The Englishman… is a reminiscence of Monger's Welsh childhood. The director relied on memories of characters he had known in his home village of Taff's Well near Cardiff when writing the script. 'Some are composite characters,' says Monger, 'but I think people will recognise themselves.'
Producer Sarah Curtis had always admired Monger's film Waiting For the Light and wanted to work with him. When she approached him and he explained the idea for The Englishman… they agreed to develop the project together. Monger and Curtis spent two years polishing the script; Monger had always had Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) in mind to play the lead. In 1993 Monger gave Grant a final draft of the script; Grant loved it and signed on immediately.
With Grant attached the project came together quickly and a suitable location became the next stumbling block. The village and mountain was so central to the story that in Monger's eyes they had to be perfect. It became clear that Monger's childhood home of Taff's Well was not quite right and a search for the ideal location began. Monger and production designer Charles Garrad travelled 3,000 miles before they found the ideal spot - the mid-wales village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in the Tant Valley.
After securing the location the filmmakers cast Tara Fitzgerald as Betty, a good time girl the villagers hire to detain the cartographer. Fitzgerald and Grant had worked together previously on the comedy Sirens. Irish actor Colm Meany (The Snapper, Star Trek: the Next Generation) signed up as the libidinous innkeeper Morgan the Goat.
Monger and Curtis decided to cast 150 locals as the village's eccentric inhabitants. 'The villagers were very easy to direct - probably because drama and song have a long tradition in most Welsh villages,' says the director.
Indeed, using local talent became the norm on the production. A paved road had to be laid to bring the crew's equipment into the village. Then the equipment, catering facilities and production supplies all had to be hauled to the top of the hill to join the 255-strong cast and crew. 'There were times when I stood on top of the mountain and thought 'What the hell are we doing?'' says Curtis. Tim Adler
PROD CO: Parallax Pictures
SCR/DIR: Christopher Monger
PROD: Sarah Curtis
EXEC PROD: Robert Jones
PH: Vernon Layton
ED: David Martin
PROD DES: Charles Garrad
MUS: Stephan Endelman
CAST: Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Colm Meany
RUNNING TIME: 95 mins
INTERNATIONAL SALES: Miramax Films
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