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

Mike Newell was approached but rejected it to work on Pushing Tin (1999). He said that in commercial terms he had made the wrong decision, but did not regret it. He had previously directed Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), which was also written by Richard Curtis and also starred Hugh Grant.

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Goofs

When William confronts the crude men in the restaurant, the mic can be seen above the men's table briefly.

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Quotes

Anna Scott: What do you think?
William: Gripping. It's not Jane Austen, it's not Henry James but it's gripping.
Anna Scott: You think I should do Henry James?
William: I think you'd be wonderful in Henry James but this writer - writers, they're pretty good too.
Anna Scott: You never get anyone in "Wings of a Dove" saying "Inform the Pentagon we need black star cover!"
William: And for me the book is the poorer for it.

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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 30 Rock: The Ones (2009)

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Soundtracks

HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART
Written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb
Performed by Al Green
Courtesy of Gibb Brothers Music, administered by BMG Music Publishing Ltd
Courtesy of Cream/Hi Records Inc.
Licensed from Crimson Productions Ltd.

User Reviews

Sweet Film

Notting Hill proves one thing -- jokes lie in the oddest places. This film is an excellent vehicle for Julia Roberts to put her own life as an actress under the microscope. While Roberts' "Anna Scott" character isn't an autobiographical figure, the Scott character allows for some biting satire at the life of Roberts herself. Need I mention some excellent one liners in the film like the sister of Hugh Grant... "I feel like we are sisters", an excellent throw-back to "My Best Friend's Wedding"... or my favourite, a discussion about nude body doubles just before a nude Julia Roberts (or a Julia Roberts body double) crosses the screen.

Apart from the small bit of satire, Grant's character plays on the emotions of every guy who has ever unexplainably fell in to, threw orange juice-on, lost out on, and fell back in to love. Roberts character can only help us understand how such a relationship as the one her and Grant share in the movie, could be "Surreal, but nice."

A sweet film surely not to be missed!