Movies set in Non-City England
November 14, 2010 6:11 PM Subscribe
Movies set Non-City England...please
Looking for movies explicitly set in Non-City England. Help me, oh glorious Mefites!
- NOT London
- NOT Manchester or Birmingham or anywhere in the Midlands
- NOT filmed in Northern England but supposed to be another place (e.g. Harry Potter)
- Preferably not about how working class life sucks, but if that's all there is, okay.
the North: York, Durham, the Lake District, the Peak District, etc.
the South: Brighton, Bristol, and Wales (yes, I know it's not in England).
Just not Birmingham, London, or Manchester!
Looking for movies explicitly set in Non-City England. Help me, oh glorious Mefites!
- NOT London
- NOT Manchester or Birmingham or anywhere in the Midlands
- NOT filmed in Northern England but supposed to be another place (e.g. Harry Potter)
- Preferably not about how working class life sucks, but if that's all there is, okay.
the North: York, Durham, the Lake District, the Peak District, etc.
the South: Brighton, Bristol, and Wales (yes, I know it's not in England).
Just not Birmingham, London, or Manchester!
Billy Elliot? It takes place in a small town in Durham. However, I don't know enough about UK geography to know if, like, everybody KNOWS that's totally industrial outer Manchester or whatever.
It is, however, about how working class life sucks. At least Billy gets to follow his dreams, though, right?
posted by Sara C. at 6:28 PM on November 14, 2010
It is, however, about how working class life sucks. At least Billy gets to follow his dreams, though, right?
posted by Sara C. at 6:28 PM on November 14, 2010
Also, Calendar Girls, set in small-town Yorkshire and NOT about working class struggles.
posted by Sara C. at 6:29 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by Sara C. at 6:29 PM on November 14, 2010
What about Tamara Drewe?
How do you feel about costume dramas? Would Remains of the Day or Gosford Park or Howard's End count?
posted by craichead at 6:29 PM on November 14, 2010
How do you feel about costume dramas? Would Remains of the Day or Gosford Park or Howard's End count?
posted by craichead at 6:29 PM on November 14, 2010
Doesn't part of the most recent version of Pride And Prejudice take place in the Lake District? And where is "Meryton" supposed to be, anyway? Wikipedia says Herefordshire, but is that completely subsumed by London now?
posted by Sara C. at 6:31 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by Sara C. at 6:31 PM on November 14, 2010
Not sure if you are looking for movies not set in modern-day England, but most of the Jane Austen books that were made into movies would work.
posted by smalls at 6:34 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by smalls at 6:34 PM on November 14, 2010
Lake District makes me think of Withnail and I for some reason. In a similar vein, there's Leon the Pig Farmer, set in Yorkshire. And very different: Possession, set and filmed around York, mainly.
posted by holgate at 6:35 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by holgate at 6:35 PM on November 14, 2010
I haven't seen it in a while, but I seem to recall quite a bit of the lovely countryside of North-West England in Priest.
posted by sueinnyc at 6:36 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by sueinnyc at 6:36 PM on November 14, 2010
And Wish You Were Here (set in an unspecified seaside town, filmed mainly in Brighton).
posted by holgate at 6:38 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by holgate at 6:38 PM on November 14, 2010
All Creatures Great and Small, set in 1940s Yorkshire.
posted by VelveteenBabbitt at 6:40 PM on November 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by VelveteenBabbitt at 6:40 PM on November 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
My Summer Of Love was shot on location in the small town of Todmorden in West Yorkshire.
To carry on the Paddy Considine trip, Dead Man's Shoes was set in the relatively small town of Matlock, in Derbyshire.
posted by Magnakai at 6:45 PM on November 14, 2010
To carry on the Paddy Considine trip, Dead Man's Shoes was set in the relatively small town of Matlock, in Derbyshire.
posted by Magnakai at 6:45 PM on November 14, 2010
Not a movie, but Torchwood is set in Wales. It is set in Cardiff, but it's definitely not about class struggle.
Also there's Blackpool, in, uh, Blackpool.
posted by you're a kitty! at 6:50 PM on November 14, 2010
Also there's Blackpool, in, uh, Blackpool.
posted by you're a kitty! at 6:50 PM on November 14, 2010
Bhaji on the Beach? A bit of a campy film about several generations of South-Asian-Brits. Set primarily in Blackpool.
is my desi showing?
posted by raztaj at 6:50 PM on November 14, 2010
is my desi showing?
posted by raztaj at 6:50 PM on November 14, 2010
Apart form the obvious Quadrophenia Fruit Machine was set in Brighton . Radio On is set in a very recognizable 70's Bristol (which has been a city since 1155 though).
posted by tallus at 6:53 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by tallus at 6:53 PM on November 14, 2010
Hot Fuzz took place in the (fictional) village of Sandford, Gloucestershire, and was filmed in the nearby town of Wells.
posted by Rhaomi at 6:57 PM on November 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Rhaomi at 6:57 PM on November 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
The Wickerman is set on the fictional Summerisle.
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:59 PM on November 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:59 PM on November 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Dead Man's Shoes is set in the Peak District I think.
posted by tumples at 7:01 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by tumples at 7:01 PM on November 14, 2010
[bonobothegreat, I don't think the fictional Summerisle's in England; it lies off the western coast of Scotland (not to be confused with the real Summer Isles).]
The second half of A Room With a View is set in Tunbridge Wells.
posted by hot soup girl at 7:09 PM on November 14, 2010
The second half of A Room With a View is set in Tunbridge Wells.
posted by hot soup girl at 7:09 PM on November 14, 2010
(Is Bhaji on the Beach available on DVD? I've wanted to see it for years, but it's been in my "Coming Soon" queue on Netflix forever)
posted by Sara C. at 7:09 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by Sara C. at 7:09 PM on November 14, 2010
Kes is a Ken Loach film set in Yorkshire. You should also look through the rest of Ken Loach's catalog.
Our Friends in the North is a short serial, not a movie. It's set in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Full Monty is set in Sheffield.
I've never seen it, but All Creatures Great and Small is set in the Yorkshire Dales. There's also a tv series by the same name.
Hot Fuzz is set in Sanford, Gloucestershire.
The Secret Garden is set in Yorkshire. The 1993 movie is the most recent version.
posted by colfax at 7:24 PM on November 14, 2010
Our Friends in the North is a short serial, not a movie. It's set in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Full Monty is set in Sheffield.
I've never seen it, but All Creatures Great and Small is set in the Yorkshire Dales. There's also a tv series by the same name.
Hot Fuzz is set in Sanford, Gloucestershire.
The Secret Garden is set in Yorkshire. The 1993 movie is the most recent version.
posted by colfax at 7:24 PM on November 14, 2010
Cardiff and Brighton are definitely both cities. They're not London, but they're definitely cities by law. More to the point, they're definitely urban.
posted by Magnakai at 7:27 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by Magnakai at 7:27 PM on November 14, 2010
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain is just over the Welsh border.
posted by musofire at 7:35 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by musofire at 7:35 PM on November 14, 2010
Also, Excalibur.
Which reminds me: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Which in turn reminds me, the non-city bits of Monty Python's And Now For Something Completely Different.
posted by musofire at 7:37 PM on November 14, 2010
Which reminds me: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Which in turn reminds me, the non-city bits of Monty Python's And Now For Something Completely Different.
posted by musofire at 7:37 PM on November 14, 2010
Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd was adapted into a film. It's set in Victorian times, so it might not be what you're looking for.
Also, if you ever need a good sleep aid, I strongly recommend the book. Nobody can write about nothing like Hardy can.
posted by schmod at 7:43 PM on November 14, 2010
Also, if you ever need a good sleep aid, I strongly recommend the book. Nobody can write about nothing like Hardy can.
posted by schmod at 7:43 PM on November 14, 2010
How about the Red Riding films, set all around Yorkshire?
posted by galaksit at 8:04 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by galaksit at 8:04 PM on November 14, 2010
The Holiday - although some of it is London, I think. But the cottage is in Surrey.
btw, I can't wait for Christmastime when I allow myself to watch this movie!!
posted by Sassyfras at 8:06 PM on November 14, 2010
btw, I can't wait for Christmastime when I allow myself to watch this movie!!
posted by Sassyfras at 8:06 PM on November 14, 2010
Miss Potter is set in the Lake District with some gorgeous scenery.
posted by cecic at 8:09 PM on November 14, 2010
posted by cecic at 8:09 PM on November 14, 2010
The Land Girls
Cold Comfort Farm
Far From the Madding Crowd
Tess of the Durbervilles
posted by brujita at 10:06 PM on November 14, 2010
Cold Comfort Farm
Far From the Madding Crowd
Tess of the Durbervilles
posted by brujita at 10:06 PM on November 14, 2010
You should also look through the rest of Ken Loach's catalog.
Pretty sure that Ken Loach epitomises the kind of urban/social realism/kitchen-sink stuff that's not preferred here. Likewise OFITN and even The Full Monty, which rely upon the industrial city and its discontents.
Atonement might fit. And much of Dennis Potter, too, if you extend out from films to long-form TV drama: most of his best work draws upon his childhood in the Forest of Dean, not far from the Welsh border.
posted by holgate at 10:24 PM on November 14, 2010
Pretty sure that Ken Loach epitomises the kind of urban/social realism/kitchen-sink stuff that's not preferred here. Likewise OFITN and even The Full Monty, which rely upon the industrial city and its discontents.
Atonement might fit. And much of Dennis Potter, too, if you extend out from films to long-form TV drama: most of his best work draws upon his childhood in the Forest of Dean, not far from the Welsh border.
posted by holgate at 10:24 PM on November 14, 2010
This isn't actually a direct answer to your question, but I hope you find it useful.
If you want to look for a particular filming location in IMDB, you can go to the advanced title search page and there's a bunch of options that might help. If, for example, you drop "england" into the "plot" field, and "yorkshire, england" into the locations field, and limit to feature films, you get 27 movies ranging from "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" to "The Bike Thief" to "Garfield 2". Not everything is on the money, but it might get you a few more titles without getting you gritty tales of factory life, or fantasies set in convenient grassy hillsides.
posted by gingerest at 11:01 PM on November 14, 2010
If you want to look for a particular filming location in IMDB, you can go to the advanced title search page and there's a bunch of options that might help. If, for example, you drop "england" into the "plot" field, and "yorkshire, england" into the locations field, and limit to feature films, you get 27 movies ranging from "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" to "The Bike Thief" to "Garfield 2". Not everything is on the money, but it might get you a few more titles without getting you gritty tales of factory life, or fantasies set in convenient grassy hillsides.
posted by gingerest at 11:01 PM on November 14, 2010
Also, any film version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:15 AM on November 15, 2010
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:15 AM on November 15, 2010
A Canterbury Tale, has nice moments but ultimately a hair treacly, however meets the stated requirements.
posted by Rat Spatula at 1:02 AM on November 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Rat Spatula at 1:02 AM on November 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I would check out Saving Grace:
Here at IMDB
It instead of being about the struggles of the lower classes, is about the struggles of a down on their luck upperclass lady in a small village along the coast. It is also a comedy and quite a good film.
posted by koolkat at 1:38 AM on November 15, 2010
Here at IMDB
It instead of being about the struggles of the lower classes, is about the struggles of a down on their luck upperclass lady in a small village along the coast. It is also a comedy and quite a good film.
posted by koolkat at 1:38 AM on November 15, 2010
Lawless Heart is set in the small town of Maldon, Essex.
Last Orders begins in London but is mostly a journey between London and Margate, Kent.
posted by penguin pie at 1:56 AM on November 15, 2010
Last Orders begins in London but is mostly a journey between London and Margate, Kent.
posted by penguin pie at 1:56 AM on November 15, 2010
Aw, these are now going to be coming to me all day. Admittedly with varying degrees of success in fitting your criteria -
Peter's Friends - a country house somewhere in England.
Made in Dagenham - set in Essex, although very close to London, and definitely about working class struggle.
Four Weddings and a Funeral - some London but lots of the rest of the country too.
This is England - an unspecified northern town, but definitely of the miserablist school.
The Draftsman's Contract - period drama, countryside.
Ladies in Lavender - 1930s Cornwall.
Cemetery Junction 1970s Reading (but more entertaining than that sounds, being the work of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant).
Glorious 39 - some London but also countryside.
The Remains of the Day - period country house.
Gosford Park - ditto.
You might also find this wikipedia page useful.
posted by penguin pie at 3:47 AM on November 15, 2010
Peter's Friends - a country house somewhere in England.
Made in Dagenham - set in Essex, although very close to London, and definitely about working class struggle.
Four Weddings and a Funeral - some London but lots of the rest of the country too.
This is England - an unspecified northern town, but definitely of the miserablist school.
The Draftsman's Contract - period drama, countryside.
Ladies in Lavender - 1930s Cornwall.
Cemetery Junction 1970s Reading (but more entertaining than that sounds, being the work of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant).
Glorious 39 - some London but also countryside.
The Remains of the Day - period country house.
Gosford Park - ditto.
You might also find this wikipedia page useful.
posted by penguin pie at 3:47 AM on November 15, 2010
Experience Preferred But Not Essential at a seaside hotel in Wales set in the 60s.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:18 AM on November 15, 2010
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:18 AM on November 15, 2010
Cranford/Return To Cranford! A character driven miniseries (with some very tight-lipped humor) about the coming of modernity to a sleepy little town, controlled by a group of women. Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, my future husband Simon Woods, and a smattering of Michael Gambon.
posted by jph at 7:52 AM on November 15, 2010
posted by jph at 7:52 AM on November 15, 2010
Also, Carrington. Emma Thompson plays the painter Dora Carrington, who has a long and complex relationship with the writer Lytton Strachey. It occurs to me that this genre could otherwise be called "Emma Thompson breaking down in English country manors."
posted by jph at 7:56 AM on November 15, 2010
posted by jph at 7:56 AM on November 15, 2010
These are set in northern cities but not one of the no-nos on your list:
The original Get Carter, gangsters in Geordie-land. "You're a big man, but you're out of shape. With me it's a full time job. Now behave yourself."
Terence Davies' stuff about his own growing up in Liverpool or his recent documentary Of Time and the City
Son of Rambow is set in small-town Hertfordshire.\, not too sure what I thought of it, mind.
posted by Abiezer at 4:29 PM on November 15, 2010
The original Get Carter, gangsters in Geordie-land. "You're a big man, but you're out of shape. With me it's a full time job. Now behave yourself."
Terence Davies' stuff about his own growing up in Liverpool or his recent documentary Of Time and the City
Son of Rambow is set in small-town Hertfordshire.\, not too sure what I thought of it, mind.
posted by Abiezer at 4:29 PM on November 15, 2010
Swallows and Amazons is set in the Lake District. Link is to the 1974 movie.
posted by the latin mouse at 11:44 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by the latin mouse at 11:44 AM on November 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 6:16 PM on November 14, 2010