Coming Down the Mountain

Last updated

Coming Down the Mountain
Written by Mark Haddon
Directed by Julie Anne Robinson
Starring Nicholas Hoult
Tommy Jessop
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time90 mins
Production company Tiger Aspect Productions
Original release
Network BBC One
Release2 September 2007 (2007-09-02)

Coming Down the Mountain is a 2007 British television film which was shown on BBC One, written by Mark Haddon (author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ) and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. The television film was based on a radio play also written by Haddon.

Contents

Plot

David and Ben Philips are teenage brothers who live in London. Ben has Down syndrome. David resents the protective attention his parents lavish on his younger brother and how much they rely on him to look after Ben. The family move from London to Derbyshire so that Ben can attend a special school, meaning David has to leave his friends and girlfriend, Gail, behind. Ben makes friends and finds a girl friend. David has difficulty fitting into his new school, suffering at the hands of bullies. David discovers that Gail has moved on from him only five weeks after their break up, which leads him to self-harm. David decides to kill his brother. He takes Ben hitchhiking without telling his parents, and they camp in Snowdonia. Climbing the mountain, David plans to murder Ben by pushing him off a high ridge. At the top, David changes his mind, but, following taunting by Ben, pushes him in a fit of rage. Ben survives the fall relatively uninjured, but goes to hospital. David kidnaps him from hospital, but Ben stands up to him. He becomes the stronger character and, after an evening talking round the camp fire, David sees the real Ben for the first time and the brothers become reconciled. They both stand up to their parents' excessive molly coddling, so that both parents finally see Ben as a young adult, and family-life thus becomes far more relaxed and good-humoured. Ben explains that he has a girlfriend and wants to work on a farm. David writes to Alice - a girl he met while at Snowdonia - and the two bond.

Awards

Nominated for a BAFTA 2008 Winner of the RADAR People of the Year Human Rights Media AWARD 2008

Radio

In 2004, Haddon's original radio broadcast won Bronze for The Drama Award in the Sony Radio Academy Awards. [1]

Cast

Related Research Articles

Party of Five is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 episodes. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Scott Wolf as Bailey, Matthew Fox as Charlie, Neve Campbell as Julia, and Lacey Chabert as Claudia Salinger, who with their baby brother Owen constitute five siblings whom the series follows after the loss of their parents in a car accident. Notable co-stars included Scott Grimes, Paula Devicq, Michael Goorjian, Ben Browder, Jeremy London, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. While categorized as a series aimed at teenagers and young adults, Party of Five explored several mature themes, including substance and domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, mental illness, cancer, and the long-term effects of parental loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Hoult</span> English actor (born 1989)

Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor. His filmography includes supporting work in big-budget mainstream productions and starring roles in independent projects in American and British films. He has received several accolades, including nominations for a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gail Platt</span> Fictional character from Coronation Street

Gail Rodwell is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Helen Worth. The character first appeared on-screen on 29 July 1974. Gail is the daughter of Audrey Roberts and Ted Page and is the mother of Nick Tilsley, Sarah Platt and David Platt and has featured in some of the most controversial and high-profile storylines in the soap involving her family and her number of relationships — she is the soap's most married female character, having been married six times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Platt</span> Fictional character from Coronation Street

Martin Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Sean Wilson. His major storylines were a relationship with Gail Tilsley following the death of her husband Brian and the birth of their child David ; a feud with Gail's former mother-in-law Ivy Tilsley ; the adoption of Brian's children Sarah and Nick ; affairs with Cathy Power and Rebecca Hopkins ; his relationship with 16-year-old Katy Harris ; and his involvement in the rescue of Gail from her killer husband Richard Hillman. He left on 9 November 2005. In January 2018, it was confirmed that he would be returning for a short period. He returned on 22 March 2018 and left on 26 March 2018 to go to New Zealand with Robyn and Charlotte. In 2024 Wilson filmed scenes as part of Gail's exit storyline, which were scrapped after he left the role prematurely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Tilsley</span> Fictional character from Coronation Street

Nick Tilsley is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. He was born off screen during an episode broadcast on 31 December 1980, but made his first appearance on 5 January 1981. He was played by Warren Jackson from 1981 until 6 September 1996. Adam Rickitt took over the role on 15 October 1997 until 21 April 1999 but returned for three separate stints between 2002 and 2004 and made his final appearance as Nick on 11 July 2004. Ben Price took over the role on 21 December 2009. Price announced his intentions to leave the serial on 26 January 2017, before making his on-screen departure on 2 June 2017. However, on 23 April 2018, it was announced that Price would reprise his role as Nick, and he returned on 12 October 2018.

<i>Kid Millions</i> 1934 film by Roy Del Ruth

Kid Millions is a 1934 American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth, produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and starring Eddie Cantor. Its elaborate "Ice Cream Fantasy Finale" production number was filmed in three-strip Technicolor, one of the earliest uses of that process in a feature-length film.

The Giant of Thunder Mountain is a 1991 drama film starring Richard Kiel and Noley Thornton. Bart the Bear also appeared in the movie. The screenplay was jointly written by Richard Kiel, Chrystle Fiedler, and Tony Lozito. It was directed by James W. Roberson.

"The Abstinence" is the 143rd episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. This was the ninth episode for the eighth season, originally broadcast on the NBC network on November 21, 1996. This episode focuses on George and Elaine's experiments with sexual abstinence, which has a polar opposite effect on each one's intelligence. Meanwhile, Kramer's face becomes disfigured by smoke when he turns his apartment into a smoking lounge, prompting him to file a lawsuit against the tobacco companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip McKeon</span> American actor (1964–2019)

Philip Anthony McKeon was an American child actor and radio personality, best known for his role as Tommy Hyatt, the son of the title character on the television sitcom Alice from 1976 to 1985.

<i>Brothers</i> (2009 film) 2009 drama film

Brothers is a 2009 American psychological thriller war film directed by Jim Sheridan and written by David Benioff. A remake of the 2004 Danish film, it follows Captain Sam Cahill, a presumed-dead prisoner of the War in Afghanistan who deals with extreme PTSD while reintegrating into society following his release from captivity. The film also stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Cahill's brother and Natalie Portman as his wife. Both films take inspiration from Homer's epic poem the Odyssey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina McIntyre</span> Fictional character from Coronation Street

Tina McIntyre is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Michelle Keegan, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode that was shown 7 January 2008. The character was central to many key storylines relating to issues such as perjury, abortion and surrogacy, and had relationships with David Platt, Graeme Proctor, Tommy Duckworth, Dr. Matt Carter and Jason Grimshaw, and had an affair with married man Peter Barlow. Tina has also had feuds with Kylie Platt, Tracy Barlow and Kirsty Soames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Jessop</span> British actor

Thomas Jessop is a British actor. He is the first actor with Down syndrome to star in a primetime BBC drama, the first professional actor with Down syndrome to tour theatres as Hamlet, and the first to become a full voting member of BAFTA. In 2021, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of the Arts by the University of Winchester and became an Ambassador to Mencap and to the National Down syndrome Policy Group.

<i>The Crooked Circle</i> (1957 film) 1957 film by Joseph Kane

The Crooked Circle is a 1957 American drama film directed by Joseph Kane. The film was released in the wide-screen Naturama process by Republic Pictures.

<i>Twice Blessed</i> (film) 1945 film by Harry Beaumont

Twice Blessed is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Preston Foster, Gail Patrick, and Lee and Lyn Wilde. It was an MGM vehicle for the Wilde twins, who were first introduced in Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944).

<i>Young Ones</i> (film) 2014 film

Young Ones is a 2014 action science fiction film directed and written by Jake Paltrow. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, Michael Shannon and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on 18 January 2014. The film was released on 17 October 2014 in the United States.

<i>Equals</i> (film) 2015 American film by Drake Doremus

Equals is a 2015 American science fiction romantic drama film directed by Drake Doremus, produced by Michael Pruss, Chip Diggins, Ann Ruak, Michael Schaefer, and Jay Stern, and written by Nathan Parker from a story by Doremus. It stars Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart as two people living in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world where all the people are robotic, emotionless workers, and any sign of emotions is treated as a disease. Additional roles are played by Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver.

<i>True History of the Kelly Gang</i> (film) 2019 film

True History of the Kelly Gang is a 2019 bushranger film directed by Justin Kurzel, written by Shaun Grant, and based upon the 2000 novel of the same name by Peter Carey. A fictionalised account of the life of bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly, the film stars George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe.

<i>The Banker</i> (2020 film) Film by George Nolfi

The Banker is a 2020 American period drama film directed, co-written and produced by George Nolfi. The film stars Anthony Mackie, Nicholas Hoult, Nia Long, Jessie T. Usher and Samuel L. Jackson. The story follows Joe Morris (Jackson) and Bernard Garrett (Mackie), two of the first African-American bankers in the United States.

<i>The Garfield Movie</i> 2024 film by Mark Dindal

The Garfield Movie is a 2024 animated comedy film based on the comic strip Garfield created by Jim Davis. Directed by Mark Dindal from a screenplay by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, and David Reynolds, the film stars Chris Pratt as the voice of the titular character, alongside the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, and Snoop Dogg. In the film, Garfield is reunited with his long-lost father, a street cat named Vic, before being forced into joining him on a high-stakes adventure.

References

Reviews