Editing Richard Curtis (section)

==Film career==
Curtis achieved his breakthrough success with the romantic comedy ''[[Four Weddings and a Funeral]].'' The 1994 film, starring [[Hugh Grant]] and [[Andie MacDowell]], was produced on a limited budget by the British production company [[Working Title Films]]. Curtis chose [[Mike Newell (director)|Mike Newell]] to direct the film after watching his TV film ''[[Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill]]''.<ref name="bafta1">{{Cite web |date=30 September 2013 |title=Richard Curtis: Screenwriting Lecture |url=http://guru.bafta.org/richard-curtis-screenwriting-lecture |access-date=18 August 2015 |website=[[BAFTA|BAFTA Guru]]}}</ref> ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' proved to be the top-grossing British film in history at that time. It made an international star of Grant, and Curtis' Oscar nomination for the script catapulted him to prominence (though the Oscar went to [[Quentin Tarantino]] and [[Roger Avary]] for ''[[Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction]]''). The film was also nominated for Best Picture, but lost to ''[[Forrest Gump]]''.

[[File:Richard.Curtis(London 1999).jpg|thumb|upright|Curtis in London, 1999, the year ''[[Notting Hill (film)|Notting Hill]]'' was released]]
Curtis' next film was also for Working Title, which has remained his artistic home ever since. 1997's ''[[Bean (film)|Bean]]'' brought Mr. Bean to the big screen and was a huge hit around the world. He continued his association with Working Title writing the 1999 romantic comedy ''[[Notting Hill (film)|Notting Hill]],'' starring [[Hugh Grant]] and [[Julia Roberts]], which broke the record set by ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' to become the top-grossing British film. The story of a lonely travel bookstore owner who falls in love with the world's most famous movie star was directed by [[Roger Michell]].

Curtis next co-wrote the screen adaptation of the international bestseller ''[[Bridget Jones's Diary]]'' for Working Title. Curtis knew the novel's writer [[Helen Fielding]]. Indeed, he has credited her with saying that his original script for ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' was too upbeat and needed the addition of the titular funeral.

Two years later, Curtis re-teamed with Working Title to write and direct ''[[Love Actually]]''. Curtis has said in interviews that the sprawling, multi-character structure of ''Love Actually'' owes a debt to his favourite film, [[Robert Altman]]'s ''[[Nashville (film)|Nashville]]''. The film featured a "[[Who's Who]]" of UK actors, including [[Hugh Grant]], [[Colin Firth]], [[Bill Nighy]], [[Emma Thompson]], [[Liam Neeson]], [[Andrew Lincoln]], [[Alan Rickman]] and [[Keira Knightley]], in a loosely connected series of stories about people in and out of love in London in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Its regular festive screening has seen it labelled as being arguably a modern-day Christmas staple.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The best Christmas movies on Netflix UK |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/best-christmas-movies-netflix-uk/love-actually/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213102351/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/best-christmas-movies-netflix-uk/love-actually/ |archive-date=13 December 2017 |access-date=24 February 2019 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Tapper |first1=Jake |last2=Berryman |first2=Kim |date=20 December 2013 |title=Is 'Love Actually" a new Christmas classic? |url=http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/20/is-love-actually-a-new-christmas-classic/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903190918/http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/20/is-love-actually-a-new-christmas-classic/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 September 2014 |access-date=30 July 2019 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

Curtis followed this in 2004 with work as co-writer on ''[[Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason]]'', the sequel to ''[[Bridget Jones's Diary (film)|Bridget Jones's Diary]]''. Curtis then wrote the screenplay to ''[[The Girl in the Café]]'', a television film directed by [[David Yates]] and produced by the [[BBC]] and [[HBO]] as part of the [[Make Poverty History]] campaign's [[Live 8]] efforts in 2005. The film stars [[Bill Nighy]] as a civil servant and [[Kelly Macdonald]] as a young woman he falls in love with at a fictional [[G8|G8 summit]] in Iceland. Macdonald's character pushes him to ask whether the developed countries of the world cannot do more to help the most impoverished. The film was timed to air just before the [[31st G8 summit|Gleneagles G8 summit]] in 2005. It received three [[Emmy Awards|Emmy Award]]s in 2006, including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie|Outstanding Made for Television Movie]], [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie|Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie]] for [[Kelly Macdonald]] and a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special]] trophy for Curtis himself. Curtis said of Yates' direction that he made "a much more beautiful film, and a surprising film and a better film than I could possibly have made."<ref name="bafta1" />

{{quote box|width=30%|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=left|quote="The difference between having a good idea for a movie and a finished movie is the same as seeing a pretty girl across the floor at a party and being there when she gives birth to your third child... It's a very long journey."|source=—Curtis speaking in 2013 on the filmmaking process.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bat For Lashes' latest record is the soundtrack to an imaginary 1980s vampire movie |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49562643 |access-date=4 September 2019 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>}}
In May 2007, he received the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] Fellowship at the [[British Academy Television Awards]] in recognition of his successful career in film and television and his charity efforts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Television │ Fellowship in 2007 – Winner: Richard Curtis CBE |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2007/television/fellowship |access-date=18 August 2015 |website=[[BAFTA]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Archie |date=18 May 2007 |title=British acad to honor Curtis – Scribe wrote 'Vicar of Dibley,' 'Girl in the Cafe' |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/news/british-acad-to-honor-curtis-1117965325/ |access-date=15 October 2012 |work=[[Variety.com]]}}</ref> Curtis next co-wrote with [[Anthony Minghella]] an adaptation of [[Alexander McCall Smith]]'s novel, ''[[The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (novel)|The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency]]'', which Minghella shot in mid-2007 in Botswana. It premiered on the BBC on 23 March 2008, just days after Minghella's death. The film did not run in the US until early 2009, when HBO aired it as the pilot of a resulting six-episode TV series with the same cast, on which Curtis served as executive producer.

[[File:The boat that rocked filming cropped2.jpg|thumb|upright|Curtis (bottom) during filming ''[[The Boat That Rocked]]'' in [[Trafalgar Square]], London in May 2009]]
His second film as writer/director, ''[[The Boat That Rocked]]'', was released in 2009. The film was set in 1966 in the era of [[British pirate radio]]. It followed a group of DJs on a [[pirate radio station]] run from a boat in the [[North Sea]]. The film starred [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]], [[Bill Nighy]], [[Nick Frost]], [[Rhys Ifans]], [[Gemma Arterton]] and [[Kenneth Branagh]]. The film was a commercial and critical disappointment in the UK. Curtis re-edited the film for its US release where it was re-titled ''Pirate Radio'', but also failed to find an audience. He followed that with ''[[War Horse (film)|War Horse]]'', which he rewrote for director [[Steven Spielberg]] based on an earlier script by playwright [[Lee Hall (playwright)|Lee Hall]]. Curtis was recommended to Spielberg by [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks Studio]] executive [[Stacey Snider]], who had worked with Curtis during her time at [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]]. Curtis's work on the World War I-set ''[[Blackadder Goes Forth]]'' meant he was already familiar with the period.<ref name=EmpSpSpecial>{{Citation |last=Freer |first=Ian |title=Spielberg Special Part Two: War Horse |date=December 2011 <!-- issue (published 26 October 2011) --> |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |pages=100–106 |url=http://www.mediamaxonline.com/dailybuzz/open/print/398842.pdf |access-date=15 October 2012 |author-link=Ian Freer |archive-date=31 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331195307/http://www.mediamaxonline.com/dailybuzz/open/print/398842.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Curtis then wrote ''[[Mary and Martha (film)|Mary and Martha]]'', a BBC/HBO television film directed by Phillip Noyce. The film starred [[Hilary Swank]] and [[Brenda Blethyn]] as two women who bond after they both lose their sons to malaria. The film was broadcast in the UK on 1 March 2013. He next wrote and directed ''[[About Time (2013 film)|About Time]]'', a romantic comedy/drama about time travel and family love.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oliver Lyttelton |date=19 January 2012 |title='Four Weddings' & 'Love Actually' Mastermind Richard Curtis – The Playlist |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/four-weddings-and-love-actually-mastermind-richard-curtis-returns-to-directing-with-sci-fi-comedy-drama-about-time |access-date=20 January 2015 |website=The Playlist}}</ref> It starred [[Rachel McAdams]], [[Domhnall Gleeson]], [[Bill Nighy]], [[Tom Hollander]], [[Margot Robbie]], [[Lydia Wilson]] and [[Vanessa Kirby]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=It's 'About Time' For Rachel McAdams & Richard Curtis; Actress Lines Up Anton Corbijn's 'A Most Wanted Man' &#124; The Playlist |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/its-about-time-for-rachel-mcadams-richard-curtis-actress-lines-up-anton-corbijns-a-most-wanted-man-20120510 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513211722/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/its-about-time-for-rachel-mcadams-richard-curtis-actress-lines-up-anton-corbijns-a-most-wanted-man-20120510 |archive-date=13 May 2012 |access-date=11 March 2013 |publisher=Blogs.indiewire.com}}</ref> It was released in the UK on 4 September 2013. Soon after the film came out, Curtis delivered a screenwriting lecture as part of the BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters' Lecture Series.<ref name="bafta.org">{{Cite news |date=30 September 2013 |title=Richard Curtis Delivers his BAFTA Screenwriters' Lecture |url=http://www.bafta.org/film/features/richard-curtis-delivers-his-bafta-screenwriters-lecture,3946,BA.html |access-date=24 October 2013 |work=BAFTA}}</ref> He followed that with ''[[Trash (2014 film)|Trash]]'', which he adapted from the [[Trash (novel)|novel]] by Andy Mulligan for director [[Stephen Daldry]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Child |first=Ben |date=6 April 2011 |title=Stephen Daldry and Richard Curtis pick up Trash |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/apr/06/stephen-daldry-richard-curtis-trash |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London}}</ref> With three unknown Brazilian children in the lead roles, the film co-starred [[Wagner Moura]], [[Rooney Mara]] and [[Martin Sheen]]. It was filmed in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro and released in Brazil on 9 October 2014 and in the UK on 30 January 2015.

He next wrote ''[[Roald Dahl's Esio Trot]]'', a BBC television film adaptation of [[Roald Dahl]]'s classic children's [[Esio Trot|novel]].<ref name="Acclaim">{{Cite news |title=Esio Trot review – Dench sparkles, Hoffman is perfect; World's Strongest Man |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/02/esio-trot-roald-dahl-judi-dench-dustin-hoffman-james-corden-tv-review |access-date=31 August 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Receiving acclaim, the film starred [[Dustin Hoffman]] and [[Judi Dench]], with [[James Corden]] as the narrator, was directed by [[Dearbhla Walsh]] and was broadcast on BBC on 1 January 2015.<ref name="Acclaim" /><ref>{{Cite news |title=Irish director Dearbhla Walsh to direct Roald Dahl film |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23813593 |access-date=20 January 2015 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> His next film, ''[[Yesterday (2019 film)|Yesterday]]'', was adapted from an original screenplay by [[Jack Barth]] (who received only "co-story" credit, reportedly at Curtis's insistence).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=21 May 2020 |title=How One 'Yesterday' Screenwriter's Dream Became A Nightmare |url=https://uproxx.com/movies/jack-barth-interview-yesterday-writer-richard-curtis/ |access-date=22 May 2020 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}}</ref> The film, directed by [[Danny Boyle]] and starring [[Lily James]] and [[Himesh Patel]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Lily James in Talks to Star in Danny Boyle Comedy (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lily-james-talks-star-danny-boyle-comedy-1093179 |access-date=2 October 2018 |magazine=Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> follows a young man who discovers that the entire world except for him has no memory of [[the Beatles]], allowing him to become a global pop star by performing their songs as his own. While Barth's original screenplay depicted an obscure musician unable to capitalize on his windfall, Curtis's more conventional script featured an independent musician unable to control his own career once the music industry takes over.<ref name=":1" /> It began filming on 21 April 2018 and was released on 28 June 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=14 March 2019 |title=Tribeca Slots Danny Boyle's 'Yesterday' As Closing-Night Film, Galas For Trey Anastasio Doc, 'Apocalypse Now,' 'Say Anything ...' |url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/tribeca-slots-danny-boyles-yesterday-as-closing-night-film-gala-screenings-for-trey-anastasio-doc-apocalypse-now-say-anything-1202575642/ |access-date=4 September 2019 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref>