Gosford Park (2001)
Coming Out at 26 December 2001 in theaters.
Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Gosford Park is satirical black comedy mystery film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Eileen Atkins, Bob Balaban, Alan Bates, Charles Dance, Stephen Fry, Michael Gambon, Richard E. Grant, Derek Jacobi, Kelly Macdonald, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam, Clive Owen, Ryan Phillippe, Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Emily Watson. The story follows a party of wealthy Britons plus an American producer, and their servants, who gather for a shooting weekend at Gosford Park, an English country house. A murder occurs after a dinner party, and the film goes on to present the subsequent investigation from the servants’ and guests’ perspectives.
Development on Gosford Park began in 1999, when Bob Balaban asked Altman if they could develop a film together. Balaban suggested an Agatha Christie-style whodunit and introduced Altman to Julian Fellowes, with whom Balaban had been working on a different project. The film went into production in March 2001, and began filming at Shepperton Studios with a production budget of $19.8 million. Gosford Park premiered on 7 November 2001 at the London Film Festival. It received a limited release across cinemas in the United States in December 2001, before being widely released in January 2002 by USA Films. It was released in February 2002 in the United Kingdom.
The film was successful at the box office, grossing over $87 million in cinemas worldwide, making it Altman’s second-most successful film after MASH. Widely acclaimed by critics, it received multiple awards and nominations, including seven Academy Awards nominations and nine British Academy Film Awards nominations.
The TV series Downton Abbey – written and created by Fellowes – was originally planned as a spin-off of Gosford Park, but instead was developed as a standalone property inspired by the film, set decades earlier.
Director: Robert Altman
Writers: Julian Fellowes, Robert Altman, Bob Balaban
Stars: Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Camilla Rutherford, Charles Dance, Geraldine Somerville
Cast:
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 |
Stephen Fry | … | Inspector Thompson |
Ron Webster | … | Constable Dexter |
Kelly Macdonald | … | Mary Maceachran |
Clive Owen | … | Robert Parks |
Helen Mirren | … | Mrs. Wilson |
Eileen Atkins | … | Mrs. Croft |
Emily Watson | … | Elsie |
Alan Bates | … | Jennings |
Derek Jacobi | … | Probert |
Richard E. Grant | … | George |
Jeremy Swift | … | Arthur |
Sophie Thompson | … | Dorothy |
Meg Wynn Owen | … | Lewis |
Adrian Scarborough | … | Barnes |
Frances Low | … | Sarah |
Joanna Maude | … | Renee |
Teresa Churcher | … | Bertha |
Sarah Flind | … | Ellen |
Finty Williams | … | Janet |
Emma Buckley | … | May |
Lucy Cohu | … | Lottie |
Laura Harling | … | Ethel |
Tilly Gerrard | … | Maud |
Will Beer | … | Albert |
Leo Bill | … | Jim |
Gregor Henderson-Begg | … | Fred |
John Atterbury | … | Merriman |
Frank Thornton | … | Mr. Burkett |
Ron Puttock | … | Strutt |
Adrian Preater | … | McCordle’s Loader |
John Cox | … | Loaders |
Ken Davies | … | Loaders |
Tony Davies | … | Loaders |
Steve Markham | … | Loaders |
Terry Sturmey | … | Loaders |
Julian Such | … | Loaders |
Alan Bland | … | Beaters |
Peter Champion | … | Beater |
Geoff Double | … | Beaters |
Robin Devereux | … | Beaters |
John Fountain | … | Beaters |
Richard Gamble | … | Beaters |
Brian Rumsey | … | Beaters |
George Sherman | … | Beaters |
Widget | … | Pip the Dog |
Natalie Danks-Smith | … | American Actress |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia