[close] Withnail & I sank almost without a trace when it was first released in 1987. This virtually plot-free story of two out-of-work actors (played by Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann), whose booze-fueled weekend in the country takes various unexpected turns, failed to find an audience. But it did not take long for the film to attract a dedicated cult following, which flourished when Withnail & I received reverential coverage in the "lad mag" Loaded and was re-released in 1996.
Financed by HandMade Films, the late George Harrison's production company, Withnail & I was Bruce Robinson's first outing as writer-director. The script draws heavily on Robinson's own experiences in the 1960s. In this study, Kevin Jackson recounts his own experiences in addition to giving a full account of the film's production. But chiefly he analyzes the mood and magic of the film, seeking to show, without ever detracting from the film's comic brilliance, just how much more there is to Withnail & I, one of the greatest of all British films. [close]