Gosford Park (2001)

The lives of upstairs guests and downstairs servants at a party in 1932 in a country house in England as they investigate a murder involving one of them.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Julian Fellowes, Robert Altman (based upon an idea by)

Stars:

Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe, Michael Gambon

Won 1 Oscar. Another 32 wins & 73 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maggie Smith	...	Constance Trentham
Michael Gambon	...	William McCordle
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Sylvia McCordle
Camilla Rutherford	...	Isobel McCordle
Charles Dance	...	Raymond Stockbridge
Geraldine Somerville	...	Louisa Stockbridge
Tom Hollander	...	Anthony Meredith
Natasha Wightman	...	Lavinia Meredith
Jeremy Northam	...	Ivor Novello
Bob Balaban	...	Morris Weissman
James Wilby	...	Freddie Nesbitt
Claudie Blakley	...	Mabel Nesbitt
Laurence Fox	...	Rupert Standish
Trent Ford	...	Jeremy Blond
Ryan Phillippe	...	Henry Denton

Storyline

Set in the 1930s, the story takes place in an old-fashioned English country house where a weekend shooting party is underway. The story centers on the McCordle family, particularly the man of the house, William McCordle. Getting on in years, William has become benefactor to many of his relatives and friends. As the weekend goes on, secrets are revealed, and it seems everyone, above stairs and below, wants a piece of William and his money, but how far will they go to get it?

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Plot Keywords:

england | murder | servant | shooting party | country house | 

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Taglines:

Tea At Four. Dinner At Eight. Murder At Midnight.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and brief sexuality

Details

Country:

UK USA Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Госфорд Парк

Filming Locations:

Ston Easton Park, Somerset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$19,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$395,162, 30 December 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$41,308,615, 6 June 2002

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$87,754,044, 6 June 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

USA Films, Capitol Films, Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the documentary Altman (2014), it is stated that Robert Altman was unable to fund this movie, even with most major stars not being paid and lining up to work with him. Eventually, he said he won the lottery when the British Lottery funded this movie.

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Goofs

When Mable informs Lady Trentham that she doesn't have a lady's maid, Mr. Nesbit lays his tea cup and saucer on the mantel. After the scene cut, when Lady Sylvia joins the group at the table, Freddy again places his cup and saucer on the mantel. In the same cut, a tea cup in the hands of Lady Trentham suddenly appears.

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Quotes

Mary Maceachran: They said Sir William was planning to cut Lady Sylvia out of his will in favour of Miss Isobel.
Constance, Countess of Trentham: That's nothing. In the new will, Sir William left Lady Stockbridge 100,000 pounds. Sylvia thinks it's a huge joke, especially since she won't have to pay it.

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Crazy Credits

Location filming at Syon House by kind permission of His Grace The Duke of Northumberland.

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Connections

References The Shooting Party (1985)

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Soundtracks

And Her Mother Came Too
(1921)
Sung by Jeremy Northam
Music by Ivor Novello
Lyrics by Dion Titheradge
© Ascherberg Hopwood & Crew Limited
By kind permission of Warner/Chappell Music Ltd.

User Reviews

Right said Bob!

Robert Altman's long, fragmented and very hit-or-miss career reaches another of his periodic highs with this clever and beautifully realised dissection of the English class system and skit on the classic Agatha Christie whonunnit.

Altman's preferences for kaleidoscopic social observation has sometimes failed in the past due to the weight of its own ambition: multi-plotted and multi-charactered snapshots of time and place held together by loose ties or a general thematic framework. Sometimes it pays off spectacularly (Nashville); sometimes it flatters to deceive (Short Cuts).

It works well here due to the necessary discipline of the single location and the greater opportunities for interaction among the characters this affords. Add to that an exemplary cast of (mostly) British character actors and a knowing script by Julian Fellowes that gives Altman's keenly observant camera plenty of time to make its own points.

Rightly, Altman is less concerned with the murder mystery, which is almost an aside, than with the opportunity given by a shooting party at a 1930s stately mansion to observe the English aristocracy and their servants in social interaction.

Never happier than when involved in a bit of human anthropology, Altman lightly dissects the complexities and hierarchies which go on both above and below stairs; in which many subtle and unsubtle rituals are played out among groups of people who clearly dislike each other but are forced through circumstance, need or employment to observe the fundamental social practices required.

1932 is also a time of intruding change into the nature of the old English ruling classes, slowly disintegrating in this between-wars period and, in this case, largely reliant on the wealth of one particularly reluctant patron to keep them in furs and flunkies. In on this act comes the (to them) faintly odious whiff of 20th century new money, represented by Hollywood and popular culture. These intruders are kept in their place, but the message is clear - change is coming, and coming fast.

The muted colours and autumnal setting continue this theme of a world in terminal decline and of a group of characters keenly conscious of place and tradition yet also wearied and exhausted by it. Only at the very end, when fundamental change has occurred and many characters are left to face up to very different destinies do we see a bit of sunshine creeping in, heralding the dawn of a new era.

The cast are all excellent, with special mention deserving of Maggie Smith's effortless scene stealing as a bitchy but broke old Countess; the ever reliable Jeremy Northam as matinee idol Ivor Novello, well aware of his place in the great scheme of things and young Kelly Macdonald in the pivotal role of Smith's harassed maid who's inquisitiveness rattles a whole load of family skeletons.