"The Line of Beauty" (2006) (mini)TV mini-series

Director:

Saul Dibb

Writers:

Alan Hollinghurst (novel)
Andrew Davies (adaptation)

Release Date:

17 May 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of two gay lovers in 1980s London.

Plot Keywords:

Cocaine | 1980s | AIDS | Self Mutilation | Adultery

Cast

Dan Stevens	...	Nick Guest
Oliver Coleman	...	Toby Fedden
Carmen du Sautoy	...	Elena
Kenneth Cranham	...	Sir Maurice Tipper
Tim McInnerny	...	Gerald Fedden
Barbara Flynn	...	Sally Tipper
Alice Krige	...	Rachel Fedden
Hayley Atwell	...	Catherine 'Cat' Fedden
Don Gilet	...	Leo Charles
Oscar James	...	Brentford
John Quayle	...	Geoffrey Titchfield
John Standing	...	Lord Kessler
Justin Salinger	...	Russell
Bruno Lastra	...	Tristao
Kika Markham	...	Mrs. Thatcher
Alex Wyndham	...	Wani Ouradi
Siri Svegler	...	Martine
Elize du Toit	...	Sophie Tipper
Robin Kermode	...	Pat Grayson
Caroline Blakiston	...	Lady Partridge
Joseph Morgan	...	Jasper
Christopher Fairbank	...	Barry Groom
Richard Lintern	...	Pete Mawson
Jake Broder	...	Treat
John Warnaby	...	Badger
Trevor White	...	Brad
David Yelland	...	John Timms
Tim Elliott	...	Farris the Butler
Julia St. John	...	Greta Timms
Garrick Hagon	...	Morden Lipscome
Lydia Leonard	...	Penny Kent
Tom Knight	...	Norman Kent
Nikki Amuka-Bird	...	Rosemary Charles
Floella Benjamin	...	Mrs. Charles
Andy Lucas	...	Bertrand Ouradi
Jessica Turner	...	Dot Guest
Albert Welling	...	Denis Guest
Peter Needham	...	Old Man
Virgile Bramly	...	Spaniard
Adam Rayner	...	Ricky
Ivana Gavric	...	Nina Glaserova
Tanya Duff	...	Waitress
James Bradshaw	...	Polly Tompkins
Paul Butterworth	...	Stall Holder
Lee Long	...	Youth
Graham Bohea	...	Special Branch Guy
Ryan Simons	...	Fair Guy
Rosie Fellner	...	Melanie
Keeley Forsyth	...	Gemma
Michael N. Harbour	...	Mayor
John Banks	...	Arthur State
Luis Soto	...	Fabio
Max Cane	...	Porter
Tracy Wiles	...	Pressmen
Stephen Hogan	...	Newsreader
Georgie Glen	...	Eileen
Sarah Mowat	...	Nurse
Des Hamilton	...	Delivery Guy

Directed by
Saul Dibb

Writing credits
Alan Hollinghurst		(novel)
Andrew Davies		(adaptation)

Produced by
Kate Lewis	....	producer
Laura Mackie	....	executive producer
Carmel Maloney	....	line producer
Hilary Salmon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Martin Phipps

Cinematography by
David Odd

Film Editing by
Tania Reddin

Casting by
Kate Rhodes James

Production Design by
Melanie Allen

Art Direction by
Andrea Coathupe

Costume Design by
James Keast

Makeup Department
Kay Bilk	....	hair stylist
Kay Bilk	....	makeup artist
Natalie Pateman	....	hair stylist
Natalie Pateman	....	makeup artist
Christine Walmesley-Cotham	....	hair designer
Christine Walmesley-Cotham	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lydia Currie	....	first assistant director
Jennie Fava	....	second assistant director
Billy Pegg	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Ben Bagley	....	props
Jim Booth	....	stand-by carpenter
Hannah Capron	....	graphic artist: newspapers
Amy Dewar	....	assistant buyer
Gill Farr	....	production buyer
Neil McAllister	....	stand-by art director
Mark Papworth	....	stand-by props
Steve Register	....	property master
Toby Riches	....	prop hand
James Rutter	....	art department assistant
Ricky Vivian	....	prop hand

Sound Department
Albert Bailey	....	sound recordist
Antonia Bates	....	supervising dialogue editor
Karima Benchemakh	....	assistant sound
Anna Bertmark	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Davey	....	sound re-recording mixer
St. Clair Davis	....	sound maintenance
Jack Gillies	....	sound effects editor
James Hamilton	....	foley recordist
Jonathan Rimas	....	adr mixer
Jessie Taylor	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Chris Treble	....	foley editor

Stunts
Justin Pearson	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Nick Briggs	....	still photographer
Geoff Burden	....	best boy
David Carey	....	steadicam operator
Saul Harris	....	electrician
Adrienne Hayward	....	camera trainee
Dermot Hickey	....	focus puller
Rupert Lloyd-Parry	....	grip
Carl McGillivray	....	generator operator
Chris Samworth	....	clapper loader
Tim Wiley	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Andy Morgan	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lorraine Boyle	....	costume assistant
Emma Moore	....	costume assistant
Sarah Moore	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Kevin Horsewood	....	colorist
Selina Jones	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Emily Chittell	....	floor runner
Tim Desbois	....	aerial coordinator
Sam Donovan	....	script supervisor
Katrina Fletcher	....	assistant location manager
Neil Jones	....	production accountant
Howard Kingston	....	production executive
Kathleen McLynn	....	assistant to producers
Tania Neumann	....	production secretary
Michelle Osborn	....	publicist
Kevin Proctor	....	production runner
Patrick Schweitzer	....	location manager
Kate Thornton	....	production coordinator
Ellie Wood	....	script editor
Denis Wray	....	assistant production accountant

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment supplied by
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Clarity Post Production Sound  sound post-production
• Interfield Design  titles
• Mayflower Studios  adr recording studio
• SA19  extras casting

Runtime:

USA:179 min (San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

In the pub scene for Nick and Leo's first meeting, "time" is called at the end of the evening by the real landlord of that pub, the Windsor Castle pub.

Quotes:

Catherine Fedden: You're really very rich, aren't you, Sir Maurice?
Sir Maurice Tipper: Yes. I am.
Catherine Fedden: How much have you got?
Sally Tipper: Oh, my dear, what a question. You can never exactly say, can you? It goes up so fast. All the time these days.
Catherine Fedden: Well, roughly.
Sir Maurice Tipper: Roughly... one-hundred-and-fifty million.
Catherine Fedden: One-hundred-and-fifty million pounds?
Sir Maurice Tipper: Give or take a few million, yes.
Catherine Fedden: I noticed you gave some money to the appeal at Podier Church.
Sally Tipper: We give to endless appeals and churches.
[...]

Inside the gilded balloon

Alan Hollinghurst's 'The Line of Beauty' is, at least in this adaptation, a version of 'The Great Gatsby' fitted to 1980s Britain, the story of a young man from an ordinary background who mistakenly harbours too many illusions about the beautiful people of the smart set. The story lacks the utter poignancy of Fitzgerald's book because the hero (who, co-incidentally or not, shares the name of Nick with the other novel's protagonist) only rejects his adopted world when it rejects him; But the screenplay, cinematography, and performances are all first rate, especially that of Tim McInerny, playing a MP whose ultimate ruthlessness, self-righteousness, and rottenness, is hidden beneath a layer of almost genuine charm and kindness. The political overtones of the story are somewhat lost in a treatment that dwells almost exclusively inside the gilded balloon, and all of the characters could be handled less sympathetically with some justification, but the indulgent early mood reaps final reward when things go sour. Screenwriter Andrew Davies made his name with the contemporary series 'A Very Peculiar Practice', but these days seems to concentrate largely on period drama. This aberration proves itself welcome, and leaves one hopeful of more to come.