The Rachel Papers (1989)

Charles is in control of his life; he is about to finish 6th form college and start at Oxford. He is 19 and wants an 'older' woman before he turns 20. Enter the beautiful Rachel, and ... See full summary »

Director:

Damian Harris

Writers:

Damian Harris, Martin Amis (novel)

Stars:

Dexter Fletcher, Ione Skye, Jonathan Pryce

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dexter Fletcher	...	Charles Highway
Ione Skye	...	Rachel Noyce
Jonathan Pryce	...	Norman
James Spader	...	Deforest
Bill Paterson	...	Gordon Highway
Michael Gambon	...	Doctor Knowd
Lesley Sharp	...	Jenny
Jared Harris	...	Geoff
Aubrey Morris	...	Sir Herbert
Claire Skinner	...	Gloria
Nicola Kimber	...	Vanessa Reynolds
Shirley Anne Field	...	Mrs. Seth Smith
Pat Keen	...	Mrs. Tauber
Amanda De Cadenet	...	Cathy
Gina McKee	...	Evonne

Storyline

Charles is in control of his life; he is about to finish 6th form college and start at Oxford. He is 19 and wants an 'older' woman before he turns 20. Enter the beautiful Rachel, and Charles puts his 'master-of-seduction' routines into top gear. Things however get complicated, Charles has a string of ex's and a weird brother-in-law. Rachel has a boyfriend named Deforest and Charles' father has a mistress.

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Plot Keywords:

independent film | infatuation | woman in bathtub | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | nipples | 

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Taglines:

She's curious, he's nervous.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Er? Will! Sie Nicht?

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$201,468

Company Credits

Production Co:

Initial Film and Television, Longfellow Pictures, Virgin

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Agfacolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a scene towards the end in which Ione Skye, as Rachel, is seen through an aquarium. This was obviously the inspiration for the iconic romantic scene featuring Claire Danes as Juliet in Romeo + Juliet (1996) seven years later.

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Quotes

Charles Highway: Well, that's crap. Who's ever got time to act natural with a girl?

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Alternate Versions

The 2003 R1 DVD release features an extended version of the "Electric Moon" love scene which is more explicit than the version on the VHS release.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Sea of Love/True Love/The Big Picture/Shirley Valentine/The Rachel Papers (1989)

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Soundtracks

TEARS
Performed by Frankie Knuckles
Courtesy of London Records

User Reviews

good, but could have been much better

The first film to be adapted from a Martin Amis novel, this cute film stars Dexter Fletcher as Charles Highway, a super-suave young man studying for his Oxford entrance exams. At a nightclub, he spots Rachel Noyce, played by Ione Skye, and he spends the majority of the film trying to pry her away from her beau. The main problem with this film is that Highway is played too much like Ferris Bueller-he even monologues directly to the camera. The novel's very bleak ending was toned down a bit, and the title is a little misleading, as all of his "female papers" are actually composed on a computer in the film. Jonathan Pryce is hilarious in his fleeting scenes.