“Four Weddings and a Funeral” is one of the most popular comedies of all time. It has been 30 years since its premiere and unlike other productions that from the beginning had that unmistakable aroma that success generates, this one looked bad.
He lowered the production order to film it in record time because the budget was only about 4 million dollars, a paltry figure for any ambitious film venture.
The problems began right away, with the cast. Hugh Grant was called for casting and the test was, to say the least, controversial.
Instead of sticking to the script, he sent the recording of the speech he gave at his brother’s wedding. The lack of commitment to the role in that original instance bothered both the scriptwriter and the film’s production team.
“No one wanted me, Richard Curtis did everything possible to not give me the role because he thought I was too cute and that Charles had to look like a nerd,” the actor would say years later regarding that confrontation that ended up being ephemeral. that he was given the possibility of appearing for a second audition, with all the formality of the case.
At that time, a rumor was circulating that Alan Rickman was going to be the chosen actor, although they also wanted Alex Jennings.
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It is already known that even with objections, Grant prevailed over everyone and contributed to the success of the comedy that arose from the inspiration of the director and screenwriter Richard Curtis the day when, ordering papers, he noticed that 3 out of every 5 outings he made were outside of work commitments. , they were for weddings.
Just as the male lead was in discussion, it was not easy to find the right woman either.
Jeanne Tripplehorn and Marisa Tomei auditioned for the role. She won the latter but a family problem prevented her from starting filming, so all eyes turned to Sarah Jessica Parker, Curtis’ favorite.
She wasn’t chosen either because all the plans changed when Andie MacDowell showed up for the casting and dazzled everyone.
In the end, the cast also faced the difficulties of lack of funds. “There was no money and there was no interest but we were never discouraged. Shooting a movie is expensive but sitting down to talk is cheap, so we had many meetings and castings until we convinced Working Title studios. And that really saved us: in that year we polished the script a lot and we understood the characters better,” said the director.
Finally, the film that is turning 30 years old grossed $245 million and is among the best comedies.
