St Trinian's (film)
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| St. Trinian's | |
|---|---|
| File:St Trinians.jpg | |
| Directed by | Oliver Parker Barnaby Thompson |
| Written by | Piers Ashworth Nick Moorcroft Ronald Searle (cartoons) |
| Produced by | Oliver Parker Barnaby Thompson |
| Starring | Rupert Everett Colin Firth Lena Headey Jodie Whittaker Russell Brand Anna Chancellor Stephen Fry Celia Imrie Toby Jones Caterina Murino Fenella Woolgar and Mischa Barton |
| Cinematography | Gavin Finney |
| Edited by | Alex Mackie |
| Music by | Charlie Mole |
| Distributed by | Ealing Studios Fragile Films |
Release dates | December 21, 2007 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13.5 million |
St. Trinian's is the sixth in a long-running series of films based on the works of cartoonist Ronald Searle. The first four films form a series, starting with The Belles of St Trinian's in 1954, with sequels in 1957, 1960, 1966. The 1980 The Wildcats of St Trinian's was not a critical success. The books are actually based on St Trinian's School for Girls, Edinburgh. Ronald Searle stayed with the parents of a schoolgirl Cecily Johnston during the war and when told about the goings on decided to draw the cartoons. The school was closed shortly after the war and is now St Leonards House in Pollock Halls, student residences for Edinburgh University.
Plot
St Trinian's is an anarchic school for uncontrollable girls who save the school from bankruptcy by stealing the painting 'Girl With A Pearl Earring'. The film starts with meek and timid Annabelle Fritton being admitted to the school. She meets Kelly, head girl, who shows her around the school and introduces the various cliques in the school - Posh Totty, Chavs, Emos, Geeks and First Years. Annabelle has a rough first night in the school when her towel and dressing gown are taken from the shower and she is broadcast on the internet by the other girls while running naked from the shower to the dormitory. She phones her Father and demands to be taken away from the school.
Flash Harry pays a visit to the school and makes a deal with the girls for some lab-made vodka.
A few days later the school has a hockey match against Annabelle's old school - their rivals Cheltenham Ladies College. The Cheltenham captain is Verity Thwaites, daughter of the education minister. The girls give a hostile and violent welcome to their visitors and the match ends in a brawl between the two schools. Later, Annabel overhears her Father telling her aunt that he doesn't think Annabelle fits in with the family, which hurts her feelings. Later that day, her aunt makes her feel a part of the family and gets her to release her anger. The other girls at the school give Annabel a make-over and make her feel part of the school. Meanwhile the education minister is inspecting the school and the bank is threatening it with closure.
Kelly hears the talk about closure and tells the rest of the school. They then concoct a plan to save the school by getting to the final of "School Challenge" and stealing the painting 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'. Meanwhile Annabel tries to persuade Flash Harry to act as a gay German art dealer. He initially refuses but Kelly gets him to do the job (as he secretly has feelings for her and does not want to look stupid in front of her). The school team for School Challenge is made up of the three of the Posh Tottys, Chelsea, Peaches and Chloe. They get to the final by cheating.
During the final Kelly, Taylor and Andrea foil the security for the painting that they're after and eventually retrieve it but on the way back the cable that they used to climb over the top of the audience of the final of School Challenge snaps just after Taylor and Andrea get over to the other side. Kelly gets stuck with no way to get to other side again. Mrs Fritton sees that Kelly needs help and goes to save the day, having to knock out education minister Geoffrey Thwaites on the way. Meanwhile Annabel takes care of Verity Thwaites.
The school successfully gets the painting and sells it to Carnaby Fritton who doesn't realise it is not the real one which has been returned under the cover of St Trinians finding it. They receive a £50,000 reward for returning the painting and with the cash from Carnaby Fritton they pay back the money owed to the bank and St Trinian's stays in business.
Cast
Originally, the 'posh' school that they played in a game of hockey (in the film, it is Cheltenham Ladies College) was meant to be St. Swithuns school. It is thought that the school St. Trinians in the movie is widely based on the lives of the students at St. Swithuns as they are widely known for their rebellious and cunning nature.[citation needed]
| Actor/Actress | Role |
|---|---|
| Rupert Everett | Miss Camilla Fritton/Carnaby Fritton |
| Colin Firth | Geoffrey Thwaites |
| Russell Brand | Flash Harry |
| Mischa Barton | J.J. French |
| Lena Headey | Miss Dickinson |
| Gemma Arterton | Kelly |
| Tamsin Egerton | Chelsea |
| Lily Cole | Polly |
| Jodie Whittaker | Beverly |
| Antonia Bernath | Chloe |
| Paloma Faith | Andrea |
| Stephen Fry | Himself |
| Anna Chancellor | Miss Bagstock |
| Celia Imrie | Matron |
| Caterina Murino | Miss Maupassant |
| Lucy Punch | Verity Thwaites |
| Talulah Riley | Annabelle Fritton |
| Toby Jones | Bursar |
| Juno Temple | Celia |
| Kathryn Drysdale | Taylor |
| Amara Karan | Peaches |
| Holly Mackie | Tara |
| Cloe Mackie | Tania |
| Tereza Srbova | Anoushka |
| Cheryl Cole, member of Girls Aloud | St Trinian schoolgirl (cameo) |
| Nadine Coyle, member of Girls Aloud | St Trinian schoolgirl (cameo) |
| Sarah Harding, member of Girls Aloud | St Trinian schoolgirl (cameo) |
| Nicola Roberts, member of Girls Aloud | St Trinian schoolgirl (cameo) |
| Kimberley Walsh, member of Girls Aloud | St Trinian schoolgirl (cameo) |
| Steve Furst | Bank Manager |
| Jeremy Thompson | Sky News Presenter |
| Zoe Salmon | St Trinian Schoolgirl Emo (cameo) |
Sequel
The cast and crew of the film are wanting to make a 7th film; the plot remains unannounced at the moment.
Reception
Mixed reviews resulted in a 47% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 7 fresh and 8 rotten. By February 2008, the film had grossed over £12 million in the UK, surpassing its £7 million production budget.
Merchandising
A book based on the film, adapted by Pippa Le Quesne from Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft's screenplay was published in late 2007 by Penguin books, ISBN 978-0-141-32417-3. The accompanying soundtrack was released on December 10, 2007, along with a music video for the theme song performed by Girls Aloud, who make a cameo appearance in the film.
DVD
St Trinian's will be released on region 2 DVD in the UK on April 14th 2008. It will also be available on Blu-ray.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (January 2008) |
- At the start, the students broadcast live onto YouTube, however, this feature was only installed a month after the film was released.
- The computer used at the start is an Apple MacBook.
- Camilla Fritton's dog, Mr Darcy, is named after a Jane Austen character from Pride and Prejudice (1995 TV serial), as played by Colin Firth in the 1990's adaptation.
- The spelling of Cheltenham is incorrect on the ladies college coach (Chelteham) but is spelt correctly during the schools challenge quiz show.
- The scene in which Geoffrey emerges from the pond after having been pushed in by a 'posh totty' is almost identical to a scene in the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice
- When Geoffrey and Miss Fritton meet for the first time, they mention that they knew each other in "Another Country". This was the title of a film in which Rupert Everett and Colin Firth starred in 1984.
- When the girls first see the painting 'Girl With A Pearl Earring' in the National Gallery, they refer to the film of that name in which Colin Firth, who also played a lead in this film, played the painter Vermeer.
- Blue Peter's Zoe Salmon makes a very brief appearance in the film.
- The picture in Miss Fritton's study is a painting of Alastair Sim, as he played the original role in the original films.