An Awfully Big Adventure

A dark and dramatic departure for Mike Newell and Hugh Grant, the director and the star of Four Weddings and a Funeral. Georgina Cates gives a touching performance as a young, aspiring actress who joins a rag-tag provincial theatrical troupe. Grant plays against type as the cruel, nicotine-stained director upon whom she develops a crush. Alan Rickman arrives late in the film but makes the strongest impact as the troupe's dashing leading man who becomes involved with her. Charles Wood, who wrote the Beatles' Help, adapted Beryl Bainbridge' s novel. (D. Liebenson)[DVD Review--April 5, 2005--New Line, 113 min., R, $19.98--Making its debut on DVD, 1995's An Awfully Big Adventure is presented in a handsome widescreen transfer with DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and stereo surround options, but no extras besides trailers. Bottom line: no extras, but still a solid film.]