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Jan 1, 2002 · The classic country house murder story begins with perfect order, in which everyone up and down the class ladder fits securely into his or her place--until murder disrupts that order, and discloses unexpected connections between the classes.
Synopsis. In November 1932, wealthy English industrialist Sir William McCordle, his wife Lady Sylvia, and their daughter Isobel host a weekend shooting party at their country estate, Gosford Park.
- Plot
- Characters and Cast
- Themes
- Production
- Release
- Reception
- Notes and References
In 1932, wealthy industrialist Sir William McCordle, his wife Lady Sylvia, and their daughter Isobel hold a shooting party at their country estate, Gosford Park. The guests include: Sylvia's sisters Louisa and Lavinia, and their husbands Lord (Raymond) Stockbridge and Commander Anthony Meredith; her aunt Constance, Countess of Trentham; the Hon. Fr...
Above stairs
1. Michael Gambonas Sir William McCordle, a wealthy industrialist and baronet 2. Kristin Scott Thomasas Lady Sylvia McCordle, Sir William's wife, daughter of the Earl of Carton, an old but impoverished family 3. Camilla Rutherfordas Isobel McCordle, daughter of Sir William and Lady Sylvia 4. Maggie Smithas Constance, Dowager Countess of Trentham, Lady Sylvia's aunt 5. Charles Danceas Raymond, Lord Stockbridge, Lady Sylvia's brother-in-law, married to Louisa 6. Geraldine Somervilleas Louisa, L...
Below stairs
1. Kelly Macdonaldas Mary Maceachran, lady's maid to Countess of Trentham. 2. Clive Owen as Robert Parks, Lord Stockbridge's valet, grew up in an orphanage in Isleworth, London 3. Helen Mirren as Mrs Wilson, housekeeper 4. Eileen Atkinsas Mrs Croft, the cook 5. Alan Batesas Mr Jennings, butler 6. Emily Watsonas Elsie, head-housemaid, Sir William's mistress 7. Derek Jacobias Probert, Sir William's valet 8. Richard E. Grantas George, first footman 9. Jeremy Swiftas Arthur, footman 10. Sophie Th...
Visitors
1. Stephen Fry as Inspector Thompson 2. Ron Webster as Constable Dexter
The film is a study of the British class system during the 1930s; Stephen Fry, Inspector Thompson in the film, says that it shows the upper class's dependency on a servant class. A number of secondary themes are also explored. For example, the film takes a subtle look at sexual mores during the 1930s. As it is set in 1932, between the world wars, t...
Development and writing
In 1999, Bob Balaban asked Robert Altman if there were something they could develop together, and Altman suggested a whodunit. Altman wanted to create an Agatha Christielike country house murder mystery that explored that way of life; he called the film a "classic situation: all suspects under one roof". Altman was also inspired by the 1930s films, The Rules of the Game and Charlie Chan in London. Altman chose British actor and writer Julian Fellowes to write the screenplay, because Fellowes...
Casting
In Gosford Park, as in many of his other films, Altman had a list of actors he intended to appear in the film before it was cast formally. The film's casting director was Mary Selway, whom producer David Levy described as knowing many British actors. Very few actors who were offered parts did not end up in the film. Jude Law dropped out of the production just before the shoot began, and he was replaced by Ryan Phillippe. Kenneth Branagh and Robert Bathurst were both tied down by scheduling co...
Filming and editing
Filming was conducted at Wrotham Park for the exteriors, staircase, dining room and drawing room, and Syon House for the upstairs bedrooms. The opening sequence outside Lady Trentham's home was shot at Hall Barn, near Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, whose grounds were also used as the scene for lunch after the shoot. Sound stages were built to film the scenes of the manor's downstairs area. Shepperton Studioswas used for off-location filming. The film was shot with two cameras, both moving per...
Premiere and theatrical release
Gosford Park premiered on 7 November 2001 at the London Film Festival. The film then received a limited release across cinemas in the United States on 26 December 2001, before being widely released in January 2002 by USA Films.It was released on 1 February 2002 in the United Kingdom.
Home media
The VHS and region 1 DVD of Gosford Park were released on June 25, 2002 by Universal Studios Home Video, with the region 2 release on December 3, 2002. The critic Ed Gonzalez reviewed the DVD negatively, calling the picture quality "atrocious on the small screen", going on to say that "the image quality of this video transfer is downright lousy from start to finish." However, reviewer Robert Mack generally wrote favourably of the picture quality, noting excellence in the shots' detail and sha...
Box office
In its limited release opening weekend, the film grossed $241,219, hitting No. 23 in the box office that weekend. In its wide release, it grossed $3,395,759; by the end of its run on 6 June 2002, Gosford Park grossed $41,308,615 in the domestic box office and a worldwide total of $87,754,044. With that final total, Gosford Park became Altman's second-most successful film at the box office after his 1970 film M*A*S*H.
Critical response
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 87% of 161 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "A mixture of Upstairs, Downstairs; Clue; and perceptive social commentary, Gosford Park ranks among director Altman's best." Metacriticassigned the film a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim." Roger Ebert awarded it his four out of four stars, describing the story...
Accolades and awards
See main article: List of accolades received by Gosford Park. Gosford Park was nominated for 61 different awards following its release, winning 25 of them. There were seven nominations for Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director, both of which it lost to A Beautiful Mind); Fellowes won the Best Original Screenplay. At the 55th British Academy Film Awards, the film was nominated for nine British Academy awards, winning Best British Film and Best Costume Design (Jenny Beavan)....
Web site: Gosford Park (2001). Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. 7 August 2010.News: Robert Altman's career in films. 22 November 2006. BBC News. BBC. 7 August 2010.Web site: What's The Big Deal?: The Rules of the Game (1939). Snider. Eric. 29 March 2010. MTV. 1 January 2022.. Downton Abbey Revisited . November 25, 2012.Jan 4, 2002 · Set in 1932 at an English estate, Gosford Park, the film is a delightful mixture of the BBC TV series "Upstairs, Downstairs" and the murder mystery board game Clue. The film opens with the ...
Robert Altman's film ''Gosford Park'' is a melt-in-your-mouth hunk of 12-layer English spice cake that will appeal to anyone who feels a nostalgic pang for the long-running British television...
Gosford Park: Directed by Robert Altman. With Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Camilla Rutherford. Set in the 1930s, a group of pretentious rich and famous get together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, each one of these interesting characters becomes a suspect.
Dec 26, 2001 · Summary This ensemble murder mystery satire, set in 1930's England, revolves around an elegant hunting party weekend at a country estate, featuring an aristocratic family and their friends. Comedy. Drama. Mystery. Directed By: Robert Altman. Written By: Julian Fellowes, Robert Altman, Bob Balaban. Gosford Park.
