IMDb > Longitude (2000) (TV)

Longitude (2000) (TV) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   988 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Charles Sturridge

Writers:

Dava Sobel (book)
Charles Sturridge (writer)

Contact:

View company contact information for Longitude on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

2 January 2000 (UK) more

Genre:

Drama | History more

Plot:

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

Awards:

7 wins & 5 nominations more

NewsDesk:

The Adventure Collection
 (From Twitch. 24 November 2008, 1:58 PM, PST)

User Comments:

Great movie for its historical and scientific significance, a definite "10"! more (27 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:

250 min (2 parts) | USA:200 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital


Fun Stuff

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When on his sea voyage, John Harrison gives an elegant and clear explanation of longitude to the crew of the ship, and later he makes short and clear remarks to the Board of Longitude. In reality, Harrison was very well known for his inability to express himself clearly and this was one of the reasons for his problems with the Longitude Committee. more

Quotes:

Rupert Gould: The watch beats five to the second, a slight recoil being perceptible at each beat, and goes for 30 hours. The plates are of brass, polished but not gilt. The pivot holes are jeweled as far as the third wheel, that is to say, those of the balance, staff, detente, contrate wheel, fly, fifth, fourth, and third wheels. The jewels are rubies, and the end stones diamonds. It is a masterpiece, weighing only slightly less than the brain that conceived it. more

Movie Connections:

References "The Brains Trust" (1955) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
Great movie for its historical and scientific significance, a definite "10"!, 12 July 2000
Author: TxMike from Houston, Tx, USA, Earth

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.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (27 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Longitude (2000) (TV)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
i had to watch this in class......... flareon64
Was there a real Nurse Ingram therainbow-star
I really like this film but... jordan-202
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Amazing Grace My Life So Far Rogue Trader Sink the Bismarck! A Night to Remember
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.