Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005)

Director Michael Winterbottom (Northam) attempts to shoot the adaptation of Laurence Sterne's essentially unfilmable novel, "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman."

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writers:

Laurence Sterne (novel), Frank Cottrell Boyce (screenplay) (as Martin Hardy)

Stars:

Steve Coogan, Jeremy Northam, Rob Brydon

2 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Coogan	...	Tristram Shandy / Walter Shandy / Steve Coogan
Rob Brydon	...	Capt. Toby Shandy / Rob Brydon
Keeley Hawes	...	Elizabeth / Keeley Hawes
Shirley Henderson	...	Susannah
Raymond Waring	...	Trim
Conal Murphy	...	Young Tristram Shandy - Age 6
Joe Williams	...	Young Tristram Shandy - Age 9
Paul Kynman	...	Obadiah
Mark Tandy	...	London Doctor
Mary Healey	...	Midwife
Dylan Moran	...	Dr. Slop
Jack Shepherd	...	Surgeon
David Walliams	...	Parson
Jeremy Northam	...	Mark
Benedict Wong	...	Ed

Storyline

Two actors, as their make up is applied, talk about the size of their parts. Then into the film: Laurence Sterne's unfilmable novel, Tristram Shandy, a fictive autobiography wherein the narrator, interrupted constantly, takes the entire story to be born. The film tracks between "Shandy" and behind the scenes. Size matters: parts, egos, shoes, noses. The lead's girlfriend, with their infant son, is up from London for the night, wanting sex; interruptions are constant. Scenes are shot, re-shot, and discarded. The purpose of the project is elusive. Fathers and sons; men and women; cocks and bulls. Life is amorphous, too full and too rich to be captured in one narrative.

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Plot Keywords:

size | infant son | ego | behind the scenes | interruption | 

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Taglines:

He's About To Play The Role Of His Life.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film also features several pieces of music used by Stanley Kubrick in similar situations in Barry Lyndon (namely the Sarabande by Georg Fridrich Händel and traditional British Grenadiers), a film set in about the same location and period.

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Quotes

Walter Shandy: My son is not yet born, and I am already exhausted.

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Crazy Credits

Throughout the closing credits, Rob and Steve talk about how they use techniques of various other actors.

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Alternate Versions

Just as with "In This World," the British DVD features a 1.78:1 transfer of the film. Although the film was shot for release in theaters at 2.35:1, because it was made on DV, the total space of the filmed image was 1.78. The film was masked for theatrical release, as the director intended. However, for DVD release, the film was transferred open matte. Again, like "In This World," only the American DVD respects the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

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Connections

References The Merchant of Venice (2004)

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Soundtracks

The Interview
Written & Performed by Christopher Barnett

User Reviews

Film version of a possibly unfilmable--some might say unreadable--novel

Just saw this at the New York Film Festival, where it was met with the wild enthusiasm and raucous laughter it so fully deserves.

I intentionally avoided reading any reviews before I went, as I was so curious to see how Winterbottom (whose "24-Hour Party People" I had loved) would approach this bear of a book.

The film begins with the two stars getting made-up and chatting about the size of their roles and the color of their teeth (the actors, who appeared with Winterbottom in the post-screening Q&A at the festival, assured the audience that this opening scene, as well as their conversation over the end credits, was completely improvised). The scene shifts to Tristram Shandy beginning the narration of his life with an anecdote about Groucho Marx--and proceeds to go wild from there.

The cast is made up of some of the finest actors in British television--apart from the two leads, Dylan Moran of "Black Books" and David Walliams of "Little Britain" appear, as well as Stephen Fry, Shirley Henderson, and a host of others, including a splendid turn by Keeley Hawes in a role that consists of little more than labor pains and screaming--and one American: Gillian Anderson in a couple of wonderful scenes, one as herself and the other as the Widow Wadman.

As one of the actors observes in the film, Laurence Sterne had written "a post-modern novel before modernism had even been invented," and Winterbottom honors that admirably.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 2006 (UK)

Also Known As:

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story

Filming Locations:

Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norfolk, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP2,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$60,886, 29 January 2006

Gross USA:

$1,253,413

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,931,982

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Baby Cow Productions, EM Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1