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Starring: Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, Jon Favreau, Eleanor Bron, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Directed by: Richard Loncraine
Screenplay by: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin, Adam Brooks
Release Date: September 17, 2004
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, sexuality and partial nudity.
Box Office: $17,001,133 (US total)
Studio: Universal Pictures
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Tagline: She's the golden girl. He's the longshot. It's a match made in...
Britain's Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) has never quite lived up to his dreams of tennis stardom. Once ranked as high as number 11 in the world, the journeyman veteran has watched his number slip to 119 as his confidence on the court slowly ebbs away.
Now, on the eve of his leaving the world of professional tennis, he's granted a wild card, allowing him to play his final Wimbledon tournament…make that his final tournament ever. At one time having faced some of the best players in the world, Peter Colt is now about to face voluntary retirement, a job at a club and a bevy of aging women awaiting tennis instruction in between facials and afternoon drinks.
American Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), the rising star/bad girl of the international tennis set, is the promising new hotshot playing at her first Wimbledon. Focused, driven and pushed to a level of superlative playing by her equally driven, overprotective coach and father, Dennis (Sam Neill), Lizzie lets nothing get in her way of the win-not a bad call, not an unexpected return and certainly not a short-lived romance with fellow rising American champ Jake Hammond (Austin Nichols).
Lizzie's career trajectory is set to be the best female tennis player in the world, a Grand Slam champ. No other dream will do…and the Wimbledon trophy would be a great place to start. Peter's plans of quiet retirement are put on hold after he arrives at the hallowed courts of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club's Wimbledon Championships. There, after a chance meeting with Lizzie that sparks into an affair, he achieves the unthinkable and wins his first match. Fueled by a mixture of his newfound luck, love and on-court prowess, Peter continues his winning streak, gradually working his way up the ranks while the sport and its fans re-embrace this faded and now refurbished star.
The not-so-young Brit finds that the world indeed loves a winner-and none more so than his usually absent agent, Ron Roth (Jon Favreau)-and he begins to appreciate the long-forgotten taste of victory. For herself, Lizzie soon finds that her penchant for tournament flings may be at an end when she does the unthinkable and begins to fall for this British used-to-be loser with the heart of a winner. Now if Peter's (and Lizzie's) luck can just hold out...
Wimbledon champions John McEnroe and Chris Evert and commentator Mary Carillo appear as themselves, providing color commentary on the tournament play. With Australian Pat Cash, 1987 Wimbledon champ, also serving as tennis consultant on the film, Wimbledon was granted unprecedented access by The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTCC) to film during the 2003 championships, one of the most watched sporting events in the world.
Joining director Loncraine behind the camera are filmmaking champions in their own right, including director of photography Darius Khondji (Oscar-nominated for Evita), production designer Brian Morris (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), editor Humphrey Dixon (My House in Umbria), costumer Louise Stjernsward (Sexy Beast) and composer Edward Shearmur (Laws of Attraction). The film is executive-produced by Debra Hayward (Love Actually) and David Livingstone.
About the Production
The long history of the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, regarded as the world's leading tennis tournament, began with a “Gentlemen's Singles” match in 1877. For the record, Spencer Gore won from a field of 22 players; around 200 spectators were charged one shilling to watch the final.
The not so long history of the Working Title Films romantic comedy Wimbledon began around 120 years later in the late 1990s, when screenwriters Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin came up with the idea of a love story set amidst the world of professional tennis. They approached Working Title, whose list of successful films, particularly their romantic comedies, had established them as the pre-eminent production company in Europe. The company was intrigued by the project and snapped up the story.
“We loved the idea,” says producer and Working Title Films co-founder Eric Fellner. "The way in which the characters were set up, the fact that it was an `underdog' type of story and the idea of professional tennis serving as the backdrop for this love story-it had all the ingredients to make a great film. It provided us another opportunity to tell an interesting story in an appealing way.”
“Whether you love tennis or hate tennis, it doesn't matter, because this is a story that will entertain audiences,” says producer Liza Chasin, herself an avid player who grew up in Forest Hills, N.Y., near the prestigious West Side Tennis Club (former site of the U.S. Open). “Not only do people love an underdog story, but they love it when the underdog just might end up with the girl, too.”
Balancing all of the elements present in the story would prove a challenge for the filmmaker who would ultimately occupy the director's chair-someone adept at handling the romantic, comedic and dramatic aspects, as well as someone who could capture the sport filmically, presenting it in a way that would “open up” the expected and stereotypical back-and-forth nature of the game. Known primarily for his dramatic films and television projects (My House in Umbria, Richard III, The Gathering Storm), Richard Loncraine might not have seemed at first glance as a perfect fit for the job.
Loncraine himself professes, “I am not an avid sports fan and I haven't really done that much that could be termed romantic comedy. But I was really excited by the project-it had an energy and a freshness about it. And I have to admit that my kids had been saying to me, `Dad, can you make a movie that we might want to go and see?'”
Fellner and the producers felt strongly that Loncraine would be an excellent choice to helm the project and cemented his participation. Fellner offers, “Richard is a great storyteller. He's a fantastically visual storyteller and we wanted someone who could not only tell the story with depth and emotion, but also tell it in an interesting, cinematic way. Richard was a marvelous choice to direct.”
Loncraine embraced the challenge of not only working in the genre, but also overcoming many obstacles in filming scenes involving tennis, most of which would be played on some of the most honored ground in sports. “I really wanted to have a go at doing a comedy of this sort and I thought it would be new and a bit difficult for me. I mean, with a comedy, if they don't laugh, it's not funny, then you've screwed up. It was a real challenge making a romantic comedy like this-probably as hard as anything that I've done. It's been hard sometimes, but marvelous as well.”
And the tennis element? “If you're doing a monster movie about a 50-foot-high pterodactyl, nobody really knows what that looks like. But they know exactly how a tennis ball bouncing on Centre Court looks,” observes the director. “Basically, it's almost like making two movies. Doing a romantic comedy, you think, `Fine, the comedy comes out of reality, it springs from the truth.' Good, I can film that, no problem. Then, you've got a story involving tennis, which seems somewhat straightforward but is really a complex game to photograph-you haven't got a team of people, you've got two trained, almost ballet dancers who don't move much from beyond the base line, at least in more modern tennis.”
But before tackling the challenges of on-court filming, Loncraine and Wimbledon's producers proceeded with moving the script forward, ensuring that the world of professional tennis would be rightly served, and filling the roles with actors at home in both worlds presented in the story.
Adam Brooks-the screenwriter of such romantic comedies as French Kiss who also worked on the upcoming adaptation of Helen Fielding's bestseller, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason-was brought onboard to update the script. Brooks observes, “Working Title brought me in to work on this fantastic story. I have to say it's been one of the most productive development processes that I've ever been involved with. Wimbledon, I think, really fits very strongly into their tradition of charming English romantic comedies that also travel well abroad, particularly in the States.”
As the script crept towards finalization, the filmmakers sent copies to a number of top tennis players and others heavily involved in the sport, including Wimbledon champions Pat Cash and John McEnroe. “What was great was they came back with very few notes-that in fact, most of it was, in spirit and in detail, true to the life that they knew on the tour and the actual mechanics of tennis,” says Brooks.
Pat Cash, the Australian who won Wimbledon in 1987 and eventually came aboard the project as tennis consultant, remembers, “Obviously, since it's a movie, there is some artistic license. But it was pretty accurate with regard to the world of the players and the atmosphere at Wimbledon it portrays.”
Loncraine adds, “If you're going to make a film about tennis, you could possibly get away with it not being precisely accurate-but why would you? McEnroe, Cash and other tennis players contributed. Adam Brooks, our screenwriter, and producer Liza Chasin are big fans of the sport, so their knowledge-along with the players' thoughts-all added to trying to make the atmosphere, the circumstances, some of the things in the players' lives as accurate as we could make them.”
When it came to casting the leads, the filmmakers were looking for actors who first could portray believable tennis players and who, second, had the right chemistry together on-screen. American actress Kirsten Dunst was cast as Lizzie Bradbury and British actor Paul Bettany was slotted as Peter Colt.
Fellner says, “Kirsten is one of the leading American actresses at the moment and we were lucky in that she really liked the screenplay. Paul's work has been of an incredibly high standard and after meeting him, we felt that he would be great in the role. We put them together for a small screen test and there was immediate chemistry-they really liked each other, looked very good together and they really fitted the roles. Everything really lined up.”
The production felt so strongly in their leads that they were willing to wait until both actors' schedules could accommodate the Wimbledon filming schedule-principal photography commenced more than a year after their casting.
“We cast Kirsten and Paul,” comments the director, “and then we waited for them to complete a project apiece. So it was a matter of waiting a little over a year. But it was something we wanted to do. They really got on with each other and displayed that indefinable `chemistry' that is so important in a romantic film.
“I think Paul has got the right look and the right energy, with an easygoing attitude that conceals a champion's spirit, just waiting to spring into action,” Loncraine continues. “Kirsten has proved herself time and again since she was a little girl-she has the magic. And the camera loves them both.
Dunst explains what drew her to the film: “I really liked the script-it was a smart romantic comedy and I also like the elements of the tennis. I think there is something really sexy about tennis-it has an elegance to it. I am also a big fan of the producers and I knew they would make a good love story.”
Dunst also welcomed the chance to work with Bettany. “He is so talented. It's rare that you get to work with actors like that and it makes you work all the harder.”
Although the actress had scant little experience playing tennis, she felt that she was up for mastering some of the basic mechanics of the sport. Attracted to the character of Lizzie, she was ready to take on the physical challenges of the role.
“I found Lizzie very interesting and a lot of fun to play,” she says. “Here's this champion who has shut out the possibility of love from her life in the interest of winning. She's competitive and aggressive. And then she meets Peter, whom she really respects. Up to that point, she's been able to use men and throw them away and it hasn't really bothered her. But she's able to let herself fall in love with Peter, and that changes everything.”
Bettany had not worked in a romantic comedy before (and never in a “sports” film, either), so the role of Peter Colt was something completely new to him. “The script struck me as clever and funny,” says Bettany. “I've never done a sports movie and I've never done a sort of comedy/drama, so I thought it would be a challenge. In building a character, it's about approximating the role; every job you do is only a representation of something. My last film I played a ship's surgeon, but I wouldn't want to operate on anyone. So with training, I thought I could approximate being a tennis player, even though I'm not. And the falling in love bit, well, that's the easy part.
“Kirsten's character feels that she can't have a career and a relationship at the same time,” continues Bettany, “while my character actually plays better tennis once he's fallen in love with her. I think it's one of the interesting things that was built into the script.”
In addition to the material, the actor was also interested in working with director Loncraine. “I really like Richard a lot. He's a real straight talker and shares the process of filmmaking with you completely, which makes doing a film with him a great experience. I think he's done a brilliant job of helping to maintain that lightness of touch that is crucial to this kind of romantic comedy.”
With the romantic leads set, the filmmakers turned their attention to the supporting roles. Accomplished actor Sam Neill was cast as Lizzie's father, Dennis, and American actor/director Jon Favreau as Peter's sports agent, Ron Roth. Respected British actors Eleanor Bron and Bernard Hill were cast to play Peter's parents; Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Walder was brought in to play Dieter, Peter's best friend and practice partner; and American newcomer Austin Nichols was cast as Jake Hammond, the men's singles champ to beat at Wimbledon, who also happens to be Lizzie's ex-boyfriend.
“There were quite a few things that attracted me to project,” explains Neill, “not the least of it being Richard Loncraine is a really good director and a very nice man. The idea of filming this enjoyable story in England in the summer-that sounded good to me as well. And there's something absolutely magical about the Wimbledon tournament and it's been an honor to just be on these grounds and be able to walk out onto Centre Court and just breathe it in.”
“What's fun about being in a movie like this,” comments Favreau, “is that it opens up another world that's steeped in tradition-one that I wasn't that familiar with, and the more I learn, the more interesting it becomes. Also, the notion of being the first film in more than 20 years that's been set at Wimbledon is incredibly exciting. Richard has laid in a very personal love story with two wonderful actors up against the backdrop of this historic place. Although I guess you could say it's a movie that takes place around a tennis tournament, it's really a love story about two very compelling characters who are going through a lot, personally and professionally… and they just happen to be really good professional tennis players.”
To reinforce the authenticity of the movie, esteemed tennis champions and commentators are used in the film to cover the matches played out in the story. American commentator Mary Carillo, Wimbledon veteran John Barrett and Wimbledon Champions John McEnroe and Chris Evert stepped in to play themselves and add a note of veracity to the sports coverage aspect of the film.
Their on-screen participation impressed Loncraine, who says about McEnroe, “He flew in the night before his shoot and instead of going to bed, he came to Wimbledon to play tennis. He played for over an hour and a half, which I believe is his way to get over jetlag-he's incredibly fit. He and the other tennis figures were such an asset to the film. John has a sense of humor about his life and he made quite a few wonderful suggestions that we were able to incorporate into the movie.
Once brought onboard Wimbledon, nearly everyone involved underwent some kind of training to prepare for the physical aspects and challenges presented by the script.
“I'm a bit like most people in England, I believe,” observes Loncraine. “When Wimbledon's on, I watch it and love it. I can't play tennis very well, but I've had lessons to learn. When the project came up, I watched every videotape I could find, I read 20 books on the history of the sport, and I read both Pat Cash's book and McEnroe's book. And I was surrounded by people with a deep love and understanding of the sport, so I really went into each scene knowing what emotion I wanted represented and worked with my team on how that emotion could work into the match-`Will this work, you tell me.' It was quite a good marriage… a few little bits of turmoil along the way, but a good marriage nonetheless!”
Pat Cash was charged with turning the actors (Bettany, Dunst and Nichols) into facsimiles of contending Wimbledon champs. All began a pre-shoot, four month training regime to prepare for the on-screen matches. Cash supplies, “The production needed a tennis advisor, a consultant to choreograph the points and to make sure that Kirsten, Paul and Austin looked like professional tennis players. The goal of this training was to get command of the basics-how pros walk, hold the ball, that kind of stuff-and help them look like real players. The points need to look like real points and the rallies have to be there.
“It ended up being coaching in reverse,” Cash explains, “in that when I start with a player, it's all about getting the ball in the court-it's doesn't matter what it looks like. But since we had the luxury of most of the balls being CG, it came back to making the play look as real as possible.”
Producer Chasin adds matter-of-factly, “We'd burn too much film if we tried to hit an actual ball exactly where we need it to be for a shot.”
Cash concludes, “So our mantra was `Look good first and worry about where the ball goes second.' Sometimes, the ball went over the fence, but the actor got the look right. What was interesting was that we concentrated so much on technique, that eventually the ball started going in the court. I really enjoyed watching them improve. They worked really hard to get it. We had four months to make them look like Wimbledon champions. It would normally take 20 years to do that, so it was a huge challenge.”
Bettany began training “in earnest” at the beginning of 2003, four months out from shooting his first scenes. Up first on his schedule was a scene shot in Monte Carlo and he was “feeling smug and terribly pleased with myself after my months of training. And then I saw these professional players in action, who move like dancers-they've been hitting balls since they were four-years-old. And I suddenly felt like I'd said, `Yeah, I'd love to play Rudolf Nureyev, how long do I have to learn ballet?' So I did my best and I think I give an approximation!”
Cash had higher marks for Bettany and counters, “Paul went from never really having played any sports to moving like an athlete and he looks really good around the net where it matters-diving, lunging, quick reflexes-so I built his matches around that… which is sort of the style I played, so that was exciting to do.”
Loncraine adds, “Paul has an incredibly good serve, very powerful. Now it's somewhat inaccurate, but it has power and it looks good. He really beefed up and did a lot of work to get the look down and I think he looks like a tennis player.”
“For me it was all about focusing on the ball,” says Kirsten Dunst. “I'm very aggressive and I could use that on the court. My character really isn't afraid of anything and I tried to bring that to Lizzie's physicality. It's really a dance on the court, and I also tried to work that in. I had a few weeks of really intensive physical workouts and I have to say I really loved the tennis training. It lets you get out so much aggression. I got a good basis, I think, and when I got to set, it was all about fine-tuning. When I was around the boys, it made me more competitive-I mean I didn't want them to be better than me. And Pat kept reminding me to move across the court like a panther, so I kept that in my head. So I think I did as well as they did…but their serves were better!”
“Kirsten's really good on the forehand and backhand,” observes Cash, “and she moves really well. She's quite elegant in her tennis scenes. She really turned it on when the cameras were rolling-I mean, she was good in practice, but then when it was `rolling, action,' she was fantastic.”
Austin Nichols, himself an accomplished athlete and champion water skier, really took to his tennis training and even surprised his instructor, Cash, who relates, “Austin probably had the most time to train, to be fair, and he had worked up to playing four or five hours a day. Going into the scenes, he had been using a double-handed backhand, and we thought that he would play more like Sampras, Federer or myself and use a single-handed backhand. So we asked him to try it and he said, `Let me give it a shot.' And whoosh-he nailed it. I've never heard of anybody going from a double-handed backhand to a single in literally five minutes and it looked great.”
Nichols had turned to the masters for his additional training and says, “In the beginning, I didn't know how to swing a racquet. I was hitting the gym and the court and training with Murphy Jensen. And I started watching footage of vintage stuff: Borg and McEnroe, Ashe and Connors, Betty Stove and Virginia Wade. I watched a lot of Patrick Rafter. I love Juan Carlos Ferrero's forehand and Gustavo Kuerten's backhand.”
For producer Eric Fellner, the resulting filmed tennis scenes succeed because of the right combination of talent and effort: “Really, three things came together that contributed to this: first, the actors trained for quite a long time; second, we have the benefits of CGI, to provide the ball placement and create the really amazing shots scripted; and third, Richard Loncraine and [director of photography] Darius Khondji have shot the matches with a creative vision that really extends beyond the static tennis like we're used to on the BBC-it's really got a cinematic feel to it.
“The other thing we've done,” continues Fellner, “is that we haven't mixed metaphors-in other words, we didn't put recognizable players on the court with actors, so you're able to maintain a suspension of disbelief. You don't get caught up in the action and then Pete Sampras walks on. I hope that the combination of these things will help to convince an audience that the individuals in front of the camera are actually professional tennis players.”
In fact, some of the on-court opponents are from satellite tournaments-players who've taken their first step from the junior leagues and are on their way to building pro careers or older players who are finishing out their professional careers. One young up-and-comer, Vikas Punna, faces Paul Bettany and French open doubles champion Murphy Jensen (who also worked with Cash coaching the actors) appears in the film, portraying Ivan Dragomir, a colorful Ukranian with a fondness for smashing racquets.
* * *
It was clear to the producers the only location to shoot the majority of the tennis scenes of the film (off and on court) would be the world-famous Wimbledon…and it would be essential to be able to film during the 2003 championships. Once the script had been completed, Working Title's Eric Fellner had a fortunate meeting with Mark McCormack, the founder and head of the International Management Group (IMG), the world's best-known sports marketing and promotions agency. McCormack introduced Fellner to the chairman of AELTCC and brokered a deal, which resulted in the production being granted permission to film at Wimbledon, giving the filmmakers, cast and crew unprecedented access.
Tim Phillips, Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Championships, explains why. “We're very proud of Wimbledon and its unique position in the tennis world and we're rightly protective of this. But the consideration that overrode this is that tennis is fun and it's a wonderful game. Anyone can play it-boys and girls, from the ages of five to 95-and it's social and healthy, a wonderful sport. We have an interest in popularizing it. Working Title Films has made a succession of outstanding romantic comedies and we thought that a film located at Wimbledon showing the fun and the competitiveness of tennis might spark interest in a completely new audience.”
“The AELTCC were fantastic partners to work with,” adds Fellner. “It was a great privilege to be able to film at the Club and rather special when you stand in the middle of Centre Court.”
The by-laws of Wimbledon dictate that no one plays on Centre Court (outside of tournament players) except for the Chairman and his guests. So filmmakers, cast and crew were all mindful of the magnanimous gesture extended by the AELTCC and respectful of the ground on which they were standing, filming and `playing' tennis.
“Wimbledon is an enormous operation and I've been duly impressed by the organization,” comments Loncraine. “It only comes alive two weeks out of the year, and yet when it does-with the world watching, mind you-an incredible amount of activity takes place. When we got here during the finals, there was so much going on I hardly knew where to point the camera. It felt so big and I didn't want it to dwarf our story. So we made the conscious decision to confine our Wimbledon to a smaller section of it, which is the older part, one end of it, really.”
Since the All England Club is private, part of the area that Loncraine wanted utilized in the film-namely, the locker rooms-had to be replicated, since only members are allowed in the actual locker rooms; production built their own. (Cash adds, “To be honest, I think ours are maybe a little nicer.”)
The filmmakers and crew also had to take specific precautions while filming on the Wimbledon grounds. “The main precautions were really to protect against all the equipment that the crew use,” comments grounds man of the AELTCC, Eddie Seagal. “Normally, this is something completely alien to us, having all this equipment present and people walking on the court. All the equipment was put on boards spreading the load and the weight, and that worked well. Certain drinks were not allowed to be drunk on the turf, as they can damage the grass. Food was not allowed on the court so as not to attract the foxes in the evenings, which was a danger, as the daily filming prevented us from putting up our electronic fences around the courts-we normally do this after the championship.”
Seagal and the organization were pleased with the crew's compliance and determined that the departing production left the turf in a state approximating its original condition.
The extra special efforts to film in this extra special place were felt to be well worth it for cast and crew. Dunst was awed by the setting of the film's location and says, “I had been to Wimbledon the year before and we sat in the Queens Box-we had strawberries and cream, everything. It was such a huge, exciting event. We're really lucky to have been allowed to even step foot on the court. There is such a feeling of prestige and it's also a beautiful and serene place.”
Austin Nichols remembers coming up face-to-face with tradition while on location in the thick of the 2003 tournament: “I had my pass that said `Working Title Films' and I thought I'd go to Centre Court and try to watch the match. So I showed my pass, and the stewards at the gate just kind of looked at me and said something like `That's nice, but you can't come in.' I did find one guy who did sneak me into a seat to watch a set, but then I got kicked out when the ticketholders came back. It's such a tightly run organization and everything is so well groomed and gorgeous. It's a very special place and it's been a joy to film here.”
To ensure that the matches had all of the action and excitement befitting its legendary setting, Cash was called upon to choreograph each point, literally serving as a dance instructor who acted out the players' every move while the actors shadowed the champ. He says, “The men's final in Wimbledon, in particular, is make-believe, but it's probably the ultimate tennis match. It's got everything-all the action, the dives, guys sliding in to the net, around the net post shots, spectacular winners.”
“We storyboarded every tennis shot and every point in the match,” says director Loncraine. “We approached it like an action sequence. We had decided early on that we wouldn't cut into the rallies-you do that and you lose the tension. We had also decided not to use a steadi-cam, which does give a very fluid movement, but I wanted something a little more disciplined. So we ended up rigging a crane with about a 54-foot reach along one side of Centre Court. We choreographed each rally and used the crane as our main tool and we would cover it with other cameras.”
Loncraine also relied on director of photography Darius Khondji to capture his vision of the tennis. “Darius is one of the great cameramen in the world. To get him was quite a coup. I think what's great about Darius' work is that, well, to say he paints with light is a cliché-it is a lot of negative light actually, cutting out light. We couldn't light Centre Court, it was too big… but we could take away light.”
To accomplish this, huge silks and blacks were designed to cover the whole area of the world renowned tennis ground, a huge feat. Riggers, who normally work on yachts and exhibitions, were brought in to rig the wires above the court. Silks and blacks were then rigged over the wires, all of which were linked by an electronic remote control system; Khondji could then cover over any part of the court or stands he liked. This allowed for a continuity of lighting, as the silks could soften the sun and at the same time put a shadow over the crowd while re-creating the same light from day to day (no matter how much or how little cloud cover the British weather produced).
Wimbledon's 15-week shoot began in July, 2003, and included seven weeks of location filming at Wimbledon (filming primarily on three courts: Centre, two and three, plus a small amount of shooting on courts six, seven and eight). In addition to this, the filmmakers shot scenes of Peter Colt facing off against Jake Hammond during the actual 2003 Wimbledon Championships (6/23-7/6/03) on Centre Court-before Tim Henman played against French qualifier Michael Lodra. Crowd reactions and the general everyday running of the Tournament were also filmed, as was a scene with Referee Alan Mills escorting Bettany and Nichols onto the court for their final match.
“It was lovely filming on Centre Court when it was just the actors and the crew,” jokes Paul Bettany, “but being there around the actual players, it was incredibly humbling, almost humiliating in a way. I mean, here's the crowd who's just watched a champion level match and then I come out and hit my imaginary tennis ball. But it is an extraordinary place-I grew up watching the matches here every year with my family.”
For Bettany and for Nichols, filming on Centre Court was one of the most daunting experiences they had during filming. Bettany explains, “I've never experienced anything like it. The noise was deafening. It was an incredible feeling. Austin and I had to hug each other for support. My legs gave way and literally I sat down on the chair after the take and I thought I was not going to be able to stand back up. I can't quite imagine that people then go on and play a five set match-it was amazing, it really was.”
Nichols says, “I really salute the players that go out there and can do that, they actually perform in front of these people for two to three hours. It's amazing. The game itself is like the battle of the giants, two titans slogging out. Wimbledon is like a stadium, everyone is so close and packed in…it felt like almost being a gladiator.”
Bettany adds, “Tennis is just two opponents playing against each other. You don't have a team of ten men, it's just you. It's incredibly exciting, something very clean and uncluttered about it. It also still has notions of chivalry involved. It's just a beautiful sport to watch. I've done my best to do it justice.”
In addition to the lensing during the tournament, more reality was injected into the film by utilizing line judge Pauline Eyre, a veteran of 16 Wimbledons, to instruct the actors who play the line judges; Eyre also served as a court consultant on the film to ensure authenticity. Real ball boys and ball girls were also featured alongside actors cast to play their filmic counterparts.
And to the small matter of the lack of tennis balls in play? Filmmakers called on the expertise of the Moving Picture Company to execute all the visual effect shots on the film. “Most of our work is to enhance the tennis matches,” explains visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers. “This work is mostly split between enhancing the crowds and computer-animated tennis balls for the shots where the actors mimed the rallies. Further to this, some real tennis balls will need their trajectories digitally altered for a more dramatic effect.”
With the use of motion control and blue screen elements, the visual effects team were able to achieve some additional and impossible camera moves, such as a tennis ball point-of-view shot that speeds across the court, only to slow before the opponent returns the shot.
“The final match in the film is around 14 minutes,” offers Richard Loncraine, “and it's really our `car chase,' if you will. The film heads toward it and it has to pay off, so it was right that we went to such great lengths to film it. It was everyone's best efforts and it really brings all of the elements-the romance, the drama, the contest-together. I think, like the best of romantic comedy, it shows us life in a stylized, wish-fulfillment way. It was difficult for us all, but it really came together in the end.”
Producer Eric Fellner echoes his director when he closes, “I think it's a fantastic romantic comedy with the added tension and excitement of a slightly over-the-hill underdog tennis player trying to win a championship. So you've got a little bit of action, a little bit of romance, a little bit of comedy, you've got a bit of everything in there-what more could you want?”
 Production notes provided by Universal Pictures. |
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Wimbledon
