The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995), aside from being a mouthful of a title, is a sweet 90-minute film that was exactly the sort of palate cleanser I needed after spending the last week camping under the path of Hurricane Debby (along with all the resulting travel drama that caused).
I had seen it when it first came out nearly (yikes) 30 years ago, but hadn’t seen it since, so it might as well have been entirely new to me. In fact, it had been so long, that I had even forgotten it starred Hugh Grant and Colm Meaney. The story is uncomplicated: English surveyors Anson (Grant) and Garrod (Ian McNeice) arrive in the picturesque Welsh town Ffynnon Garw to measure the town’s one claim to fame in order to determine if it is, in fact, a mountain. The townsfolk are distressed by the notion that their mountain might in fact be just a hill, and they band together to ensure that the Englishmen stay long enough for them to somehow raise the mountain by close to 20 feet.
Hugh Grant’s cutesy stuttering and floopy hair are indeed charming, but the real pleasure is in watching the likes of Morgan the Goat (Meaney) and his compatriots putting aside their petty squabbles and pulling out all the stops to join forces in making sure their mountain stays a mountain. The costumes were designed by Janty Yates, who most recently costumed Napoleon (2023). Since we’re talking about rural Welsh townsfolk in 1917 at the tail end of the Great War, the costuming is pretty utilitarian.
All in all, it was a good, short watch. The entire film is a tad over 90 minutes — remember when 90-minute films used to be a thing? Me and my ADHD miss those days. If you’re also looking for a sweet, easy little flick that isn’t going to make you feel anything but warm fuzzies, then you can’t do much better than this one.
What do you think about The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995)? Tell us in the comments!
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Totally agree with you that Hugh Grant should always be cast as a baddie, preferably a camp baddie – I loved him in Paddington 2, but didn’t everyone?
I’ve always loved this movie. First of all, it was the start of my fangirling of Tara Fitzgerald. Secondly, Colm Meaney is so roguish and charming and sexy ( yes, I said sexy). Also, looking at those stills, I reminded just how beautiful Hugh Grant was.
I also find Colm Meaney sexy. Many don’t understand that beautiful isn’t the same as sexy.
I remember seeing a preview of this film at The Director’s Guild of America when it was about to be released, and thinking Hugh Grant was adorable, but that’s about all I remember. Tweedy sport clothes just don’t do it for me.