Never has a film displayed both humor and drama as delicately as the film, The Trip (2010). The comedy/drama film follows two actors (Steven Coogan and Rob Brydon), who play fictionalized versions of themselves, as they embark on a trip through the English countryside. The film was actually released in the United Kingdom as a six-part series on BBC 2 (Screen 2011) and was edited for international release (Wikipedia 2011). The film, which is also a follow up to A Cock and Bull Story (2006), showcases many restaurants and landscapes of England in grandiose form, thanks to cinematographer Ben Smithard (IMDb 2011). The film holds a Tomatometer of 89 % (RT 2011) and an average score of 82/100 on Metacritic (Metacritic 2011) with most critics embracing the humor as well as the dynamics of friendship, even at a deeper, more emotional level. The film had a limited theater release in the US and is Unrated.
During the opening scene, Coogan has found out last minute that his girlfriend is unable to accompany him on a trip through Northern England. The trip, itself, requires Coogan and a guest to review a series of fine restaurants, as he was commissioned to do so by the magazine, The Observer. After being turned down by everyone else, he hilariously reasons with Brydon by stating, “I've, uh, asked other people but they're all too busy, so you know, do you wanna come”?
Through the hilarious dialogue, skewed philosophical perspectives, and pointless contests of who can impersonate Michael Caine or Sean Connery perfectly, we get a deeper understanding of how these two similarly talented actors both view life differently. It is with this that the film has an emotional core and even the limitations of friendship can be examined. Brydon is a very content man which contrasts with Coogan’s personality, which demands the attention of everyone around him except the very person that was willing to go on his trip. The film examines the dynamics of friendship through two very similar yet very different men.
The northern part of England is a cultural region in its own right. As the two travel the area, they are reminded of the dominate Christian religion as it has been since the early Middle Ages with monasteries like that seen in Bolton Abbey (Northern 2011). First on their culinary tour was The Inn at Whitewell. On their way there, Coogan plays music in the Range Rover to give their surroundings more meaning and emphasizes the need for an actual map but bases this on ‘nostalgia reasons’. Winding roads lead the two to the restaurant/lodge. The Inn(depicted below), which dates back to the 1300s, is in the forest of Bowland and is situated near Clitheroe, Lancashire (Inn 2011). The forest of Bowland is designated as an (AONB) Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Forest 2011) since 1964. The AONB was created by the “Countryside Agency (now Natural England) on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government; or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive”(AONB 2011). Furthermore, the purpose of the AONB is to “conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape” for enjoyment with regard to those that live there (AONB 2011). It is in the forest of Bowland where Coogan and Brydon have their contest on who does a better Michael Caine impersonation.
Before heading off the next morning, Coogan makes a call to his girlfriend in Hollywood while in the frigid weather where he can barely obtain a cell signal. He calls to check up on her and the music overlaid by Michael Nyman adds depth to the scene which dictates the delicacy of their relationship. The girlfriend, Mischa, is trying to make a career in Hollywood but Coogan is more concerned with his wants and how she is doing without him. Knowing this, it becomes apparent that Coogan was desperate to go away, at least in some capacity, even if that means enduring Brydon’s impersonations.
Next on the itinerary the two head to L’Enclume (below), a restaurant in Cartmel Village, where they embellish and critique the food they are served though are not even close to being labeled experts in the culinary world as the trip was initially made on the basis of Coogan’s girlfriend attending as she’s the food aficionado. Coogan even expresses this upon tasting a dish with, “the consistency is a bit like snot, but it tastes great!” Though they compete often with one another, with much amusement, we get a sense that Coogan is annoyed with Brydon and we think this is just because he continues to do impersonations.
In Cumbria County, they visit Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s old home in Keswick, and William Wordsworth’s old residence in Dove Cottage in Grasmere. Afterwards, the two head to Holbeck Ghyll, a restaurant located in Windermere. The restaurant was once a hunting lodge in the late 19th century and holds a Michelin star (Holbeck 2011). This star is given from the Michelin Guide, which serves as an annual guidebook for restaurants, hotels, and tourism (Michelin 2011). As Brydon spouts out excerpts from a Coleridge book, you can tell that Coogan is enticed by the poet and philosopher’s perspective on life even so much as to later indulge in opium as Coleridge once did by smoking a joint at the same house where the famous poet wrote Dejection: An Ode (NY 2011).
Both Wordsworth and Coleridge are the founders of the Romantic Movement and the film nicely presents the parallel that is drawn from this to our culinary duo. Wordsworth’s and Coleridge’s joint publication, Lyrical Ballads, is known as the most famous for each author (Info Refuge 2011). This can be said of Coogan and Brydon in that they are best when together. “Despite any difference, the two poets were compatible because they were both preoccupied with imagination, and both [used] verbal reference in new ways” (Info Refuge 2011). Both poets had become very distinct and their perspectives on poetry differed as time went on. This, along with Coleridge’s eventual opium addiction, pushed the two men apart. Coleridge could be an analogy of Coogan in that he has an addiction to always wanting something more, to the point of never being content and Wordsworth can be Brydon in that he sees things more simply. Coleridge quoted, “my endeavors would be directed to persons and characters supernatural – Mr. Wordsworth, on the other hand, was…to give charm of novelty to things of everyday” (Biographia, Ch. Xiv 2011). This allegory signifies the relationship between Coogan and Brydon.
Our traveling duo next observed their surroundings in the Eden Valley, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and the Trough of Bowland. They stayed and ate at the Hipping Hall. The hall is a country house hotel on the border of Lancashire, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, near Kirkby Lonsdale (Hipping 2011). While there, Coogan gets his picture taken and later sleeps with the photographer after getting offered a job in Hollywood. While it is later explained that he and his girlfriend are taking a break, he doesn’t view the encounter as anything special yet continues to mule over whether or not to take the job in America.
Once awakened, the two take a trip to one of the most famous sites in England, the Malham Cove. The cove is a natural limestone formation near the village of Malham (Malham2011). The cove is a result of glaciation over thousands of years. Coogan explains, rather garrulously, how the structure formed and other facts of the site whereas an annoyed Brydon simply wants to just take the views in. The sheer size and rarity of the structure, seemingly etched into the landscape, draws you in as a viewer. Oddly enough, Coogan heads up the formation while Brydon stays behind only to find himself irritated by another passerby with the same facts that he annoyed Brydon with. Pictured below is Malham Cove.
Before making his way to his next destination, Coogan calls to console his son, who asks about the trip. During their conversation the son asks how his trip has been. Coogan mentions that things are good but Brydon is a “pain in the ass”. His son replies with curiosity, “how long have you known him”? To which Coogan had to think and then realized and stated at the same time, “eleven years”. Upon this realization, Brydon and Coogan venture to the beautiful sights of the monastery, The Bolton Abbey. It is at this location, which was built in 1154 (Bolton 2011), while viewing the gravestones and ancient architecture, that Brydon asks Coogan if he would hypothetically come to his funeral. As he responds ‘yes’, he gives Brydon insight as to how his speech at his funeral would occur. Though comical, Coogan is really stating his feelings for Brydon from a position of jealousy. Coogan is essentially talking about himself, wishing he could be more content and enjoy the simple things in life. There is even a point in the film where you can see Coogan trying to emulate one of Brydon’s impersonations without much success and then mocks the whole idea of him attempting an impersonation all together. The witty dialogue between the two friends is of course interesting to watch but, moreover, we wonder if Coogan will ever realize the bond he has with Brydon. This is the most vital factor when it comes to the immersion in the film other than the Northern England landscapes themselves.
As Coogan continues to mule over the idea of getting a job in America, they venture down to the Angel Inn in Hetton, North Yorkshire, to converse and examine how far Coogan would go to obtain what he wants in life. Brydon asks Coogan if he were to allow his child to have a temporary illness to obtain an Oscar for best actor to which Coogan pauses and replies, “what type of illness?” Though hilarious are his answers, you cannot help but recognize frustration and desperation in Coogan’s life.
The trip concludes and it is uncertain if the two will see each other again after their week discovering more than just the fine dining of England. As they arrive back in London, Brydon hugs Coogan, much to Coogan’s obvious discomfort, and they depart from each other. We see the very content and happy Brydon embrace his wife and child upon his return while Coogan goes home to a barely lit, cold looking loft overlooking the cityscape of London. Brydon’s wife accepts her husband without question, despite his often impersonations, whereas Coogan is left uncertain of what he wants in love and life. Coogan decides to not pursue a job in America but the reasoning for this is left open-ended. Of course he mentions that he has a kid and cannot commit to seven years in America, but after viewing a video on his phone of a time with his girlfriend there is a quiet longing that overtakes Coogan’s face. As to what this essentially means is left to the viewer.
The main theme of this picture lies at the limitations of friendship. When the two trade insults and differing outlooks on life, it is Coogan that seems unable to recognize how great they are as friends. They challenge each other but they also complement each other. What bothered Coogan of Brydon were not his impersonations but rather his outlook on life. How can he be so unaffected by life’s whimsical twists and turns? A deep rooted jealousy sits with Coogan. Even though he doesn’t agree with Brydon on many different things, there is still a yearning to be as blissful as him.
References
AONB. Area of Natural Beauty. Wikipedia. Accessed 11-30-2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_of_Outstanding_Natural_Beauty
Biographia. Biographia Literaria. Chapter XIV. Accessed 11-29-2011
http://www.english.upenn.edu/~mgamer/Etexts/biographia.html
Bolton. Bolton Abbey. Wikipedia. Accessed 11-29-2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolton_Abbey
Forest. Forest of Boland. Wikipedia. Accessed 11-30-2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_of_Bowland
Hipping. Hipping Hall. Wikipedia. Accessed 11-29-2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipping_Hall
Holbeck. Holbeck Ghyll. Wikipedia. Accessed 11-29-2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbeck_Ghyll
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740047/fullcredits#cast
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http://www.inforefuge.com/compare-contrast-coleridge-wordsworth
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http://www.historichotelsofeurope.com/en/hotel_1676_the-inn-at-whitewell.html
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malham_Cove
Metacritic. The Trip. Accessed 11-28-2011
http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-trip-1969/details
Michelin. Michelin Guide. Wikipedia. Accessed 11-29-2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_Guide
NY. New York Times. Accessed 11-30-2011
http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/movies/the-trip-a-michael-winterbottom-comedy-review.html
RT. The Trip. Accessed 11-28-2011
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_trip_2011/
Screen Yorkshire. The Trip. Accessed 11-28-2011
http://www.screenyorkshire.co.uk/filming/the-trip
Wikipedia. The Trip. Accessed 11-28-2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trip_(2010_film)
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