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Fujifilm Motion Picture • The Magazine • Exposure • 7
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Re-creating the mid-80s for Starter For Ten, an adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling ‘coming-of-age’ comic novel
he title’s a bit of a give- away for anyone who, for the past 45 years (on-off- on), has been glued to one of the great, enduring tele- vision quiz shows. University Challenge began
as a stalwart of ITV from 1962 until 1987 before returning, following a seven-year break, on the BBC under the guidance of Jeremy Paxman.
Starter For Ten, a romantic comedy adapted from his own bestseller by David Nicholls, belongs firmly to the show’s earlier incarnation when the Granada programme was presided over by the perennially youthful Bamber Gascoigne, all golden curls and benevo- lent authority (compared with Paxo’s trademark sneer and bombast).
In fact, the programme is merely part of a bigger, ‘coming-of-age’ story of working class Essex lad Brian Jackson (James McAvoy) as he navi- gates his turbulent first year at univer- sity. On his way to achieving his long- held ambition to appear on University Challenge, he falls in love with his beautiful team-mate (Alice Eve) and forms a plan to win her heart through his advanced general knowledge skills.
Marking the feature directing debut of Tom Vaughan who, like Nicholls, cut his teeth on the hit TV series Cold Feet, Starter For Ten co- stars Rebecca Hall, Benedict Cumberbatch, Catherine Tate, Charles Dance, Lindsay Duncan and The League Of Gentlemen’s Mark Gatiss as Bamber Gascoigne.
However, perhaps the two starri- est names connected with the whole Anglo-American enterprise are its executive producers, Tom Hanks and Sam Mendes who were, according to Vaughan, “both incredibly support- ive and instrumental in helping on many levels.
“Having them on board meant the film was incredibly protected from all the other people who might have wanted to become involved and have opinions. It was great for me to be in such a strong position, and they backed whatever we wanted to do.”
This was especially true when it came to post-production. Said Vaughan: “I was pleased with the edit, really felt confident with it but there was all this music I’d been putting on it as a temporary guide track thinking, ‘I’ll never really be able to get people
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Photo: James McAvoy with co-stars Alice Eve (left) and Rebecca Hall (right)