The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain

1995 "A romantic comedy about a man, a woman, and the mountain that brought them together"
6.6| 1h31m| PG| en
Details

When an English cartographer arrives in Wales to tell the residents of the Welsh village of Ffynnon Garw that their 'mountain' is only a hill, the offended community sets out to remedy the situation.

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Reviews

Scanialara You won't be disappointed!
VividSimon Simply Perfect
SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
B. Warren I'm pretty much in line with the 'mainstream' reviewers for fav flics; Lawrence, Quai, Dr. Z, 2001, Dr Strangelove, Silence, LA confidential, etc., etc.There are however, many lessor lights, that are so much worth watching. Some are by age and perspective. I loved 'Boat that Rocked', but if you are not of the 60's - 70's R&R era I could see why others would not.This movie 'The Englishman', is rare one. An enjoyable bit of fluff, filled with English humor, fit for all ages, but sharp enough to keep one entertained throughout the movie, which, itself is timeless.If you wish for a lighthearted enjoyable evening with any and all, that you would wish to share a movie night with, this is one. For certain.
SimonJack Others have described the plot of this film. I just add my praise to that of a few other reviewers who saw much more than the gentle comedy in "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill …" The movie was filmed in Wales, and gives us some nice scenic shots of the countryside, with the mountain/hill. But much of the enjoyment of this film is in the character studies. It so nicely gives us a look at several people and their "Welshness." I can't say how folks from Wales may like the depictions; but they are curious, warm, friendly, and very real people shown in this film. All the acting is first-rate. Colm Meany and Kenneth Griffith play wonderfully off each other as pub-owner Morgan the Goat and Reverend Jones, respectively. Hugh Grant is very good in one of his most laid back comedy roles – here as a naturally shy young veteran from WW I. Tara Fitzgerald is very good as Betty. The rest of the cast make up a wonderful variety of different, if not eccentric, characters. This is not a comedy of rip-roaring laughter. It isn't loaded with sight-gags, or witty one-liners. There are a few clever lines, but the comedy of this film is in the everyday lives of the people of this Welsh community, and in the cunning to rouse the community to deal with a mountain of a problem. It is a very clean film, suitable for all ages and audiences. As many others have noted, it's a comedy of warmth that makes one feel good at its end. This film isn't for modern movie-goers who must have a constant flow of adrenalin. Or maybe it is – to help slow them down so they can learn to smell the roses along the way. Regarding the town's problem, it's interesting that there don't seem to be any real set standards for designation of mountains versus hills. The sources I checked seem to agree that the difference is more in the degree of steepness, rather than actual height. Funny though, that the 1,000-foot mark of distinction seemed to come from the U.S., where the British favored more a 2,000-foot mark. The outside scenes of this movie were filmed at Gyrn Moelfre, a hill or mountain in northeast Wales near the border with England. It has an elevation of 1,716 feet above sea level. But it rises just 778 feet above the surrounding terrain. The movie shows people climbing the hill on a trail with switchbacks. Indeed, climbing any hill of good size gives one the "feel" of having scaled a small mountain.The story came from one that director Christopher Monger heard from his grandfather about the village of Ffynnon Taf (Taff's Well), and it's nearby mountain/hill, Ffynnon Garw (Garth Hill). It's located just a few miles north of Cardiff. But because of modern growth, the movie was filmed further away in the middle of Wales near Liansilin.
henry-kawa I have been talking about this movie for YEARS. Unforgettable. This is absolutely the most boring movie I have ever seen and WILL ever see. There is no chance than any movie ever made again can possibly be as boring. I use this movie as a bench mark for comparing other bad movies. Example> "At least that bad movie is not as bad as he went up a hill and came down a mountain". - I have been talking about this movie for YEARS. Unforgettable. This is absolutely the most boring movie I have ever seen and WILL ever see. There is no chance than any movie ever made again can possibly be as boring. I use this movie as a bench mark for comparing other bad movies. Example> "At least that bad movie is not as bad as he went up a hill and came down a mountain".
Neil Doyle Despite the fact that it's about almost nothing relevant to the average movie-goer, THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN manages to be a charming diversion but ultimately, it's as innocuous as its title.Drawbacks aside, it does offer some hauntingly beautiful color cinematography of Welsh landscapes, day and night, blazing with beauty, some quaint village shots of pubs and lodgings that look invitingly cosy, and some sketchy characterizations that do little more than pad out a rather tedious little tale.HUGH GRANT does another one of his befuddled, amused, eyebrow lifting characterizations, complete with stutter and smile and pause between words, a role he seemed destined to repeat again and again. But he fits the role and the story--which takes place in 1917 Wales.The jaunty musical score compensates for some slow moments but all the actors do a competent job of keeping things on a realistic level. There are no big names in the cast aside from Grant, but they all make their mark while he gets most of the footage for a rather awkward romance with a local girl who spends the night on the mountain with him.Summing up: Not much in the way of a plot, but it manages to be appealing and extremely well photographed.