A Bunch of Amateurs
| A Bunch of Amateurs | |
|---|---|
 British Film Poster | |
| Directed by | Andy Cadiff |
| Written by |
Nick Newman John Ross Ian Hislop Jonathan Gershfield |
| Starring |
Burt Reynolds Imelda Staunton Derek Jacobi Samantha Bond |
| Music by | Christian Henson |
| Cinematography | Ashley Rowe |
| Edited by | Mark Thornton |
Release dates | 19 December 2008 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
A Bunch of Amateurs is a 2008 British comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff, and stars Burt Reynolds, Derek Jacobi, Alistair Petrie and Samantha Bond.[1] In November 2008, the premiere in Leicester Square was attended by Elizabeth II.[2][3] The screenplay was written by Nick Newman, John Ross, Ian Hislop and Jonathan Gershfield.
Plot
A leading Hollywood star is attracted to Britain to play the title role in King Lear at "Stratford" believing he will be appearing onstage at the prestigious RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Instead he finds he has signed on with the "Stratford Players" in the Suffolk village of Stratford St John. He goes to Britain with his career on the downturn and having problems with his daughter who is an aspiring actress on the fringes of the New York theatre world. The local villagers are somewhat of a motley crew and are naturally delighted to have such an - albeit fading - star playing with them. Reynolds plays a typically brash American with no time for manners, and displays an appalling lack of class, considering himself too big for this lowly setting. The transition to humble actor, happy to play with the British actors takes some time, but eventually Reynolds is reconciled with his estranged daughter and accepts that he is no better, in terms of spirit and enthusiasm, than his amateur colleagues.
Cast
Jefferson Steele - Burt Reynolds
Dorothy Nettle - Samantha Bond
Mary - Imelda Staunton
Nigel Dewberry - Derek Jacobi
Amanda Blacke - Camilla Arfwedson
Charlie Rosenberg - Charles Durning
Janine Jarvis - Lorraine Ashbourne
Verity Nettle - Gemma Lawrence
Frank Dobbins - Peter Gunn
Kevin Patel - Tony Jayawardena
Rupert Twisk - Alistair Petrie
Mike Bell - Peter Wight
Lauren Bell - Kelly Price
Kevin's Mum - Surendra Kochar
Reception
The film was universally panned by both critics and audiences alike, with criticism mostly focusing on the film's stale humour and Burt Reynolds's performance. It holds a 0% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 2 reviews and a 41% audience score based on 417 reviews (as of September 2015), indicating generally negative reviews. It is not listed on Metacritic.
References
- ↑ "A Bunch Of Amateurs". The Guardian. 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ↑ Laura Collins (2008-12-20). "Queen chooses A Bunch of Amateurs as Christmas film for family at Sandringham after finding it 'hilarious'". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ↑ "Queen spends night with Amateurs". BBC News. 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2012-03-13.