THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL AND CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN

US, 1995, 99 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Colm Meaney, Ian Mc Niece, Ian Hart, Kenneth Griffith, Robert Pugh.
Directed by Christopher Mongers.

A nice, British film - very Welsh. Two foreigners (English) arrive in Wales in 1917 to measure mountains. When the local mountain fails by 16 feet to get its title, the townspeople get together to remedy the situation. It needs the lighter, smaller 50s Ealing Studios touch to get away with it rather than the huge screen, heavy comic style it has. Still it's a humorous story with Hugh Grant doing his by now trademark befuddled performance. Slight Welsh comedy.

1. A pleasing comedy? Quirky British comedy? The Welsh?

2. The period setting, 1917, the comments about World War One, the shell-shocked soldiers, the war effort, the cartographers? The town, chapel, the pub, homes? The Welsh pride in the mountain? The musical score and its moods?

3. The title, the focus on Reginald Anson, his visiting Wales, his job, the issue of the hill, his life in the town, getting to know the people, wanting to stay, his collaboration in making the hill a mountain?

4. The voice-over and its commentary, the wry Welsh tones, the comments about the English, Welsh history and the invaders, Wales as ancient Britain? The end, the comments about the making of the film, the subsiding of the mountain to become a hill again, the efforts of the descendants of 1917 to make the mountain again?

5. Anson and George Garrad and their arrival, seen as alien English, the reaction of Morgan the goat, welcoming them? The life in the town, the measuring of the mountain, everybody interested? Their needing help, Johnny Shellshocked, the twins and their assistance? The day after the measuring, the bets, the mountain being declared a hill? George and his making Anson do the communication with people? His hypochondria, taking to his bed, the breakdown of the car, the telegrams, no trains, Miss Elizabeth, his being resigned to staying in the town? His staying in bed?

6. Anson, young, telling Betty about his being shell-shocked at Verdun, his place in the town, work on the mountain, the bets, telling the people? The breakdown of the car, its flooding, the station, no trains? His seeing the arguments, getting to know the people, the attraction of Betty and talking with her? The efforts to keep them in the town, his participating in the rebuilding of the mountain, finding it exhilarating? The declaration of the mountain? His decision to stay?

7. Morgan the goat, his reputation in the town, the red-headed babies, his relationship with Blod Jones? Persuading the English to stay? The bet about the size of the mountain? The effort to increase the mountain, his selling the beer? The antagonism with the Reverend Jones? His getting Betty to help him, Johnny and his being shell-shocked, the fit on the hill? Taking him home? His going to church, borrowing Anson’s shirt? The collaboration with the building of the hill? Reverend Jones, confiding his desire to be buried on the hill to Morgan?

8. Betty, as a maid, coming in to keep the men in the town, putting the beer on her tab, the clashes with Morgan? Helping with Johnny’s fit? The discussions with Anson, her being a maid, asking him about himself, helping on the mountain, his staying with her?

9. Johnny Shellshocked, the experience of war, not speaking, his working, the getting of the sods, his beginning to speak, especially for building the mountain? In the rain, his fit?

10. Thomas and his twin brother, not saying much, their observations, helping, knowing the weather? Getting the sods from the football field?

11. The Reverend Jones, his age, sermons, denouncing the war, making people go to chapel, the attacks on Morgan the goat? Having to talk with him, not trusting him? Not going into the pub? His sermon on the Sunday, reading the psalm, urging people to build the mountain, his collapse, his wanting to be buried on the mountain?

12. The sketches of the other characters in the town, Mr Williams and his running the garage, the breakdown of the car, helping Johnny in the fit? The grocer and his giving the sugar to put in the car? Blod Jones with her brother? Tommy Two Strokes and his going on the bike to Cardiff? The police sergeant? The teacher and his being against the project, the children being called from school, the digging up of the football field?

13. The town enterprise, Welsh pride, the first mountain in Wales? The community effort and achievement? A pleasing film about individuals, communities, achievement?