Gosford Park

Gosford Park is a 2001 period film. It is a traditional whodunit combining elements of the British murder mystery with those of a comedy of manners. The plot is told largely from the point of view of the servantss of an English manor and centers on the complex relationships within the house, both above and below stairs, as much as the murder itself, committed at the estate during a pheasant shooting weekend. The murder has implications for the entire household.

The action is set in 1932 and is a commentary on the British class system at that time.

The film stars Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jeremy Northam, Bob Balaban, Ryan Phillippe, Stephen Fry, Kelly Macdonald, Clive Owen, Helen Mirren, Eileen Atkins, Emily Watson, Camilla Rutherford, Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi, and Richard E. Grant.

The screenplay was written by Julian Fellowes based on an idea by Robert Altman and Bob Balaban. The movie was directed by Altman.

It won the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay, and was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Helen Mirren), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Maggie Smith), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Director and Best Picture. It also won the "Alexander Korda award for the outstanding British film of the year" at the British Academy Film Awards in 2002.

The pheasant shooting scene is an homage to the 1939 film The Rules of the Game.

Tagline: Tea At Four. Dinner At Eight. Murder At Midnight.

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