Official Movie Website Theatrical Release 11/21/06 (Limited) 12/22/96(St. Louis) Home Video 04/17/07 MPAA Rating Rated R for language and sexual content Running Time 1 hour 49 minutes Genre Comedy, Drama Director Nicholas Hytner Writer Alan Bennett Cast Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker, James Corden Studio Fox Searchlight Pictures |
THE HISTORY BOYS
SYNOPSIS
THE HISTORY BOYS tells the story of an unruly class
of bright, funny history students in pursuit of an
undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge.
Bounced between their maverick English master
(Richard Griffiths), a young and shrewd teacher
hired to up their test scores (Stephen Campbell
Moore), a grossly out-numbered history teacher
(Frances de la Tour), and a headmaster obsessed
with results (Clive Merrison), the boys attempt to sift
through it all to pass the daunting university
admissions process. Their journey becomes as
much about how education works, as it is about
where education leads.
The big screen adaptation of the five time Tony
award-winning play of the same name, THE HISTORY
BOYS utilizes the same talent that originally brought
the production to the stage. It is directed by Nicholas
Hytner from a script adapted for the screen by the
playwright Alan Bennett. The stage version
premiered to the world in London’s prestigious
National Theatre in 2004, winning audience and
critical acclaim alike including Laurence Olivier
Awards for Best New Play, Best Director (Nicholas
Hytner) and Best Actor (Richard Griffiths), as well as
Evening Standard and Critics Circle Awards for Best
Play. The production will premiere on Broadway in
the spring of 2006.
THE HISTORY BOYS tells the story of an unruly class
of bright, funny history students in pursuit of an
undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge.
Bounced between their maverick English master
(Richard Griffiths), a young and shrewd teacher
hired to up their test scores (Stephen Campbell
Moore), a grossly out-numbered history teacher
(Frances de la Tour), and a headmaster obsessed
with results (Clive Merrison), the boys attempt to sift
through it all to pass the daunting university
admissions process. Their journey becomes as
much about how education works, as it is about
where education leads.
The big screen adaptation of the five time Tony
award-winning play of the same name, THE HISTORY
BOYS utilizes the same talent that originally brought
the production to the stage. It is directed by Nicholas
Hytner from a script adapted for the screen by the
playwright Alan Bennett. The stage version
premiered to the world in London’s prestigious
National Theatre in 2004, winning audience and
critical acclaim alike including Laurence Olivier
Awards for Best New Play, Best Director (Nicholas
Hytner) and Best Actor (Richard Griffiths), as well as
Evening Standard and Critics Circle Awards for Best
Play. The production will premiere on Broadway in
the spring of 2006.
© 2003 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
| ST. LOUIS MOVIE REVIEW WEEKLY |
The key cast of the film remains the same as the original stage version led by Richard Griffiths, Clive
Merrison, Frances de la Tour, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic
Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker and James Corden. THE HISTORY
BOYS is produced by Kevin Loader (ENDURING LOVE, CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN), Damian Jones
(MILLIONS, WELCOME TO SARAJEVO) and Nicholas Hytner.
A distinguished British screenwriter, playwright and actor, Alan Bennett recently won his fourth Olivier
Award for Best New Play for “The History Boys.” Previously he won two Oliviers for “Talking Heads” in
1992 and one for “Single Spies” in 1989. In addition to being nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA Award and
a Writers Guild of America Award for the feature film THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, Bennett won a
Writers Guild of Great Britain Award. He has been nominated for eight BAFTA TV Awards and won one for
“A Question of Attribution,” and received three BAFTA Film nominations. Bennett began his career as an
actor and writer for the "Beyond the Fringe" comedy troupe, which also included Dudley Moore, Peter
Cook, and Jonathan Miller.
Nicholas Hytner won a BAFTA Award for Best British Film for THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE. He earned
both a Tony and an Olivier Award for his direction of “Carousel” and an Olivier Award for “The History
Boys.” He was awarded the 1989 London Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics Circle
Theatre Award for Best Director for “Miss Saigon” and “Ghetto.” Hytner’s feature film directorial credits
also include THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION and THE CRUCIBLE. Hytner is Artistic Director of London’s
National Theatre. -- © Fox Searchlight Pictures
Merrison, Frances de la Tour, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic
Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker and James Corden. THE HISTORY
BOYS is produced by Kevin Loader (ENDURING LOVE, CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN), Damian Jones
(MILLIONS, WELCOME TO SARAJEVO) and Nicholas Hytner.
A distinguished British screenwriter, playwright and actor, Alan Bennett recently won his fourth Olivier
Award for Best New Play for “The History Boys.” Previously he won two Oliviers for “Talking Heads” in
1992 and one for “Single Spies” in 1989. In addition to being nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA Award and
a Writers Guild of America Award for the feature film THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, Bennett won a
Writers Guild of Great Britain Award. He has been nominated for eight BAFTA TV Awards and won one for
“A Question of Attribution,” and received three BAFTA Film nominations. Bennett began his career as an
actor and writer for the "Beyond the Fringe" comedy troupe, which also included Dudley Moore, Peter
Cook, and Jonathan Miller.
Nicholas Hytner won a BAFTA Award for Best British Film for THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE. He earned
both a Tony and an Olivier Award for his direction of “Carousel” and an Olivier Award for “The History
Boys.” He was awarded the 1989 London Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics Circle
Theatre Award for Best Director for “Miss Saigon” and “Ghetto.” Hytner’s feature film directorial credits
also include THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION and THE CRUCIBLE. Hytner is Artistic Director of London’s
National Theatre. -- © Fox Searchlight Pictures