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 35 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, Sir William McCordle (Sir Michael Gambon). Getting on in years, William has become a benefactor to many of his relatives and friends. As the weekend goes on, secrets are revealed, and it seems that 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:

USA UK Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gosford Park

Filming Locations:

Ston Easton Park, Somerset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$19,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$241,219, 30 December 2001

Gross USA:

$41,308,615

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$87,754,044

Company Credits

Production Co:

USA Films, Capitol Films, Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (Digital DTS Sound) Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dame Eileen Atkins (Mrs. Croft) was co-creator (with Jean Marsh) of the classic British drama series Upstairs, Downstairs (1971). The movie also features Meg Wynn Owen, who starred in the series from 1973-1975.

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Goofs

At the beginning, Lady Trentham jumps closer to the car between shots just before she gets in.

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Quotes

Lord Stockbridge: [to Commander Meredith] When a man's as short as you are, it must be difficult to gauge the height of the birds.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits it says that the real Ivor Novello never took part in the fictional events portrayed in the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Top Gear: Episode #8.5 (2006)

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Soundtracks

The Way It's Meant to Be
(2001)
Sung by Abigail Doyle
Music by Patrick Doyle
Lyrics by Robert Altman & Abigail Doyle
© Air-Edel Associates Ltd.
By kind permission of Air-Edel Associates Ltd.

User Reviews

One of the best films I have ever seen

This film was captivating from beginning to end. The exemplary performances by a veritable who's who would certainly be enough, but the film is a complete package. Altman's impeccable directing knits this amazing cast into a true ensemble. The best of British cinema did the film for scale, and sat around on long shooting days because they wanted to. Add to this a realistic and beautiful English setting and a complex, riveting story, and you have a film that can't miss. Anyone who doesn't enjoy this movie should stick to low budget thrillers and cheap summer teenage trifles, because this is a film for those who can understand plot, character, and the human condition. BackStage West gave it Best Ensemble Cast. Highly recommended.