Julian Fellowes Movies
An actor turned screenwriter whose sharp wit propelled him to an Oscar for his keen screenplay for Robert Altman's Gosford Park, Julian Fellowes had plenty of time to soak up the English upper crust's disdain for anything pop culture-related while growing up, and was sure to filter those observations in a script that crackled with bitter insight into England's upper-class master/servant relationships. Born to a diplomat father in England in 1954, Fellowes lived his early life in luxury. After receiving his primary schooling in Britain's prestigious Ampleforth, Fellowes studied English literature at Cambridge before enrolling in drama school at 21. As an aspiring actor, Fellowes found himself straddling the complicated class system as he resided in squalor during the week, only to return home and have the servants do his laundry on the weekend. Settling into a comfortable stint as a character actor, Fellowes alternated between film and television with roles in such films as Baby: The Secret of the Lost Legend (1985) and as Noel Coward in Goldeneye: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming (1989). Appearing in numerous miniseries and made-for-television films throughout the 1990s, Fellowes took his first stab at screenwriting in the 1994 miniseries Little Lord Fauntleroy. After hearing that famed director Robert Altman was seeking a screenwriter with a working knowledge of England's class system, Fellowes quickly shot to the top of a short list of potential writers for the film. With numerous personal stories from which to work, the now established screenwriter turned years of passive observation and quiet dissent into a stinging screenplay that would serve as a springboard for the talents of the film's noteworthy cast. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2013
Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld step into the roles of Romeo and Juliet in this reinvention of William Shakespeare's play from director Carlo Carlei (Fluke). Paul Giamatti co-stars. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hailee Steinfeld, Ed Westwick, (more)
- 2012
The family, save for Branson and little Sybil, head to a Scottish hunting lodge owned by Rose's parents. In other events, Mrs. Patmore is wooed by a local merchant; a new maid has eyes for Branson; and the staff takes in a fair in Thirsk, an event that also attracts Dr. Clarkson and Isobel. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
Mary and Violet set out to persuade Martha to save Downton; O'Brien and Thomas are at odds; Mrs. Hughes has a health scare that she shares with Mrs. Patmore; Isobel discovers that Ethel has turned to prostitution. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
Tom and the pregnant Sybil arrive at Downton after an incident in Ireland has left Tom a wanted man; Edith has a letter in support of women's suffrage published in a newspaper. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
Edith is asked to pen a newspaper column; Isobel offers Ethel a position in her household; Matthew questions the management of the estate; Sybil goes into labor while Dr. Clarkson and an esteemed obstetrician Robert hired disagree about the delivery. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
Cora and Robert stop speaking to each other; Branson decides to name his daughter Sybil and wishes to have her baptized as a Catholic, which doesn't go over well with Robert; Mrs. Patmore lends a hand to Ethel when the Crawley women are invited to Isobel's for lunch. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
Bates is freed from prison; Thomas makes a play for Jimmy; Branson's brother visits; Violet supports Edith's desire to become a journalist; Matthew discusses the mismanagement of the estate with Robert. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
Robert is keen on putting together a viable team for the annual cricket match against the town. In other events, Violet's great-niece Rose arrives for a stay; Carson wants to fire Thomas. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
The third season of "Downton Abbey" commences with the family and staff preparing for Mary and Matthew's wedding; and Cora's mother (Shirley MacLaine) arriving from the U.S. Robert, meanwhile, receives bad news about an investment; and O'Brien arranges for her nephew to become the new footman. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- 2012
The future of Downton Abbey rests on a letter written by Lavinia's late father to Matthew. In other events, Edith prepares for her wedding to Sir Anthony; Mrs. Hughes receives news from Dr. Clarkson; Bates has trouble with his cellmate; and Thomas feeds false information about O'Brien to Molesley. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
Director Jon Jones teams with screenwriter Julian Fellowes for this four-part mini-series centered on the tragic sinking of the Titanic. Glen Blackhall, Ruth Bradley, and Toby Jones star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
American tourist Frank (Johnny Depp) meets a mysterious beauty who drags him into a dangerous world of intrigue and espionage while traveling through Europe in director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's paranoid thriller. When Frank met Elise (Angelina Jolie) on the train, he thought it was a chance encounter. Little did Frank realize it was all part of a much bigger plan, one that would soon find him dodging bullets through both the historic streets of Paris and the winding canals of Venice. Now, the faster Frank and Elise run, the more intense their romance grows. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, (more)
A boy spending time with his family makes some very unusual friends in this comic fantasy from director Julian Fellowes. It's 1944, and Tolly (Alex Etel) is a boy from Manchester whose mother (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh) isn't convinced he's safe in the city while World War II is still on, especially since his father went missing while serving in battle. Tolly's mother sends him to spend a few months with his grandmother Linnet (Maggie Smith), who lives in a rattletrap home in the countryside; Tolly's father is her child, and Linnett is worried about his fate, one of the few things the boy's mother and grandmother can agree on. After spending a few days at Linnett's home, Tolly discovers a handful of spectral visitors and learns that the house is haunted. Linnett is on good terms with the spirits, who in life were members of the family, and as he gets to know the ghosts of stalwart Capt. Oldknow (Hugh Bonneville), his loyal wife Maria (Carice van Houten) and their children Susan (Eliza Bennett) and Sefton (Douglas Booth), he learns a great deal about the exciting but sometimes troubled history of the Oldknow Family. Also starring Timothy Spall and Pauline Collins, From Time To Time received its world premiere at the 2009 BFI London Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Director Jean-Marc Vallée takes the helm for this look at the turbulent early years of Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt), who was crowned at the age of 18, and whose ill-fated marriage to Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) would later prompt her into a life of mournful seclusion. Graham King and Martin Scorsese produce a film penned by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, (more)
A damaged relationship is stretched to its desperate limits in this drama. Anne (Emily Watson) and James (Tom Wilkinson) are a seemingly happy and prosperous British couple who divide their time between a flat in London and a house in the country. However, their marriage is not as contented as one might imagine, and for years James has turned a blind eye to just how deeply unhappy Anne has become with him. Their lives together reach a crossroads when Anne meets the handsome and charming Bill Bule (Rupert Everett); Anne becomes deeply infatuated with him, which only reinforces her dissatisfaction with James, but when the two become involved in an accident that kills another man, Bill drops out of the picture and James decides he must step forward to protect the woman he wed. Separate Lies was the directorial debut from screenwriter Julian Fellowes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, (more)
- 2005
Jim Crocker (Sam Rockwell) is an American ne'er-do-well living in England with his tolerant father, Bingley (Tom Wilkinson), and his snooty, social-climbing stepmother, Eugenia (Allison Janney). As the film opens, Jim has been fouling up Eugenia's efforts to obtain a peerage with his all-too-public drinking, carousing, and fighting. He's lived there ever since he lost his job writing a society column for a newspaper in New York. Due to his notoriety, the newspaper has continued running a column under his byline, "Piccadilly Jim," though he no longer writes it. He's fairly content in his debauchery until he runs into the comparatively refined Ann (Frances O'Connor), who, as it turns out, is the niece of Eugenia's sister and chief rival, Nesta (Brenda Blethyn). Jim is eager to meet Ann until he learns that she already hates Piccadilly Jim without having met him. Jim hatches an elaborate plot to win Ann's heart, posing as the upright son of his own butler, and traveling to America to stay with Nesta and her family, including her husband (and Ann's beloved uncle Peter [Austin Pendleton]), their obnoxious young son Ogden, and Ann and her potential fiancé, Reggie (Hugh Bonneville). As he sets out to win Ann's heart, Jim is shocked to discover that several other residents of the house are there under false pretenses, including his own father. Piccadilly Jim was adapted from P.G. Wodehouse's novel by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) and directed by John McKay (Crush). The film had its world premiere at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sam Rockwell
William Makepeace Thackeray's witty assessment of the British class system, as seen through the experiences of one young woman, is brought to the screen with some serious star power in this period comedy drama. Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) is a bright and ambitious girl born to a poor British family. Becky is determined to make something of herself however she can, and after accepting a job as a nanny for the children of the powerful and aristocratic Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins), she wastes no time ingratiating herself with the family. Pretty Becky catches the eye of Crawley's handsome and eligible son Rawdon (James Purefoy), and becomes chummy with sharp-tongued Aunt Matilda (Eileen Atkins). Between the two of them, Becky is introduced to London's most exclusive social circle, where she becomes re-acquainted with Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), a former school chum who is amused by Becky's efforts to scale the ladder of social influence. Becky weds Rawdon, but following initial happiness, the social and economic stability she dreamed of begins to collapse when he begins drowning his troubles in gambling and drink, and soon she turns to the powerful Marquess of Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) for support. Meanwhile, Amelia's fortunes fall even harder following the death of her husband. Vanity Fair was directed by Mira Nair, who enjoyed a surprise international success with 2002's Monsoon Wedding. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai, (more)
Maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman takes a witty and absorbing look at the foibles of the British class system in this intelligent murder mystery set in the early '30s. Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) are a pair of wealthy British socialites who have invited a variety of friends, relatives, and acquaintances to their mansion in the country for a weekend of hunting and relaxation. Among the honored guests are Constance (Maggie Smith), Lady Sylvia's matronly aunt; Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), William's cousin who is also a well-known actor and songwriter; and Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), an American film producer who is friendly with Ivor and researching an upcoming project. Observing the proceedings are the domestic staff of the mansion, including imperious butler Jennings (Alan Bates); footmen George (Richard E. Grant) and Arthur (Jeremy Swift); Probert (Derek Jacobi), a valet to Sir William; housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren); Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins), who oversees the kitchen; and Elsie (Emily Watson), a maid. Also on hand are the guests' personal servants, including Mary (Kelly Macdonald), Constance's maid; Henry (Ryan Phillippe), Weissman's valet; and Parks (Clive Owens), a butler. While the servants are required to display a high level of decorum, they are expected to be passive observers who do not comment on what they see, though the gossip among them travels thick and fast once they retire to the servants' quarters downstairs. And it turns out that there's plenty worth gossiping about, especially after Sir William turns up dead, and everyone is ordered to stay at the mansion while the police investigate the killing. Gosford Park also features Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, Natasha Wightman, and Ron Webster; the screenplay was written by Julian Fellowes, based on a story by Altman and co-star Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, (more)
Based on a true story, Aristocrats draws back the curtain on an 18th century English family near the summit of society, revealing a tapestry of romance, prejudice, infidelity, and revolution. The three-part TV miniseries follows the four Lennox sisters, daughters of Lord Richmond, from youth to middle age and beyond. They go through marriages, children, scandal, and intrigue as they decide what matters more: position or principle. Part one centers on three of the daughters -- Caroline, Emily, and Louisa -- as they entertain ideas of marrying solely for love, an idea abhorrent to their snooty parents. But in spite of the folks' protests ("What will people think?"), Caroline marries an untitled politician, Henry Fox, about twice her age. Emily chooses, God forbid, an Irishman. But because of his wealth and nobility, he becomes acceptable. Louisa also marries a wealthy Irish noble. Part two centers on the fourth daughter, Sarah. After her debut in London, the diffident Prince of Wales (the future King George III) falls in love with her, but unexpectedly marries another for political advantage. Sarah then rushes into a marriage. But because her cold, neglectful husband cannot provide what she wants most -- love and attention -- she beds with others and the family ostracizes her. In part three, miserable, guilt-ridden Sarah finds true love with a decent military man and reconciles herself with the family. Meanwhile, Caroline dies, and social upheaval in America, France, and Ireland opens the eyes of the surviving sisters to new ideas, and they and their families become embroiled in struggles between the masses and the privileged few. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi
- 1996
The Prince and the Pauper, Mark Twain's novel about adventure and intrigue in the court of Henry VIII, has been adapted countless times for films and television. In 1996, a six-part miniseries version was seen in the United Kingdom. As ever, the story was predicated upon the astonishing resemblance between Prince Edward, heir to the British throne, and Tom Canty, the low-born son of a scoundrelly thief (both parts were played on this occasion by Philip Sarson). Of the many subplots, the one taking up most of the screen time dealt with the combined efforts of Edward and Tom to restore the property and reputation of discredited nobleman Miles Herndon (James Purefoy). The story ended with the hapless Tom, posing as the Prince, very nearly being crowned king in Edward's absence. The Prince and the Pauper was adapted for television by Julian Fellowes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Philip Sarson, James Purefoy, (more)
Previously filmed in 1914, 1921, and 1936, and adapted for television in 1976 and 1980, Francis Hodgson Burnett's classic novel Little Lord Fauntleroy was again brought to the small screen by BBC1 in 1994. Largely taped on location at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, England, the familiar story concerned an outwardly all-American lad named Cedric (Michael Benz), who at the behest of his crusty, aristocratic grandfather (George Baker), was separated from his widowed mother and ensconced in rural England under the new title Lord Fauntleroy. Eventually, Cedric's down-to-earth goodness and sincerity melted the heart of his dour grandpa, and also served to confound a group of fortune-hunters who intended to sack the estate of its wealth. First shown in England in 1994, the six half-hour episodes of Little Lord Fauntleroy were seen on American cable TV in the summer of 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Benz
- 1995
A chase forms the basis of this Hitchcockian comedy thriller from Great Britain. Petty con-man Johnny Ryan makes a scant living playing three-card Monte on the streets of Bath. At the same time, Beatrice Baxter, a drug runner learns that she has a terminal illness and will die in six months. She decides she will go out with a bang and steals two million pounds from her dealers. While hiding out in a posh hotel, she involves herself with Johnny who is on the lam from the cops. Later the girl leaves him and takes off with Jennifer. Beatrice does this so she can set Jennifer up to replace her when the boys from the drug cartel come. But Jennifer is no fool and does a switcheroo of her own. She and Johnny leave Beatrice, whom they think is dead, and hightail it out of town with the police and the crooks in hot pursuit. Mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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