Longitude (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Charles Sturridge

Writers:

Dava Sobel (book)
Charles Sturridge (writer)

Release Date:

2 January 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Parallel stories: 18th century Harrison builds the marine chronometer for safe navigation at sea; 20th century Gould is obsessed with restoring it.

Plot Keywords:

Clock | Sea | Navigation | Parallel Story | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Coy	...	Adm. Sir Cloudsley Shovell
Christopher Hodsol	...	Capt. Ainsley
Jeremy Irons	...	Rupert Gould
Peter Cartwright	...	Army Doctor
Gemma Jones	...	Elizabeth Harrison
John Nettleton	...	Minister for the Navy
Michael Gambon	...	John Harrison
Nigel Davenport	...	Sir Charles Pelham
Liam Jennings	...	Young William Harrison
Anna Chancellor	...	Muriel Gould
Frank Finlay	...	Adm. Wagner
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Estate Manager
Andrew Scott	...	John Campbell
John Standing	...	Capt. Proctor
John Wood	...	Sir Edmund Halley
David Wood	...	Ditton
Mark Tandy	...	Whiston
Stephen Fry	...	Sir Kenelm Digby
Samuel West	...	Nevil Maskelyne
Robert Demeger	...	Observatory Porter
Ian McNeice	...	Dr Bliss
Sophie Millett	...	Dyson's Secretary
Bill Nighy	...	Lord Sandwich
Brian Cox	...	Lord Morton
Peter Vaughan	...	George Graham
Sarah Badel	...	Society Lady
Clive Francis	...	Capt. Digges
Alec McCowen	...	Sir Frank Dyson
Tim McInnerny	...	Christopher Irwin
Stephen Simms	...	James Harrison
Lucy Akhurst	...	Nurse Grace Ingram
Cliff Parisi	...	Lt. Draper
Rupert Baker	...	Lt. Bertie
Charles Gray	...	Adm. Balchen
Trevor Cooper	...	Roger Willis
William Scott-Masson	...	Lt. Knorvler
William Thomas	...	Arthur Mason
Ian Burfield	...	Jos Killick
John Quentin	...	Dr. Bradley
Alfred Burke	...	Rear Admiral
Michael Cochrane	...	Waddington, Gould's solicitor
Ian Hart	...	William Harrison
John Leeson	...	BBC Radio Producer
Nick Reding	...	Capt. Campbell
Peter Penry-Jones	...	Surgeon
Charles Edwards	...	Lt. Seward
Gary Waldhorn	...	Commdre. Forrest
Frederick Warder	...	Bosun
Sasha Hails	...	BBC PA
John Normington	...	Mr. Greene
Pip Torrens	...	Capt. Lindsay
Frederick Treves	...	Governor
Rebecca Clay	...	Observatory Assistant
Richard Janes	...	Young Assistant
Faith Kent	...	Lady Curator
Nicholas Rowe	...	King George
Heike Makatsch	...	Queen Charlotte
John Quayle	...	Dr. Demainbray
James Bradshaw	...	Callboy
T.P. McKenna	...	Edmund Burke
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kelvin Cook	...	Carpenter
Peter-Hugo Daly	...	John Jefferies (as Peter Hugo Daly)
Eliza Darby	...	Portugese Child
Duane Fierro	...	Naval Captain
Daniela Lavender	...	Courtesan
Barbara Leigh-Hunt	...	Dodo Gould (as Barbara Leigh Hunt)
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Capt. Man (as Roger Lloyd Pack)
Gavin Molloy	...	Marine
Clare Moody	...	Staff Nurse
Daragh O'Malley	...	Capt. Bourke (also as Darragh O'Malley)
Steven Alvey	...	Learmouth (uncredited)
David Cheeseman	...	Clock Box Carrier (1 of 4) (uncredited)
Joel French	...	WW1 Soldier (uncredited)
Matt Humphrey	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Lara Imogen	...	Blonde Girl (uncredited)
Ben Jones	...	Lt. Williams (uncredited)
Emma Kay	...	Laura Gurney (uncredited)
Rose Keegan	...	Amy (uncredited)
Kristen Lippincott	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Clare McCarron	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Colin McCormack	...	Inn Landlord (uncredited)
Tobias Menzies	...	Halley's Secretary (uncredited)
Steve Morphew	...	Marine (uncredited)
Hugh Simon	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Joe Williams	...	Cecil Gould (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Sturridge

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dava Sobel		book
Charles Sturridge		writer

Produced by
Pippa Cross	....	executive producer
Delia Fine	....	executive producer: A&E
Selwyn Roberts	....	producer
Antony Root	....	executive producer
Kris Slava	....	supervising producer: A&E

Original Music by
Geoffrey Burgon

Cinematography by
Peter Hannan

Film Editing by
Peter Coulson

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Eileen Diss
Chris Lowe

Costume Design by
Shirley Russell

Makeup Department
Helen Barrett	....	makeup artist
Christine Beveridge	....	chief hair stylist (as Chrissie Beveridge)
Christine Beveridge	....	key makeup artist (as Chrissie Beveridge)
Demelza Rogers	....	hair stylist
Demelza Rogers	....	makeup artist
Loulia Sheppard	....	hair stylist
Loulia Sheppard	....	wig stylist
Jeremy Woodhead	....	makeup artist

Production Management
J. Rainey	....	production manager: Antigua unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Duthie	....	first assistant director
Mike Hanley	....	third assistant director
Candy Marlowe	....	crowd second assistant director
Selwyn Roberts	....	second unit director
Beni Turkson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Robert Brown	....	construction manager
Kelvin Cook	....	props
Colin Ellis	....	dressing prop
James Foster	....	assistant art director
John Greaves	....	storyboard artist
Philippa Hart	....	set dresser
Dougie Lankston	....	props
Mitch Niclas	....	stand-by props
Allen J. Polley	....	property master (as Allen Polley)
Mark Rimmell	....	production buyer
Matthew Robinson	....	assistant art director
Paul Turner	....	stand-by props
Stuart Watson	....	construction manager
Howard Weaver	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Julie Ankerson	....	foley artist
Philip Barnes	....	digital sound editor (as Phil Barnes)
Orin Beaton	....	boom operator
Ben Brazier	....	sound editor
Kevin Brazier	....	digital sound editor
Robert Brazier	....	additional foley mixer
Kent Gibson	....	sound designer
Kent Gibson	....	sound supervisor
Paul Golding	....	sound recording engineer
Stephen Griffiths	....	digital sound editor
Dave Humphries	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Rodda	....	sound recordist
Alan Sallabank	....	sound re-recording mixer
Trevor Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Trevor Swanscott	....	foley mixer

Special Effects by
Ben Broadbridge	....	special effects crew
Mark Holt	....	special effects supervisor
Jeremy Lovett	....	special effects senior technician: model unit
Jody Taylor	....	special effects technician
Alexander Gunn	....	special effects senior technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
William Bartlett	....	visual effects supervisor
Roy Field	....	director of photography: model unit
Martin Gutteridge	....	model effects supervisor
Sharon Lock	....	digital effects artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Collins	....	director of photography: second unit
Danny Espey	....	practical electrician
Mark Evans	....	gaffer: second unit
John Ferguson	....	focus puller
Gary Hymns	....	grip
Peter Lamb	....	rigging gaffer
Adam Lee	....	electrician
Oliver Loncraine	....	clapper loader
Brian Martin	....	best boy
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Chris Pinnock	....	director of photography: second unit
Sean Savage	....	camera operator
Simon Werry	....	aerial cameraman
J. Glyn Williams	....	assistant camera: second unit
Micky Wilson	....	electrical gaffer

Casting Department
Alex Johnson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Allan Hay	....	costumer
Rosemary Lis	....	costume assistant
Gerald Moulin	....	wardrobe assistant
Richard Pointing	....	costume supervisor
Pat Williamson	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Matthew Briggs	....	assembly editor
Adam Green	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Geoffrey Burgon	....	conductor
Paul Golding	....	music scoring engineer
Lewis Jones	....	assistant music engineer

Other crew
Tessa Beazley	....	production secretary
Jonathan Betts	....	advisor: Rupert Gould
Bill Darby	....	location manager
Teresa Darby	....	location manager (as Teresa Hidalgo)
R.H. Davies	....	marine coordinator (as Robin Davies)
John Edger	....	advisor: watches and clocks
Philippa Hart	....	researcher
Kathy Hughes	....	script supervisor
Andrew King	....	advisor: Harrison clock
Andrew MacLean	....	assistant accountant
Jon Miller	....	assistant accountant
Tony Miller	....	production accountant
Bill Shephard	....	producer: Antigua
Nathalie Tanner	....	production coordinator
Steve Morphew	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• A&E Television Networks
• Granada Film Productions

Distributors

• A&E Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• A&E Television Networks (USA)
• Future Film (2009) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Framestore (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music performed by
• Square Sail Shipyard Ltd.  ship supplier: Cornwall
• Turk Phoenix Ltd.  ship supplier: London

Runtime:

250 min (2 parts) | USA:200 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In a conversation occurring in approximately 1730, John Harrison refers to the number pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. However, the notation pi was not in current use until it was adopted by Leonhard Euler in 1737.

Quotes:

Lord Morton: This society was created so that men of *science* might solve the mysteries of our planet. I would not wish to see the longitude prize stolen by a country toolmaker.

Movie Connections:

References "The Brains Trust" (1955)

Great movie for its historical and scientific significance, a definite "10"!

Dec2004 update: I did eventually buy the DVD set, and it is very nice.

"Longitude" is a towering achievement as a movie. Shown in 4 hours on A&E network, I taped it to skip the commercials and was able to watch it in just over 3 hours. I only give ratings of "10" to truly remarkable movies, and this is one. It helps to be a scientist, and to have had a life-long fascination with navigation and timepieces.

The story is historical - the British government passed an act in the early 1700s for a prize of 20,000 Pounds for the first to provide an accurate and practical means of establishing longitude at sea. A Board of Longitude,comprising self-important scientists, would judge when the challenge was met.

John Harrison, a carpenter who understood the sun's apparent movement with the Earth's rotation, figured you could do it with a very accurate clock. He, with help from his son William, did it over a period of about 50 years, and met all conditions with his 4th clock, but the board kept throwing up roadblocks to avoid giving the award to someone who was not a scientist but a mere "carpenter." Finally, when Harrison was 80, ironically in the year 1776, was given the prize by Parliament. He died only two years later.

The ancient story was interwoven with a WWII-era story of a man, played by Jeremy Irons, who undertook to restore all of Harrison's old clocks, and finally succeeded against similar resistance that Harrison had faced.

If you either are not a scientist, or do not appreciate the magnitude of Harrison's effort, and its contribution to modern navigation, then it is possible that you would find this movie somewhat boring. Do yourself a favor - don't waste your time. For me, it remains one of the absolute best movies I have ever seen, both in significance of the story and the mastery of the acting and direction.