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American Friends

  • 1991
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
937
YOUR RATING
Trini Alvarado, Michael Palin, and Connie Booth in American Friends (1991)
Reverend Francis Ashby, a senior Oxford don on vacation alone in the Alps, meets vacationing American Miss Caroline Hartley and her companion Miss Elinor Hartley, the blossoming Irish-American girl she adopted many years before. Ashby finds he enjoys their company, particularly that of Elinor, and both of the women are drawn to him. Back at Oxford he is nevertheless taken aback when they arrive unannounced. Women are not allowed in the College grounds, let alone the rooms. Indeed any liaison, however innocent, is frowned on by the upstanding Fellows.
Play trailer2:12
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Costume DramaComedyDramaRomance

Reverend Francis Ashby (Sir Michael Palin), a senior Oxford don on vacation alone in the Alps, meets vacationing American Miss Caroline Hartley (Connie Booth) and her companion Miss Elinor H... Read allReverend Francis Ashby (Sir Michael Palin), a senior Oxford don on vacation alone in the Alps, meets vacationing American Miss Caroline Hartley (Connie Booth) and her companion Miss Elinor Hartley (Trini Alvarado), the blossoming Irish-American girl she adopted many years before.... Read allReverend Francis Ashby (Sir Michael Palin), a senior Oxford don on vacation alone in the Alps, meets vacationing American Miss Caroline Hartley (Connie Booth) and her companion Miss Elinor Hartley (Trini Alvarado), the blossoming Irish-American girl she adopted many years before. Ashby finds he enjoys their company, particularly that of Elinor, and both of the women a... Read all

  • Director
    • Tristram Powell
  • Writers
    • Michael Palin
    • Tristram Powell
  • Stars
    • Bryan Pringle
    • Fred Pearson
    • Michael Palin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    937
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Tristram Powell
    • Writers
      • Michael Palin
      • Tristram Powell
    • Stars
      • Bryan Pringle
      • Fred Pearson
      • Michael Palin
    • 15User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:12
    Trailer

    Photos6

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Bryan Pringle
    Bryan Pringle
    • Haskell
    Fred Pearson
    Fred Pearson
    • Hapgood
    Michael Palin
    Michael Palin
    • Reverend Francis Ashby
    Alfred Molina
    Alfred Molina
    • Oliver Syme
    Susan Denaker
    Susan Denaker
    • Mrs. Cantrell
    Jonathan Firth
    Jonathan Firth
    • Cable
    Ian Dunn
    Ian Dunn
    • Gowers
    Robert Eddison
    Robert Eddison
    • Rushden - The President
    David Calder
    David Calder
    • Pollitt
    Simon Jones
    Simon Jones
    • Anderson
    Charles McKeown
    Charles McKeown
    • Maynard
    Roger Lloyd Pack
    Roger Lloyd Pack
    • Dr. Butler
    • (as Roger Lloyd-Pack)
    John Nettleton
    John Nettleton
    • Groves
    Trini Alvarado
    Trini Alvarado
    • Miss Elinor Hartley
    Connie Booth
    Connie Booth
    • Miss Caroline Hartley
    Alun Armstrong
    Alun Armstrong
    • Dr. Weeks
    Sheila Reid
    Sheila Reid
    • Mrs. Weeks
    Edward Rawle-Hicks
    • John Weeks
    • Director
      • Tristram Powell
    • Writers
      • Michael Palin
      • Tristram Powell
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    6.4937
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    Featured reviews

    9Sophie-18

    A well-made, worthwhile film.

    This film, based on the journals of Michael Palin's great-grandfather, is of course humorous, but also teaches a valuable lesson. The script is fantastic, the camera work is beautiful, the acting is superb, and the story, while entertaining, is also quite deep. A must-see for anyone looking for a good film.
    6paul2001sw-1

    The view from college

    Set about one hundred years ago, in Europe and England, this tale of repressed love initially feels like a re-working of 'A Room with a View', with the list of who fell for whom slightly re-arranged. But its portrait of Victorian England seems deliberately exaggerated: a woman can't speak to a college fellow without ruining his reputation, it seems, or talk to a man after dark without being arrested as a whore. Yet there's a charm here that grows on you, in spite of its obviousness. What is perhaps a shame is the missed opportunity presented by the fact that there hero's opponent (in a college election) is an advocate of evolution, which by implication the hero opposes: but the film does not force its favourite to defend his creed. I liked odd bits of casting: Alfred Molina playing sexy, for example, and Roger Lloyd-Peck (Trigger in 'Only Fools and Horses') playing posh. But the script itself, though cute, could have done with some of the same originality.
    6SnoopyStyle

    really needs a woman's touch

    It's 1861 Rev Francis Ashby (Michael Palin) is a senior Oxford teacher holidaying alone in the Alps. He meets the American family Hartleys. Young Elinor (Trini Alvarado) is especially taken with Mr Ashby. None of the teachers are allowed to marry. When Elinor and Caroline Hartley surprise him arriving at Oxford, they aren't even allowed to stay on the College grounds. Oliver Syme (Alfred Molina) is a scheming new-thinker, and becomes a challenger to the morally unblemished Ashby for the post of College President.

    Michael Palin wrote the story, and probably has taken great personal stakes in this movie. It seems that much effort has been put into maintaining the authenticity in the relationship between the sexes. The monastic feel of college life can be a very trying watch. It's very stale and not very exciting. Even a great debate sound dry and uninteresting.

    The woman's touch allows the movie to gain a bit of color. Michael Palin is painfully reserved. There is an intense love story amidst the sexual repression to be had, but the pacing is so slow that it never gains the energy to lift off. Palin and Alvarado need more time together. The movie gains some altitude when they are hiding in his room. However the emphasis keeps being pushed to the developing scandal rather than the developing romance. Instead of a love story, it's a story of propriety.
    7lquick

    A wonderfully subtle look at love in period costumes

    A lovely, thoughtful look at love between a professor and a young woman. Has a nice sense of period without stuffiness or artifice, good humorous observations, nice subtle acting. A great alternative to those overstuffed, melodramatic Merchant-Ivory type films. Also check out Palin's "The Missionary"; it's a little more broad but quite funny, and Maggie Smith is a treasure.
    bob the moo

    A sensitive and well-judged period drama from Palin

    Rev Francis Ashby is a bookish and retiring don at Oxford who reluctantly gives in to his colleagues insistences that he go for a holiday. Enjoying the peace and quiet in the Alps he is initially disturbed by the arrival of a group including an American woman (Caroline) and her teenager ward (Elinor). However, acting as their guide when the rest of the group returns to the lodgings, Ashby starts to fall for the darling Elinor but, after slight bonding, he is called back immediately due to the failing health of the college president. When his American friends come to Oxford to visit, their arrival throws the college into a tizzy and he finds himself in competition with others for not only the role of president but also for the hearts of his friends.

    Watching this film for the third time since its release in the early nineties I decided to review it and, looking at the title page was astonished (yes, really) to see that only 106 people have voted on it. I know this is not a total representation of how many people have actually seen it but I was surprised how such a well-known film appears to be underseen (although it may say more about the demographics of those that use this site most). This is not to imply that it is an excellent film but it is a well paced film that is enjoyable on its own terms. For those expecting great sentiment you will be let down, likewise those expecting a Merchant Ivory film, or a very comic film but those open to a nicely sensitive little tale that is slightly comic but more enjoyable for being restraining and being very true to the Englishness of its subjects and the polite behaviour of the period.

    Based on his own grandfather's diaries, Palin has done a good job as both writer and director to capture the period and deal with the subject in a way that is unshowy but not stale, sensitive and patient but never dull and comic without ever being so crude as to actually make you laugh out loud. It isn't fantastic of course but it is nicely lowkey and it is enjoyable for what it is. As actor Palin continues this good work and he delivers a very restrained and shy performance – even more amazing when you think this is a Python! Booth and Alvarado are both very attractive and restrained at the same time and effective if not memorable. Molina, currently playing a superhero baddie, plays a 'baddie' of another sort here and he pitches his character well to be dastardly while still keeping within the period. Support from Jones, Firth, Eddison and others is good and they all keep to the period and the material yet.

    Overall this is not an amazing film or even a really good one, but what it is is a well written period drama that is delivered well enough to prevent it being dull and it comes over as a nice little film that is pleasing to watch even if it never sets the screen on fire. An undervalued little drama that is a well handled, very personal film from Palin who does very well in all three of his roles.

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Sir Michael Palin says that the plot was taken from a real-life incident involving his great-grandfather.
    • Soundtracks
      Schumann Lieder [Opus 25]
      Written by Robert Schumann

      Sung by Susan Denaker

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    FAQ18

    • How long is American Friends?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 8, 1992 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Американські друзі
    • Filming locations
      • Kanton Wallis, Switzerland
    • Production companies
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • British Screen Productions
      • Mayday
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $23,034
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,334
      • Apr 11, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $23,034
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 35m(95 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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