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:

Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Richard McCabe

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 11 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:

fake reporter | paparazzi | united kingdom | england | peugeot | 

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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:

Notting Hill

Filming Locations:

280 Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£152,532 (United Kingdom), 23 May 1999, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,689,760, 30 May 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$116,089,678

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$363,889,678

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:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Richard Curtis, Anna Scott was a hybrid of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

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Goofs

When William initially walks into his bookstore after he takes the mail from Martin, on the bookcase he approaches to his right we see close-up some of the books on three shelves, one of which says 'Siberia', and also the two small posters, the bottom says 'Mukiwa' and the top says 'Lonely Planet', tacked to the side of this bookcase. When Anna browses that same bookcase, she looks at the book 'My Turkish Delights'. The books that are on the shelves of the bookcase, and only the top poster that is tacked to the side are now completely different.

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Quotes

Anna Scott: What's so annoying is now I'm so totally fierce when it comes to nudity clauses.
William: You have clauses in your contract?
Anna Scott: Yeah. "you may show the dent at the top of the artist's buttocks, but neither cheek or if a stunt bottom is being used, artists must have full consultation".
William: You have a stunt bottom?
Anna Scott: I *could* have a stunt bottom, yes.
William: Are people tempted to go for better bottoms than their own?
Anna Scott: Well yeah, I would. This is important stuff.
William: Hell of a thing to put on your passport, Occupation "Mel ...
[...]

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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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Alternate Versions

In the ABC airing, Spike's T-shirt to wear on his date with 'The Great Janine' says 'Let's Have Sex NOW!'. In the theatrical version the T-shirt says 'Fancy a Fuck?'. Also, some partial nudity is digitally covered.

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Connections

Referenced in Jersey Girl (2004)

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Soundtracks

SHE
Written by Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer
Performed by Elvis Costello
Courtesy of Mercury Records

User Reviews

Warm, charming and pleasant

This film was surprisingly good, not my favourite romantic comedy in the world, and personally I think Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral are better. But it is a good film, thanks to the strong performances, fresh script and the film's look. While not laugh out loud funny, Notting Hill is nonetheless warm and charming. The script is fresh, sometimes funny, sometimes insightful. The part where Anna says "I am just a girl, standing in front of a boy, waiting for him to love her", may be cringe worthy to some people, but for me no matter how clichéd it is it shows a vulnerable side to Anna's character. The film is based on love revolved around unequal social standing, William being diffident and unsuccessful, Anna being the complete opposite. The photography is fabulous and the direction is excellent. Hugh Grant is charming as William and Julia Roberts is positively luminous as Anna, and the two have strong chemistry. Out of the supporting performers, Rhys Ifans stands out in a very zany turn as Spike. The music is lovely too. All in all, this is very warm, charming and pleasant, yeah the ending is predictable, but this is a well written and quite irresistible film. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox