Four Weddings and a Funeral
Year: 1994
Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Hugh Grant , Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas , Simon Callow, James Flett, David Bower, Charlotte Coleman, John Hannah, Anna Chancellor, Robert Lang, Jeremy Kemp, Rosalie Crutchley, Rowan Atkinson .
Set Locations:
Southern England: The Crown Hotel in Amersham, Buckinghamshire was used for the love scene and Betchworth Church in Surrey for one of the weddings.
London: The Royal Naval College at Greenwich and the 'how many lovers?' conversation was held in the Cafe Rouge in Covent Garden. (*Also the mad rush to the first wedding took place around Highbury Corner!!)
Four Weddings and a Funeral was released in 1994 and soon became the most successful film in British film history in terms of gross receipts at the time. This success was somewhat unexpected and marked the beginning of a very prosperous phase in director Richard Curtis's career. Hugh Grant starred in many of Curtis's films during this period and was, no doubt, a major reason for the success. By the same token, this series of films helped to establish Hugh Grant as one of the leading male actors of the era.
Hugh plays Charles, a well spoken Englishman who falls for a beautiful American woman called Carrie, played by Andie MacDowell. The two meet at the first of the weddings and end up sleeping together. At first they regard this as a one night stand. However, after repeatedly meeting at weddings (and a funeral), the relationship between the two slowly develops. Carrie, however, announces that she is to marry a wealthy Scottish politician and Charles attends the wedding in a somewhat depressed state. Shortly after, the fourth of the weddings is for Charles himself. He is marrying Henrietta, one of the friends that feature throughout the film, but the wedding is not completed. Charles' deaf brother uses sign language to say that Charles does not love Henrietta and is promptly punched by Charles. This causes an abrupt halt to the wedding. Carrie then splits from her husband and finally gets together with Charles, after the couple agree never to marry.
The locations in the film apparently wander the length and breadth of the land from Scotland down to Somerset. The truth, however, is that the film was entirely made at locations in London and the Home Counties. Hugh Grant's flat is in Highbury, North London. The first wedding is held at Betchworth, near Reigate in Surrey, although it is supposed to be in Stoke Clandon in Somerset. The reception is held in Hertfordshire , at Goldingtons; a private house set in 52 acres of beautiful countryside.
The 'Jolly Boatman' pub is actually two different pubs. The exterior is that of the Kings Arms at Amersham, whilst the interior is The Crown , also at Amersham. The second wedding takes place at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, known as St Mary of the Fields, Cripplegate in the film. The off-set future of the naval college is in doubt, although it remains open to the public.
Also featured are Luton Hoo (then a stately home near Luton), Mansion at Albury Park (near Guildford) and Rotherfield Park, East Tisted (near Alton in Hampshire).
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