A very good movie. Called the "British
Big Chill," Peter's Friends was directed and produced by
Kenneth Branagh, and the script was written by
Rita Rudner and Martin Bergman. It stars Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton,
Stephen Fry,
Emma Thompson (pre-Branagh divorce), Alphonis Emmanuel, Rita Rudner,
Phyllida Law, Alex Lowe, and
Tony Slattery (an old favorite on
Whose Line is it Anyway?).
Running Time: 100 minutes.
Rated: Has none.
The movie begins with an overview of the characters- A few are married, one is a bit of a sex-pot, and one lives a lonely life who's closest friend appears to be her cat. Peter, a wealthy bi-sexual, has organized a reunion on New Year's with his old college friends at his grand home. Once everyone has arrived, the problems begin spilling out onto the table. Peter attempts to help his friends as best he can- all the while hiding his own very personal, very large problem.
Though I would not rank the film higher than Branagh's "Henry V," the movie is a lot of fun, with witty dialogue and a terrific cast to pull off the humor as well as the sadder moments.
Andrew: And what's all this then?
Peter: It's called a pot-belly, Andrew. We have those in England, along with culture.