MovieChat Forums > The Holiday (2006) Discussion > Hollywood re-writes England again

Hollywood re-writes England again

posted 15 years ago by Cedric_Catsuits
43 replies | jump to latest

Cary Grant - as everyone knows - was from Bristol. Typical bloody Hollywood re-writing history! And what exactly is the point of lying about this?

In fact, why was this even 'set' in Surrey - that cottage isn't within 100 miles of Surrey, nor is the stately home masquerading as a restaurant. The cottage looks like it might be in the midlands, as it looks like ironstone. The interior is from another country - no way is that authentic. The plastic beams would be more at home in a mediaeval church.

The stately home doesn't look typical Surrey either - maybe Cotswolds? And as for the snow ... where do they get this idea that it's always snowing here?!

Bloody Americans!

[–] SataiDelen 14 years ago

OK, to all the Brits on this board who seem to think they're better than everyone else... get off your high horses.

You think your country, towns, villages, or anything else are the only places that Hollywood has screwed up in its films? Think again. Hollywood doesn't believe in realism. It believes in selling the fairy-tale, whatever the price.

You want realism? Go watch an Indie film!

One very good example of a movie that Hollywood ROYALLY screwed with, is the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." This movie is based on the premise that it is set in Chicago. Well, surprise, surprise... where was it actually filmed? Try CANADA. Except for the Chicago Bridge, and a few iconic Chicago buildings, the ENTIRE MOVIE was filmed in CANADA. What's real or authentic about that, hmm....?

So, my dears, don't think your so special that Hollywood is rewriting your buildings and settings and what have you.

"Bloody Americans," indeed. Not all Americans are what you see in Hollywood. I don't go around saying, "Damn Brits," so please don't lump all Americans into one category. It's ignorant, and it's rude.

Edited for Spelling.

[–] IvritChick 14 years ago

While it was obvious from the landscape that that was not East Anglia I didn't really mind because I was just looking for light entertainment on the tv not highbrow. The only thing that annoys me in American representations of this country is that they populate their fantasy England with upper middle class south easterners and fake lower class east enders or mancunians. The result of this is that many Americans when faced with an English person that doesn't fit into this cateogory looks a little dumb and the regional accent (no matter how subtle the difference) feels insulted. I came across this last year and found that my East Midlands tongue was not comprehensible to all but one New Yorker I was working with and that another girls middle class Essex accent was "really funny", no idea what would have happened if a west country girl appeared. It would be understandable if English was not your native language, if Kiwis and Aussies can understand where we come from then why can't America? I mean we have no problem understanding all your regional accents.

[–] Val-El 14 years ago

I mean we have no problem understanding all your regional accents.

I bet you wouldn't understand!
I live in the USA and I certainly can't understand all of the accents!

[–] IvritChick 14 years ago

Hun, if you can understand the most slang laden Scottish brogue, you can understand pretty much anything. I've been through and talked through southern states, town and country and never had any trouble listening at all, same goes for Illonois, California, the north west, New England.... everything above and below the mason dixon line I've heard and understood them all. There are so many accents concentrated in such a small area here that you either learn how to listen or you don't communicate at all, not to mention that American programming dominates the tv schedules.

[–] Val-El 12 years ago

IvritChick - Bill Cosby (when he used to be a great comedian) did a routine on two drunks talking to each other in a bus. It was absolute genius! I defy anyone to understand that conversation!

The sad truth is that I've heard stuff similar to that and never knew what was being said!

[–] buxtehude99 12 years ago

We don't try.

[–] pc-daisy 11 years ago

Because they just don't bother to or don't have to because things are presented in a certain way. And this is pandered to by the marketeers who change the fundamentals of movies to appeal to the common denominator audience. Like Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and dialogue in the Aussie classic The Castle. To be fair, do average Americans demand this, or do they simply have this thrust upon them by the distributors who think the movie will suffer financially because Americans from certain areas and socio groups won't understand it, feel challenged and not tell their friends to see it?

[–] MarkAnthony1990 14 years ago

Since when are movies always filmed exactly where they're set anyway.

Babies kill TV shows!

[–] morrowmmm 14 years ago

I'm sitting watching this piece of *beep* Yes it's playing as I write this as it means I can get away from it for a while.
Over two hours! I'm at one hour and it's like watching paint dry.
It is unbelievably awful.
Now back to it. I'm determined to sit though it since I been given the DVD.
Now I know why!

[–] lizcarlo87 13 years ago

Hollywood does same thing to Americans stop being sensitive winy baby. This movie was fantasy its entertainment.

[–] HeavyHeartToCarry 13 years ago

^^^ Exactly. What I find hilariously hypocritical is how people stereotype Americans in the process of complaining about being stereotyped. It's so obnoxiously stupid.

"A true leader does what is right, no matter what others think." - Dumbledore

[–] ArcherAdam 13 years ago

Cedric,

Most of us are smart enough to know that most people in England don't actually live in cute little quaint cottages that stepped straight out of a Dickens-era Christmas card. Hollywood is romanticizing an already romanticized holiday for theatrics.

Also, it may interest you to know that it doesn't snow in most places in the US at Christmas, either. That doesn't stop Hollywood from churning out Christmas movie after Christmas movie that would make you think a blizzard blows through much of the country every December 24th.

As for goofs, all movies have them - yep, even British films. Mistakes in facts, mistakes in filming, mistakes in geography, etc. That's why IMDB has an entire section related to goofs for each and every film in the directory.

It's a cute, harmless holiday movie that uses snow and an idyllic cottage in rural England for a particular look and feel the Director wants to achieve; It's not a history or geography lesson. You seem a little high-strung. Perhaps Yoga might help?

[–] eanderson35145 13 years ago

Agreed!

I take offense to "bloody Americans." Come on: It's a movie, and, hey, if you're going to say "bloody" anyone, just say "bloody Hollywood" or "bloody screenwriters." There's no need to include all of us in your anger at a *movie,* which honestly is a silly thing to get angry about unless it's highly offensive. (Yes, this is somewhat unrealistic, but you can't make me believe it's offensive.)

I realize we as a country can be arrogant and selfish, trust me. I get angry about it myself. But we as individual people are just not like that.

It's just a movie. Please chill. And there's really no need for anyone to get so offensive in a discussion about a *movie.* Honestly.

[–] jporter-6 12 years ago

Well, go raise your own money, make your own film, and show it only in the UK. Then you can have your own British criticizing you. Twit.

[–] Jane2005 12 years ago

>>Typical bloody Hollywood re-writing history! And what exactly is the point of lying about this? Bloody Americans! <<

I can't tell you about the Cary Grant thing. That does seem like an odd change to make. However, Hollywood takes creative license with EVERYTHING. Stories set in space, stuffed animals that talk, etc. Many scenes that are suppose to be set in some American city don't portray that city accurately. It's just Hollywood. It's for entertainment.

I'm sure bin Laden's neighbors in Zero Dark Thirty are pissed that Hollywood portrayed their 'hood as they did.

Go figure a Brit would take things so seriously to be offended by a romantic comedy. Give me an Aussie any day. More fun.

Keep calm and Cary on, Cedric.

-Jane

[–] markthomas26 12 years ago

I'm English and the OP is such an idiot.

For one they don't explicitly say that he was born in Surrey, rather from Surrey, so I'm not bothered by that at all.

Second, you do get homes/cottages like that, as well as stately hotels/restaurants in the countryside. Including Surrey.

Third , maybe, just maybe it was snowing because the film was set during the winter months around Christmas. It does get cold in winter you know?

The stupidity and senseless bashing by some people is astounding. More importantly who cares?

and a COKE.... I'm sorted

[–] pc-daisy 11 years ago

I'm an Aussie and I loved your response. I think this comes under the heading of 'a first world problem'? Further up the message stream I commented that the racism was disgusting, but you made your point so much better than I did.

BTW, Hollywood never, ever gets us right. But then neither does some Aussie filmmakers either. Don't get me started on Baz Lurhman's misfire film 'Australia'.

Just wrong, wrong, wrong!!

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 11 years ago

Most Americans (people like myself excepted, of course) would have trouble finding the little British archipelago on a map- at least the scriptwriters were aware that there IS an England. Be grateful for small favours.

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae