Talk:Withnail and I

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[edit] Trivia

Quote: blue motorway signs dating from well after the sixties are also visible

Hmm. In what way do they date from "well after the sixties"? Blue motorway signs are featured in the 1960 edition of the Royal Automobile Club Guide and Handbook (the first motorways opened in 1958-59). -- Picapica 09:35, 29 May 2005 (UTC)

There signs for the M25 which wasn't there at the time

[edit] Too Much Trivia

Following up on the "too much trivia" note, I have trimmed down the trivia section. The items I have removed (and reasons why) are listed here.

• After eating the potatoes which Withnail digs up, Marwood can be seen reading a book titled Journey's End. Whilst this can be interpreted as a sign of things to come for the pair, it also shares certain elements with the film itself: one of the characters is an unreliable alcoholic who comes into conflict with a friend and one of the characters dies, leaving the other to face the rest of the war by themself. In much the same way, it could be said that Marwood is leaving Withnail to face the rest of his life by himself.

This is interpretation, and not encyclopaedic. It also totally misses the point that Marwood is reading Journey's End because it is the play he is trying out for (and eventually gets the lead role in at the end of the film).

• A scene which never made the final cut involved Marwood and Withnail fencing. Marwood was the eventual winner.

Deleted scenes are not encyclopaedic.

• Bruce Robinson has said that there are two lines in the script which had to be perfect. If the actors got them as he imagined then the film as a whole would work. One is the Policeman shouting "Get in the back of the van!"; the other is Withnail saying "Fork it!" The first time Grant did it Robinson began to roar with approval, but Grant could never match the first take so the scene in the film is the first take but the rest of the scene is cut to cover the director's outburst.

I've read this story elsewhere, but it makes reference only to the 'fork it' line, not 'get in the back of the van'. Although this could be an interesting piece of trivia, I'm not convinced it isn't made up. It can live here for now.

• Also, Monty's full name, Montague Withnail, may refer to the fictional Montague clan in Romeo and Juliet, which Robinson's character in the film version is allied to.

"May" is not encyclopaedic. And without a citation, this is probably nonsense.

• There is a drinking game associated with Withnail & I, popular amongst fans. The game consists of keeping up, drink for drink, with each and every alcoholic (and other) substance consumed by Withnail and Marwood over the course of the film. Most players may simply drink their beverage of choice regardless of what the characters consume, though this is viewed by the more "hardcore" Withnail & I fans as an "easy way out." All told, Withnail is shown drinking roughly 9½ glasses of red wine, half a pint of cider, 1 shot of lighter fluid (vinegar or overproof rum are recommended substitutes), 2½ shots of gin, 6 glasses of sherry, 13 glasses of whisky and half a pint of ale. Since the whisky alone would be more than enough to necessitate a trip to hospital for most people, few, if any, keep pace for the entire film.

The drinking game is a big part of 'Withnail and I' and is how many people first discover the film - this deserves its own section (which I'll add shortly).

• The wolves at London Zoo to whom Withnail recites Hamlet at the end of the film also appear in the film An American Werewolf in London.

Who says? Who cares? :-)

Marwood 09:57, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Alternative ending

A flim studies graduate friend says:

"I don't know where Wikipedia get that from - Bruce Robinson has certainly never mentioned that and I have way more Bruce interviews than is healthy. I'm way too obsessed with him and his films, this one especially."

Request a citation. Joe D (t) 13:37, 5 January 2006 (UTC)

Robinson mentions the ending in "Smoking in Bed: Conversations with Bruce Robinson". I've added a citation. 80.93.170.99 08:32, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Background

Much of the latter half of this section seems to be mostly an interpretation which is unsuitable for an encyclopedia. Specifically:

Quote: At one point, towards the end of the film, Withnail says 'There's always time for a drink' to which Marwood quickly and bluntly replies ' No, I don't have the time.' Marwood is not merely telling Withnail that he doesn't have time for a drink; but rather, he no longer has time for him. Whereas before, Marwood always had time for a drink (as is evident throughout the film) this is no longer the case. In refusing to drink with him, Marwood is implicitly telling Withnail that their time together is over; their friendship has come to an end.

Rather than bieng a statement of fact, it reads more like an interpretation. I would suggest the removal of this, and a reworking of this whole section.

Mister B.

I agree - do please go ahead. --A bit iffy 09:02, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Upon Further reading, I suggest the complete removal of this section as it adds little to the article. Mister B. 19:46, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

As no-one has responded negatively to this suggestion, I am going to remove the section Mister B. 05:30, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] needs more work

Much of the trivia section is more like interpretation. I have nothing against having analysis in articles but not sure how this fits the Wikipedia format. The discussion of 'Journey's End' misses the point that Marwood is reading for the part which he secures at the end of the film.Piersmasterson 16:33, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Character names

Quote: In the same scene, Monty seemingly refers to Withnail as "Nathan".

In which line is this exactly? I can't hear it while watching the scene through in one of the DVD versions -- JackMcJiggins 07:35, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Original Research

Does anyone else feel that most of the 'Background' section is original research/interpretation rather than factual and encyclopaedic? Marwood 11:14, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

I reluctantly agree. It would appear, looking above, that this has already been discussed, and looking at the article history, Mister B. removed it following on from that. It was promptly replaced with an 'rv vandal' comment, perhaps in haste. I'd suggest removing it again, or I will if it's still there when I have more time. CiaranG 21:42, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Done. CiaranG 23:31, 11 December 2006 (UTC)