MovieChat Forums > Bright Star (2009) Discussion > Paul Schneider's Accent

Paul Schneider's Accent


I'm American, so I can't identify the various regional British accents, but Mr. Brown doesn't sound as though he'd be from London (which apparently the actual Mr. Brown was). To my ear, Schneider sounds like he's using an accent similar to the Yorkshire(?) accent from the BBC's North & South. Am I wrong about the accent not being a London accent? Is it a good accent from another region? Or it is just a botched accent?

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It's supposed to be a Scottish accent. (Also the reason he wore Scottish oriented clothes in the film). There seems to be some controversy surrounding whether his accent should have been Scottish to begin with because Mr. Brown didn't remain in that particular area his entire life and his accent would probably have been different. I defer to someone else who may know more about Mr. Brown and his travelings. Whether the accent is 'botched' or not will have to be deferred to those who know best and I'm not one of them! Some have said it's believeable and others say not.

I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini.

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Thanks! I went to Wikipedia and saw that he was born in London without really any information as to where he "grew up" so to speak (I also assumed the article was accurate). I should have recognized that it was supposed a Scottish accent, not a northern one.

To my untrained ear his Scottish accent sounds more authentic than Donald Sutherland's British accent sound in Pride & Prejudice 2005.

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Yes I've read the Wiki article as well. I don't know how accurate it is. I've not read the book that Campion read in reference to Keat's life. Apparently it's much more detailed and Brown had to have spent time in Scotland in order for her to make his 'character' more Scottish?

I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini.

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In my opinion, the fact that his accent is Scottish is just completely inaccurate. He wasn't born there, and he didn't grow up there. And spending long holiday's up there wouldn't make his voice go Scottish, otherwise Keats would be Scottish as well.

I have a feeling Campion maybe like's the Scottish-Victorian thing. Both her lead characters are Scottish in The Piano. And the Victorians (although Bright Star is earlier then that) had this thing about Scottish culture...so maybe thats where it comes from?

Also, it probably sounds a bit badly informed, but maybe she liked the "character of the accent"? Brown is sort of cynical, selfish, red-blooded...maybe she felt it would fit better then an English accent?

"A film is-or should be-more like music than like fiction..." Stanley Kubrick

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He sounded Scottish half the time.

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