The History Boys (2006)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Nicholas Hytner

Writers:

Alan Bennett (screenplay)
Alan Bennett (play)

Release Date:

13 October 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Meet The Boys Who Are Making History!

Plot:

An unruly class of gifted and charming teenage boys pursue of sex, sport, and higher education.

Plot Keywords:

Class | Headmaster | Oxford | School | Student

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 win & 11 nominations

Cast

Samuel Anderson	...	Crowther
James Corden	...	Timms
Stephen Campbell Moore	...	Irwin
Richard Griffiths	...	Hector
Frances de la Tour	...	Mrs. Lintott
Andrew Knott	...	Lockwood
Russell Tovey	...	Rudge
Jamie Parker	...	Scripps
Dominic Cooper	...	Dakin
Samuel Barnett	...	Posner
Sacha Dhawan	...	Akhtar
Clive Merrison	...	The Headmaster
Penelope Wilton	...	Mrs. Bibby
Adrian Scarborough	...	Wilkes
Georgia Taylor	...	Fiona
Maggie McCarthy	...	Lollipop Lady
Colin Haigh	...	Oxford Porter
Iain Mitchell	...	Oxford Don
David Killick	...	Neighbouring Don
Patrick Godfrey	...	Sleeping Clergyman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Craig Carruthers	...	Postman (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicholas Hytner

Writing credits
Alan Bennett		(screenplay)
Alan Bennett		(play)

Produced by
Pádraig Cusack	....	producer: National Theatre
Nicholas Hytner	....	producer
Damian Jones	....	producer
Miles Ketley	....	executive producer
Kevin Loader	....	producer
Andrew Macdonald	....	executive producer
Charles Moore	....	executive producer
Allon Reich	....	executive producer
Julia Stannard	....	line producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George Fenton

Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Wilson

Casting by
Toby Whale

Production Design by
John Beard

Set Decoration by
Joanne Woollard

Costume Design by
Justine Luxton

Makeup Department
Elaina Conneely	....	hair stylist
Elaina Conneely	....	makeup artist
Daniel Phillips	....	hair designer
Daniel Phillips	....	makeup designer
Karen Scott	....	hair trainee
Karen Scott	....	makeup trainee

Production Management
Clare St. John	....	post-production supervisor: DNA Films
Maria Walker	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fiona Gosden	....	second assistant director
Sarah MacFarlane	....	first assistant director: second unit
Jack Ravenscroft	....	assistant director
John Wilson	....	second unit director
Harriet Worth	....	third assistant director

Art Department
James Collins	....	art department assistant
Bob Crowley	....	designer: National Theatre production
Rosie Goodwin	....	assistant prop buyer
Robert Judd	....	prop hand
Emily Lutyens	....	assistant art director
Harry Metcalfe	....	construction manager
Michael Povey	....	prop hand
Julian Searle	....	property master
Rebecca Thomas	....	art department trainee: FT2

Sound Department
Mark Appleby	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mat Bartram	....	ProTools
Paul Carr	....	foley mixer
Robert Farr	....	adr mixer
Charlotte Gray	....	production sound trainee
Sue Harding	....	foley artist (as Susie Harding)
Zane Hayward	....	supervising sound editor
John Midgley	....	production sound recordist
Clive Osborne	....	production sound maintenance
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer
Joakim Sundström	....	dialogue editor
Andy Thompson	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Michael Deming	....	digital film bureau
Rob Gordon	....	digital online editor
John Palmer	....	digital film bureau manager: Scanning and Laser record
Rus Wetherell	....	digital effects artist: CFX

Stunts
Rocky Taylor	....	stunt double: Hector

Camera and Electrical Department
David Ashby	....	grip
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Harry Bowers	....	second assistant camera
David Churchyard	....	camera loader: "b" camera
Dermot Hickey	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Rupert Lloyd-Parry	....	key grip (as Rupert Lloyd Parry)
Andy Long	....	gaffer
Nathan Mann	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Joseph Mastrangelo	....	camera trainee (as Joe Mastrangelo)
Chris McAleese	....	camera trainee
Mark Milsome	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Daniel Rake	....	trainee grip
William Tracey	....	rigging gaffer (as Bill Tracey)
Gerry Vasbenter	....	Steadicam operator
Gerry Vasbenter	....	camera operator
Gerry Vasbenter	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Gerry Vasbenter	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
Alastair Coomer	....	casting assistant: National Theatre

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lucy Donowho	....	wardrobe trainee
Peter Halston	....	wardrobe supervisor
Carol Lingwood	....	head of costume: National Theatre

Editorial Department
Matt Adams	....	digital intermediate producer
Chris Andrews	....	negative cutter
Sascha Dhillon	....	first assistant editor
Rob Gordon	....	digital on-line editor
Emily Greenwood	....	assistant digital on-line editor
Kelly Smith	....	negative cutter
Laurent Treherne	....	digital intermediate technical director

Music Department
Simon Chamberlain	....	music associate
James Collins	....	music engineer
James Collins	....	music scoring mixer
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Ian Neil	....	music supervisor
Emily Rogers	....	music editor
Richard Sisson	....	musical director

Transportation Department
John Bailey	....	facilities driver
Bullet	....	facilities driver
Ken Clarke	....	facilities driver
John D'Arcy	....	facilities driver
Ben Dillon	....	action vehicle coordinator
Wayne Fleetwood	....	facilities driver
Dean Macey	....	facilities driver
Don McLean	....	facilities driver
Peter Veldhoen	....	unit driver
Nigel Venables	....	facilities driver

Other crew
Luis Miguel Antunes	....	catering assistant
Lisa Armour-Brown	....	catering assistant
Gary Barnes	....	location assistant: Yorkshire
Isabel Begg	....	head of business and legal affairs: BBC Films
Carey Berlin	....	assistant to executive producer
James Biddle	....	production coordinator
Jason Breckenridge	....	catering assistant
Benjamin Collard	....	catering assistant
Rosamund Connelly	....	catering assistant
Raz Cunningham	....	production assistant
Jason Curtis	....	health and safety officer
Matt Curtis	....	title designer
Mark Cushman	....	location assistant
Maxine Davis	....	production accountant
Niamh Dilworth	....	assistant to the directors: National Theatre
Nicky Earnshaw	....	assistant production coordinator
Lyn Evans	....	chaperone
Marco Fugallo	....	catering assistant
Tilly Gerrard-Bannister	....	floor trainee
Keiko Hammonds	....	catering assistant
Frank Hannon	....	catering assistant
Linda Harman	....	chaperone
Jane Hawley	....	production executive: BBC Films
Sue Hills	....	script supervisor
Stephen Hussey	....	chaperone
Nicholas Hytner	....	director: National Theatre
Catherine T. James	....	catering assistant
Sylvan Janois	....	catering assistant (as Sylvain Jamois)
Steve Joberns	....	auditor
Georgina Kelly	....	assistant production accountant
Vanessa Kimberley	....	chaperone
Dick Knapman	....	laboratory contact: Todd-AO
Julis Lloyd	....	chaperone
Yoko Lytle	....	production trainee
Leila McAlister	....	caterer
Charles McDonald	....	publicist
Jacob Melton	....	production assistant: DNA Films
John Midgley	....	provider: walkie talkies
Liz Miller	....	unit publicist
Claire Mitchell	....	assistant production accountant
Derek Moss	....	location security
Kevin O'Shea	....	insurance: Aon/Albert G Ruben (as Kevin O'shea)
Emma Parker	....	assistant: David Thompson
Colin Pearce	....	laboratory contact: Soho Images
Tanya Phegan	....	assistant to executive producer
Laura Pomeroy	....	catering assistant
Rose Pomeroy	....	catering assistant
Carmen Saccone	....	catering assistant
Matthew Sanders	....	unit publicist (as Matthew Saunders)
Jaideep Shah	....	production trainee
Joanne Smith	....	general manager: DNA Films
Stevie Smith	....	writer: quotes from "Voices Against England in the Night"
Nick Starr	....	executive director: National Theatre
Nick Starr	....	floor runner
Ana Stillard	....	chaperone
Alex Sutherland	....	location manager
Kim Thomas	....	chaperone
Pamela Timmis	....	chaperone
Matthew Vizard	....	production coordinator
Jamie Voss	....	production assistant
Lisa Williams	....	assistant to producer
Jane Wright	....	head of rights and commercial affairs: BBC Films

Thanks
W.H. Auden	....	acknowledgment: quotations from "Musée des Beaux Arts" and "Lullaby"
Gina Brown	....	thanks: PFD
Maria Dawson	....	thanks: PFD
A.E. Housman	....	acknowledgment: quotations from "A Shropshire Lad" and "On Wenlock Edge the Wood's in Trouble"
Peter Joly	....	thanks: Goldcrest
Anthony Jones	....	thanks: PFD
Phillip Larkin	....	acknowledgment: quotations from "MCMXIV"

Production Companies

• Free Range Films
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• DNA Films
• Royal National Theatre
• UK Film Council

Distributors

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• FS Film Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2008) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Sarm Studios (West)  performed music recorded at
• Angel Recording Studios  music score recorded at
• One Post  digital intermediate
• Wiggin  production legal services
• AGN Shipleys  auditors
• Barn Owl Picture Company  negative checks and script clearance
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment supplied by
• Alpha Grip  grip equipment
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing equipment
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance
• McDonald and Rutter  publicity
• Ascent Media Group  post-production facilities
• Goldcrest Post Production London  post-production facilities
• Audiolink Radio Communications  sound equipment
• UK Computamatch  negative cutters
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Carlo Manzi Rentals  costume hiring
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script
• Media Safety  health and safety (medical services)
• MGM Cars  action vehicles
• Cyclone  couriers
• Lofty's Lab  stills laboratory
• Society of Authors, The  permission: quotes from A.E. Housman's "A Shropshire Lad" and "On Wenlock Edge the Wood's in Trouble"
• Curtis Brown Group  permission: quotes from W.H. Auden's "Musée des Beaux Arts" and "Lullaby"
• James McGibbon Estate  permission: quotes from Stevie Smith's "Voices against England in the Night"
• Faber & Faber  permission: quotes from Philip Larkin's "MCMXIV"
• Society of Authors, The  permission: quotes from Philip Larkin's "MCMXIV"
• Granada International  dialogue extract courtesy of: from "Brief Encounter"
• Korova Records  soundtrack
• National Trust, The  thanks
• Dulwich Picture Gallery  thanks
• Dulwich College  thanks
• Alleyn's School  thanks
• Latymer School  thanks
• James Allen's Girls' School  thanks
• Faber & Faber  thanks
• Penguin Books  thanks
• Taylor and Francis Group  thanks
• Phaidon Press  thanks
• The Random House Group  thanks
• Goldcrest Post Production London  thanks
• Screen Yorkshire  thanks
• Provost and Fellows of King's College  thanks
• St John's College  thanks
• Queens' College  thanks
• Trinity Hall  thanks
• Magdalen College, Oxford  thanks
• Corpus Christi College Oxford University  thanks
• Christ Church, Oxford  thanks
• Bodleian Library  thanks
• Divinity School, Oxford  thanks
• National Theatre, Staff of  thanks
• Staff and Pupils of Watford Grammar School for Boys  thanks
• Staff and Pupils of Watford Grammar School for Girls  thanks
• Rhino Records  soundtrack
• Warner Music Group  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-11 | South Korea:15 | Germany:o.Al. | Australia:M | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Belgrave Avenue, Claremount, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Free Range Films

Trivia:

The cast for this are the same cast who appeared in the original play at the National Theatre in London, UK.

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the mock interview scene, Scripps is nowhere to be seen. However, in the next scene when the boys are filing out of the classroom, he's walking along with Rudge and Lockwood.

Quotes:

Tom Irwin: You were quoting somebody. Auden, isn't it?
Timms: [Expansively] Was I, sir? Sometimes it just flows out, y'know, brims over!

Movie Connections:

References Gilda (1946)

Soundtrack:

Bye Bye Blackbird

A Brilliant Play Transforms Magically into a Brilliant Film

Anyone who can watch the rolling credits at the end of THE HISTORY BOYS without tearful eyes simply hasn't been paying attention to this intelligent, richly comic, philosophical and tender tale of eight boys ostensibly preparing for exams but also preparing for life. The writing by Alan Bennett closely adapted from his prize winning play that was on the boards of theaters around the globe before being captured for posterity on film is 'rich and strange' and so full of those values of achieving a true education that it serves not only the audience well but presents a gold standard for educators pondering how to transform their pupils into thinking, creative members of society.

Very briefly, THE HISTORY BOYS are eight brilliant but 'crass' young men in Cutler's Grammar School, each coming from backgrounds not considered 'quality' by the British class standards. These boys are rowdy but committed to gaining admission to Oxford - a step toward erasing their class standing and proving their worth. The headmaster (Clive Merrison), himself not too well educated, is bound to get these eight bright boys into the best schools and in that light he hires a new teacher Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore) to buff the boys into a classy group who will be able to pass their essays and oral examinations. The existing teachers are the testy, frank Mrs. Lintott (a fine Frances de la Tour) and the massively obese Hector (Richard Griffiths in a stunning performance) who teaches 'general studies', a time when he lovingly coaxes the boys to embrace poetry, music, sentimentality, drama, art, and in general everything that allows them to take the moment and live it fully. The boys are torn between Irwin's pragmatic 'teach them how to take exams' approach Hector's teach them how to embrace intelligence and life. Hector is known among the boys for fondling and the knowledge is accepted by the lads until Hector is seen fondling one of the boys on his motorbike and reported. This opens all manner of avenues of introspection, one of the boys confides to Irwin that he is homosexual, another of the lads declares that Irwin is gay and attempts a physical liaison with him, and the permutations move an down the line. But the exams come and the joy of accomplishing goals puts a different twist on matters and the ending is a touching as any on film.

The entire cast is the original group that started the play and in addition to the fine performances by the adults, the boys are extraordinarily fine: Dominic Cooper (Dakin), Jamie Parker (Scripps), Samuel Barnett (Posner), James Corden (Timms), Sacha Dhawan (Akhtar), Samuel Anderson (Crowther), Russell Tovey (Rudge), and Andrew Knott (Lockwood). There is an obvious camaraderie among the actors that obviously grew from their long association with the roles. But the most impressive performance is the polished veteran actor Richard Griffiths who has created a role that will long remain in everyone's heart long after the movie has passed playing. For this viewer this is one of the very finest films of the past year! Highly Recommended. Grady Harp