An Awfully Big Adventure

1995
R
1h 52m

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and Georgina Cates in An Awfully Big Adventure (1995)

Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Play trailer1:59

1 Video

63 Photos

Dark Comedy Period Drama Comedy Drama Romance

Set right after World War II, a naive teenage girl joins a shabby theatre troupe in Liverpool. During a winter production of Peter Pan, the play quickly turns into a dark metaphor for youth ... Read allSet right after World War II, a naive teenage girl joins a shabby theatre troupe in Liverpool. During a winter production of Peter Pan, the play quickly turns into a dark metaphor for youth as she becomes drawn into a web of sexual politics and intrigue.Set right after World War II, a naive teenage girl joins a shabby theatre troupe in Liverpool. During a winter production of Peter Pan, the play quickly turns into a dark metaphor for youth as she becomes drawn into a web of sexual politics and intrigue.

Director
- Mike Newell
Writers
- Beryl Bainbridge
- Charles Wood
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Mike Newell
Writers
- Beryl Bainbridge
- Charles Wood
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 1:59

An Awfully Big Adventure

Photos63

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Alan Rickman was reportedly upset to find out that Georgina Cates had lied about her age (she was 19 at the time of filming but stated she was only 16) in order to land the role of Stella. He had gone out of his way to be extremely gentle around her during their intimate scenes because of her perceived age.

Goofs
When O'Hara is running down the wharf in 1947, there is a modern car carrier (ship) in the background.

Quotes
P.L. O'Hara: There have been times when I was close to death. I knew it... felt it... and what I thought was, "I have a son, and it will not be the end of me." But it is.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Clueless/An Awfully Big Adventure/Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home/Living in Oblivion/Bandit Queen (1995)

User reviews33

Featured review

Weird but Insightful Glimpse into Repertory Companies in England

A comedy, this is NOT!!!! Not unless you call alcoholism, incest and sexual harassment funny!!! Both Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant do extremely good jobs portraying the powerful who prey on the young and innocent. This girl, however, happens to be practically psycho from the abandonment she suffered as a child, talking into a telephone with no one but the recorded time on the other end of the line.

The sad lives of roving actors in repertory companies of the 40s-50s is heart-rendingly portrayed by some pretty good actors. I have no idea how it was rated, but its subject matter is so unusual, the photography so striking, that I highly recommend it. If you are a Hugh Grant as ladies' man fan, this may put you off. If you are an Alan Rickman fan, you'll love the sex scenes....even if you're shocked later.

If you have any children whom you DO NOT want to go into acting, see this one with them. I loved the shots of Dublin, where it was filmed...even though it's set in Liverpool. Be prepared to be puzzled first time through. It took me two showings to figure it out.