah Staton	...	Imperial Hotel Receptionist
Simon McBurney	...	Sneath (Photo-Rat)
Paul Popplewell	...	Private
Max MacDonald	...	Tommy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Haidée Augusta	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Rachel Brooksby	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Stephen Carlile	...	Henry (uncredited)
Emrhys Cooper	...	Ambrose (uncredited)
Rachel Ann Courtney	...	Angel (uncredited)
Tom Frederic	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jessica Hill	...	Angel (uncredited)
Kate Loustau	...	Celeste (uncredited)
David McClelland	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Martina Messing	...	Hermione Duff (uncredited)
Larry Randall	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Annette Roche	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Bobby Valentino	...	Singer in cafe (uncredited)
Anna-Marie Wayne	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Natalie Wilcox	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Tracy Yarkoni	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephen Fry

Writing credits
Stephen Fry		(screenplay)
Evelyn Waugh		(novel "Vile Bodies")

Produced by
Chris Auty	....	executive producer
Gina Carter	....	producer
Miranda Davis	....	producer
Andrew Eaton	....	executive producer
Stephen Fry	....	executive producer
Caroline Hewitt	....	co-producer
Neil Peplow	....	executive producer
Jim Reeve	....	executive producer
Steve Robbins	....	executive producer
Michael Winterbottom	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Anne Dudley

Cinematography by
Henry Braham

Film Editing by
Alex Mackie

Casting by
Wendy Brazington

Production Design by
Michael Howells

Art Direction by
Lynne Huitson

Set Decoration by
Judy Farr

Costume Design by
Nic Ede

Makeup Department
Sarah Berry	....	additional hair stylist
Sarah Berry	....	additional makeup artist
Lucy Bonamy	....	additional makeup artist
Lucy Bonamy	....	assistant hair stylist
Rebecca Cole	....	hair stylist
Rebecca Cole	....	makeup artist
Renata Gilbert	....	additional hair stylist
Renata Gilbert	....	additional makeup artist
Paul Gooch	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	makeup artist
Christine Greenwood	....	additional hair stylist
Christine Greenwood	....	additional makeup artist
Peter King	....	hair designer
Peter King	....	makeup designer
Susan Parkinson	....	crowd hair stylist
Susan Parkinson	....	crowd makeup artist
Jeanette Redmond	....	additional hair stylist
Jeanette Redmond	....	additional makeup artist
Liz Tagg	....	hair stylist (as Elizabeth Tagg)
Liz Tagg	....	makeup artist (as Elizabeth Tagg)
Petrona Winton	....	additional hair stylist
Petrona Winton	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
James Grant	....	unit manager
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor
Paula McBreen	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonny Benson	....	third assistant director
Fiona Gosden	....	co-second assistant director
Cordelia Hardy	....	first assistant director
Matthew Penry-Davey	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Matt Bacon	....	dressing props (as Matthew Bacon)
Paul Bale	....	stand-by painter
Ian Bee	....	construction team
Pete Blackall	....	additional dressing props (as Peter Blackall)
Matthew Broderick	....	props trainee
Chris Brough	....	construction team
Lindsay Brunnock	....	stand-by art director
Corina Burrough	....	production buyer
Graham Caulfield	....	drapesmaster
David Chettleborough	....	construction team
David Chisholm	....	dressing props
Pat Cronin	....	stand-by rigger
Graham Dale	....	stand-by props (as Graham Alec Dale)
Glyn Evans	....	construction team (as Glynn Evans)
Kimberley Fahey	....	art department trainee: FT2
Colin Gray	....	dressing props
Jane Harwood	....	assistant art director
David Haynes	....	construction team
John Haynes	....	construction team
Tony Hoskins	....	construction team
Dougie Lankston	....	props storeman
Steve Marquis	....	construction team
Alexi Michael	....	construction team
Graham Mitchell	....	construction team
Mitch Niclas	....	chargehand stand-by props
Paul Oakman	....	construction team
John Palmer	....	supervising dressing props
Steve Payne	....	additional dressing props (as Steven Payne)
Dominic Pike	....	construction team
Allen J. Polley	....	property master (as Allen Polley)
Niel Robertson	....	construction team
Matthew Robinson	....	draftsman
Russ Seargeant	....	construction team
Steve Sibley	....	construction team
Leigh Thurbon	....	construction team (as Lee Thurbon)
Andy Tomlinson	....	art department assistant (as Andrew Tomlinson)
Tom Walker	....	stand-by carpenter
Stuart Watson	....	construction manager
Les Wiley	....	construction team

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gianluca Buttari	....	assistant dialogue editor
Colin Cooper	....	adr recordist
Colette Dahanne	....	adr mixer
Steve Finn	....	boom operator
Simon Gershon	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Dan Green	....	adr recordist
Jim Greenhorn	....	sound mixer
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Ben Meechan	....	sound effects editor
Bernard O'Reilly	....	crowd editor
Marcus Oliver	....	assistant dubbing mixer
David Turner	....	sound technical coordinator
Hilary Wyatt	....	supervising dialogue editor
Garry Fiferman	....	sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Andy Burrow	....	scanning manager
James Clarke	....	visual effects
Adam Glasman	....	colorist
Lucinda Keeler	....	data operator: Framestore CFC
Rebecca Manning	....	data operation assistant: Framestore CFC
Christian Manz	....	digital compositor
Claire McGrane	....	digital lab producer
Stephanie Mills	....	compositor
Adam Parry	....	title design
Steve Parsons	....	visual effects
Dave Robinson	....	systems engineer
Nicholas Seal	....	digital compositor
Matina Skouteri	....	digital lab operator
Paul Stamp	....	data operator
Maria Stroka	....	film recording producer
Paola Varvaro	....	digital cleanup artist
Tara Walker	....	digital lab operator
Simon Whalley	....	design producer
Stephen Willey	....	systems engineer
Aubrey Woodiwiss	....	digital clean-up
Doron Zar	....	assistant digital colourist
Jan Hogevold	....	digital grade producer (uncredited)
Jack James	....	online editor (uncredited)
Christopher Page	....	digital cleanup artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Henry Brookes	....	stunt driver
George Cottle	....	stunts
Jim Dowdall	....	stunts
Nigel Hulme	....	stunt driver
Charles Knoll-Jones	....	stunt driver
Annette Lynton	....	stunt double
Annette Lynton	....	stunt driver
Julian Majzub	....	stunt driver
Nick Mason	....	stunt driver
Valentino Musetti	....	stunt coordinator
Steen Young	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Barry Bellotti	....	generator operator
Darren Capper	....	video assist operator
Gary Cross	....	best boy
Gary Cross	....	rigging gaffer
Roy Elston	....	supervising rigger
John Foster	....	focus puller: a-camera
Pat Garrett	....	key grip
Darren Grosch	....	electrician
Dean Kennedy	....	electrician
Giles Keyte	....	still photographer
Steve Langley	....	electrician
Ray Meere	....	clapper loader: b-camera
Miles Proudfoot	....	clapper loader: a-camera
Larry Randall	....	gaffer
Keith Roberts	....	focus puller: b-camera
Lorenzo D. Robinson	....	assistant grip
Philip Sindall	....	camera operator
Shawn White	....	electrician
Keith Roberts	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Elissa Phipps	....	assistant to casting director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Caroline Ede	....	additional costume assistant
Camilla Fiddian-Green	....	assistant costume designer
Alan Flyng	....	wardrobe master
Georgina Gunner	....	costume assistant
Caroline Hume	....	additional costume assistant
Melissa Layton	....	stand-by costume assistant (as Melisa Layton-Skorepa)
Linda Mellin	....	additional costume assistant
Barbara Rutter	....	costume supervisor
Lisa Shanley	....	additional costume assistant
Mike Skorepa	....	stand-by costume assistant (as Michael Skorepa)
Jolyon Way	....	additional costume assistant

Editorial Department
Marcus Alexander	....	digital laboratory editor
Nicola Armstrong	....	post-production coordinator
Marsha Bramwell	....	editor trainee
Heidi Freeman	....	first assistant editor
Ben Renton	....	assistant editor
Jon Thompson	....	post-production consultant
Doron Zar	....	assistant digital colorist

Music Department
Karen Elliott	....	music supervisor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Joan Lane	....	choral supervisor
Gerard McCann	....	music editor
Steve Price	....	music recording engineer
Paul Kegg	....	musician: cello (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael Billimore	....	unit driver
Guy Bostock	....	action vehicle coordinator
Martin Clay	....	driver: facility vehicle
Baron Cullis	....	driver: facility vehicle
Shane Davey	....	production runner driver
Adrian Davies	....	driver: facility vehicle (as Adrian 'Coch' Davies)
Len Furssedonn	....	driver: Stephen Fry
Colin Giffin	....	unit driver
Dean Glenn	....	driver: facility vehicle
Steve Haines	....	driver: facility vehicle
Tom Jenkins	....	driver: stand-by props
Nick Kelly	....	driver: facility vehicle
John Kemp	....	driver: facility vehicle
Mick Peter	....	driver: facility vehicle (as Mick 'Min' Peter)
Steve Rogers	....	transport captain
John Wilson	....	driver: dressing props

Other crew
Kerry Allen	....	assistant: Cordon Bleu
Guy Barker	....	production accountant
Ian Buchan	....	web site designer
Jo Crocker	....	assistant: Stephen Fry
Shane Davey	....	production runner
Claire Eastman	....	choreographer
Michael Eve	....	catering manager
Alex Fuller	....	web site designer
Anne Marie Gormley	....	first assistant accountant
Josh Hyams	....	set runner (as Joshua Hyams)
Ali James	....	location assistant
James Keaton	....	production runner
Alexandra Kosevic	....	production coordinator
Rhys Maitland-Jones	....	sync rushes
Anne Marie Murray	....	first assistant accountant
Heather Noble	....	assistant production coordinator
Melissa Parmenter	....	assistant: Michael Winterbottom & Andrew Eaton for Revolution Films
Annie Penn	....	script supervisor
Laura Phillips	....	marketing and publicity: Revolution Films
David Pinnington	....	location manager
Dan Precious	....	floor runner
David Reynolds	....	chef
Martyn Richmond	....	runner: Revolution Films
Patric Scott	....	unit publicist
Justin Anderson Smith	....	production executive
Gemma Smithers	....	accounts assistant
Polly Taylor	....	head of production: Revolution Films
Harriet Worth	....	set runner
Heather Noble	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Film Consortium, The
• UK Film Council (in association with)
• Visionview Production (in association with) (as Visionview)
• Icon Film Distribution (in association with)
• Revolution Films
• Doubting Hall Limited (as Doubting Hall)

Distributors

• FilmFour (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• RCV Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• THINKFilm (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• EuroVideo (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2007) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Framestore CFC

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne  developed with the support of
• Angels & Bermans  costumes
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Film Finances  completion bond
• Framestore CFC  digital color grading
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• Fujicolor  colour
• Hothouse Music  music supervision by
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Near North Entertainment  insurance
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Ten Tenths  vintage cars (selected scenes)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some drug use

Runtime:

106 min | Canada:105 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | Netherlands:12 | USA:R | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Eltham Palace, Court Road, Eltham, London, England, UK

Company:

Film Consortium, The

Trivia:

Director Stephen Fry commissioned two contemporary songs from The Pet Shop Boys for the movie - a cover version of Noel Coward's "The Party's Over Now" and a Pet Shop Boys-penned title track. The title track was written and recorded but the director elected not to use any Pet Shop Boys' performances, preferring to utilize only period music in the film.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A television aerial can be seen on the right hand rooftops in the external shot of the hotel that Adam and Nina stay at.

Quotes:

Adam Fenwick-Symes:Oh Nina, what a lot of parties... Masked parties, Savage parties, Victorian parties, Greek parties, Wild West parties, Circus parties, parties where you have to dress as somebody else, almost naked parties in St. John's Wood, parties in flats and studios and houses and ships and hotels and nightclubs...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: Episode #2.10" (2002)

Soundtrack:

The Party's Over Now

An Acid Satire With Serious Pretensions

"Bright Young Things" is a mostly effective satire, with some jarring seriousness thrown in, of "Masterpiece Theater" Jazz Age costume dramas for its first seven-eighths.

Set in the same period as "Gosford Park," its conflicts are just within the sexual and financial eccentricities of the empty-headed leisure and wannabe leisure class, where titles don't match income or outflow.

It is more of a visual evocation of Noel Coward songs and incorporates some of his numbers, as well as original sound-alike songs. The frolics have some similarities to the simultaneous Weimar Republic portrayed in "Cabaret."

Stephen Campbell Moore as the protagonist is almost too good in his film debut, as his character's captivatingly serious eyes and demeanor conflict with his insouciant company, particularly Emily Mortimer as his dispassionate lover, though that justifies the stuck-on denouement, that even without having read the Evelyn Waugh book this is adapted from, "Vile Bodies," I can tell didn't have this too neat and comeuppance tying-up.

The most pointed parts of the movie are its acid documentation of the birth of the tabloid gossip press, including Dan Ackroyd as a Canadian press baron with a more than passing resemblance to today's lords of Fleet Street. James McAvoy is very good as a more upper-class betraying precursor to his scandal-seeking scion reporter in the mini-series "State of Play," and manages to seem like a real person, unlike so many of the characters who are just types or plot conveniences.

The production design and costumes are delightful.