Notting Hill [Paperback]

Richard Curtis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

Containing the script from "Notting Hill", the new film from Richard Curtis, this book also includes material about the making of the film and stills taken from it.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who hasn't ever dreamed of meeting a movie star, falling in love, and discovering the feelings are mutual? Richard Curtis's Notting Hill is a funny, enchanting, lighthearted take on just such a fairy-tale premise. Curtis's screenplay of the film--which stars Hugh Grant as an ordinary British bookstore owner and Julia Roberts as the world-famous actress who waltzes into his store and his life--makes for an effective and enjoyable read, chock full of the snappy, witty dialogue that made Curtis's Four Weddings and a Funeral such a hit. Fans of the movie will be pleased to relive such moments as Roberts's and Grant's first embarrassing meetings and her appearance at a small dinner party for Grant's sister, where she turns the situation upside-down. On the page, the story is charming if a bit slight (it doesn't feature a rowdy and riotous supporting cast á la Four Weddings), but as wish fulfillment and romantic comedy, it's irresistible and will leave a smile on your face to rival that of our heroine. In addition to the finished script, the book includes scenes that didn't make the final cut (great ones, too--it's too bad they won't be seen); loads of color stills from the movie; an engaging introduction by Curtis detailing the genesis of the film; and an affable if offbeat afterword from Hugh Grant himself. --Mark Englehart

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340738448
• ISBN-13: 978-0340738443
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Smile your way through the Script, February 23, 2000

By 

"pure-swallow" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Notting Hill (Paperback)

I enjoyed the movie greatly, but it was reading the script which really made me appreciate the sheer genius behind it all. Kudos to Richard Curtis! It is amazing how much he manages to get into a scene - everything WORKS, to tug at the heart strings or strike the funny bone.

The script reveals a few of the artistic choices that had to be made in the process of creating the script and the movie; however, this is a very polished end product - definately a last draft (with a few choice bits of scenes that did not make the cut at the end) and perfectly co-ordinated with film stills and photographs, all on luxurious glossy paper.

However, it is amazing how, having watched the film and knowing the charactrers, it is possible to visualise scenes in your head while reading the script - an especial plus for the left out scenes. I am now dying to compare my imagination with the director's cut, which I have been told might be available on the DVD version.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superlative screenplay, excellently presented, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Notting Hill (Paperback)

One of the wittiest, best-crafted screenplays of the '90s gets a treatment to match its quality. William Goldman, a screenwriter who knows his craft well ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), called this "one of the best two screenplays of the past 10 years," and he's right. It jumps off of the page with life.

What's used here is closer to a continuity record of the finished film than a final-version screenplay -- since, as the author admits (and includes), many scenes were omitted or rethought to get the film to a reasonable length. The original edit, over three and a half hours, was cut to two hours. Some of the filmed-and-omitted scenes had the best acting, by Curtis's admission, and (I would say) some of his best writing. Yet they resonate to a viewer who reads them here, and thus knows "what went on when these people were offscreen." All screenplay books should include the best of such filmed-but-cut scenes; not all do.

U.S. viewers will notice that two scenes printed here, featuring the hilarious flatmate Spike -- 86 (second half) and 112 -- didn't appear in the finished film. Apparently the editing decisions really did go to the wire on this one! These and the other bonus scenes, and Hugh Grant's hilarious Afterword, themselves make the book worthwhile for any fan of this film.

The British know how to make a proper trade paperback! Pages are sewn into signatures, keeping the book from falling apart. (You'll re-read it many times -- so that's needed!) It uses an excellent coated paper stock that allows for sharp, clear printing of the dozens of film and production still photos. The line drawings of Notting Hill are an added delight.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book!, October 23, 2000

By 

Lisa Gansky (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Notting Hill (Paperback)

This is one of my favorite movies, and incidentally, my favorite screenplay! It's an excellent representation of the movie--many full-color pictures of the best scenes in the movie. It even includes story boards, cast and unit lists, and an afterword by Hugh Grant. The photographs were taken by Clive Coote, one of Great Britain's most famous photographers.

Almost everything I'd seen before I bought the book only included pictures of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant--this book is different! It doesn't leave out Spike or any of the other small but memorable characters.

Anyone who's a fan of the movie will love this exquisite book. It gets an A+ from me!