Review of The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995) by Lyndon G — 24 Dec 2007
Who cares? It's the story of a small town in Wales that prides itself in having the first mountain inside the Welsh border. Everyone is thunderstruck to learn from surveyors that by current standards the mountain is in fact a hill.
In order to make their landmark appear on the map, the villagers agree to overcome their differences and build a 20 foot mound on top of the hill to turn it into a mountain. This savory tale is essentially what you get, plus Hugh Grant, the surveyor's assistant.
The plot sounds different, but the story is very similar to the one in Chocolat, with a local church taking jokes and providing moral support. It has a frame a lot like the one in The Princess Bride, which I saw the day before--a grandfather telling a story to a grandson.
By the end of the movie I cared, and I even quite liked the minimal romance that seemed either tacked on (hey, the romantic leads are both appealing) or modestly retiring. It's still a movie about a village "building a mountain," though.
A few bits of subtle humor about English and Welsh aside, the movie is moderately funny at best, unless you're older and more cultured than I am, which according to raves on the cover is entirely possible.
This review of The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995) was written by Lyndon G on 24 Dec 2007.
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain has generally received positive reviews.
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