Wonderland (1999)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writer:

Laurence Coriat (writer)

Release Date:

21 August 1999 (Taiwan)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Everybody's looking for something.

Plot:

There's little wonder in the working-class lives of Bill, Eileen, and their three grown daughters. They're lonely Londoners...

Plot Keywords:

Working Class | Guy Fawkes Day | Marital Relations | Contact Ad | Family Relationships

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Shirley Henderson	...	Debbie
Gina McKee	...	Nadia
Molly Parker	...	Molly
Ian Hart	...	Dan
John Simm	...	Eddie
Stuart Townsend	...	Tim
Kika Markham	...	Eileen
Jack Shepherd	...	Bill
Enzo Cilenti	...	Darren
Sarah-Jane Potts	...	Melanie
David Fahm	...	Franklyn
Ellen Thomas	...	Donna
Peter Marfleet	...	Jack
Nathan Constance	...	Alex
Anton Saunders	...	Danny
Abby Ford	...	Nurse
Michelle Jolly	...	Midwife
Rebecca Lenkiewiez	...	Policewoman (as Rebecca Lenkiewicz)
Vanessa Pratt	...	Kelly
Mark Sproston	...	Rupert
Michael Hodgson	...	Kitchen Shop Father
Emma Sear	...	Kitchen Shop Mother
Megan Sear	...	Kitchen Shop Baby
Nuno Vaz	...	Portuguese Neighbour

Directed by
Michael Winterbottom

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Laurence Coriat		writer

Produced by
Michele Camarda	....	co-producer
Gina Carter	....	co-producer
Andrew Eaton	....	co-producer
Anita Overland	....	line producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer
Stewart Till	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Michael Nyman

Cinematography by
Sean Bobbitt

Film Editing by
Trevor Waite

Casting by
Wendy Brazington

Production Design by
Mark Tildesley

Costume Design by
Natalie Ward

Makeup Department
Konnie Daniel	....	hair designer
Konnie Daniel	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Elliott	....	second assistant director
Toby Hosking	....	assistant director
Nick Laws	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michelle Day	....	set dresser
Aen Kavanagh	....	construction manager
Catrona MacMillan	....	property master
Polly Philcox	....	props buyer
Emma Robens	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
Louis Bertini	....	supervising sound editor
Jan Cholawo	....	foley editor
Peter Christelis	....	sound effects editor
John Falcini	....	dubbing mixer
Richard Flynn	....	sound
Andy Moffat	....	boom operator
Lee Taylor	....	foley mixer
Ian Wilson	....	supervising sound editor
Aad Wirtz	....	dubbing mixer
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
Dorothy Ford	....	stunt driver
Andreas Petrides	....	stunts
Nick Powell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Edwards	....	Steadicam operator
Nic Lawson	....	focus puller
Marcus Robinson	....	still photographer
Gordon Segrove	....	clapper loader
Tim Wiley	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kate Towns	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Martin Corbett	....	first assistant editor
Alec Gibson	....	color grader
Simon Sleap	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Fran Andrade	....	musician: violin
Nigel Barr	....	musician: trombone
Beverley Davison	....	musician: violin
Twydor Davis	....	source music editor
Matt Donin	....	assistant music engineer
Martin Elliott	....	musician: bass guitar
Jonathan Evans-Jones	....	musician: violin
Andrew Findon	....	musician: tenor baritone saxophone and flute
Miranda Fulleylove	....	musician: violin
Simon Haram	....	musician: soprano alto saxophone
Sophie Harris	....	musician: cello
William Hawkes	....	musician: viola
Tony Hinnigan	....	musician: cello (as Anthony Hinnigan)
Austin Ince	....	music engineer
Sophie Landon	....	musician: violin
David Lee	....	musician: french horn
Paul Morgan	....	musician: double bass
Kate Musker	....	musician: viola
Michael Nyman	....	conductor
Michael Nyman	....	music producer
Michael Nyman	....	musician: piano
Andrew Parker	....	musician: viola
Jonathan Rees	....	musician: violin
Jackie Shave	....	musician: violin
Katherine Shave	....	musician: violin
Steve Sidwell	....	musician: trumpet
Jason Westbrook	....	assistant music engineer

Other crew
Nuala Alen-Buckley	....	production accountant
Ruth Breslaw	....	production coordinator
Rosie Bridge	....	production assistant
Heather Burton	....	production runner
James A. Cooper	....	production assistant
Alex Gladstone	....	location manager
Hugh Gourlay	....	assistant location manager
Susanna Lenton	....	script supervisor
Fiona Neilson	....	production associate
Arabella Page Croft	....	production runner
Roger Phillips	....	title designer
Emily Stewart	....	production assistant
Nicole Stott	....	script development
Steve Fletcher	....	tutor (uncredited)
Becky Jones	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Kismet Film Company
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
• Revolution Films
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• PolyGram (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• USA Films (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (Japan)
• Egmont Entertainment (2001) (Finland) (VHS)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• SubTV (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• AFM Lighting  lighting
• General Screen Enterprises  opticals
• Goldcrest Post Production London  post-production facilities
• Professional Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Salon  post-production sound equipment
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script

Also Known As:

Snarl Up (UK) (working title)
Untitled Love Story (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality, and for language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Iceland:L | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | New Zealand:M | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Movie Connections:

References Elizabeth (1998)

Soundtrack:

Babies

Walking in Winterbottom's Wonderland

This movie has only just come out on DVD in Britain, that is a shamefully long time for a film to reach the country it was made in. But now it is here, and possibly finding a new audience, I thought I'd write a quick review. If you have read some of the other reviews, you will no doubt be aware of the 'kitchen sink' factor in this film. Well, I'm not going to deny that, the subject matter would not look out of place in a soap opera. . . .however it is the performances, the script and the fantastic style of this movie which pulls it out of the mundane and into the cinematic. Michael Winterbottom is clearly a director who like several of his British contemporaries such as Mike Leigh and Shane Meadows, believes that the drama around us in everyday life is worthy of the big screen. The film has a fine ensemble of characters, three very different sisters, their estranged brother and squabbling parents. The performances are brave and heartfelt in all cases, and even though the drama takes place over one weekend, the characters really do evolve. The most enticing thing about the film is the way it is shot and scored. Sean Bobbitt's time lapse photography and dogma style 16mm cinematography combined with Michael Nyman's emotive music is a really fantastic combination. This film shows London how the people who live there see it, namely from the ground. Nearly every film set in London now seems to have to include the Gherkin, the Tate modern and the Millennium wheel, what Winterbottom presents us with is something simultaneously far less and far more remarkable.