Withnail & I

Withnail & I (1987)

8 mistakes - chronological order

(1 vote)

Continuity mistake: When the car leaves the motorway on the sliproad as Withnail & I first head out into the countryside, there is only one person visible in the front of the car. Withnail said he was going for a sleep, but it would have been too difficult for him to make it into the back of the car whilst it was moving. (00:32:10)

UKFilmFan

Continuity mistake: When driving to Penrith, there is a shot of the road taken from the driving seat of the car. There are two headlight patterns on the road, but the car only has one headlight. (00:33:00)

Continuity mistake: When Monty drives Withnail & I into Penrith the radish is on his left lapel. When they arrive in Penrith a few minutes later, the radish has mysteriously moved to his right lapel.

Withnail & I mistake picture

Factual error: When they are driving back home from the holiday cottage you can clearly see an M25 sign in the background. The M25 didn't exist in the 60s.

Withnail & I mistake picture

Continuity mistake: Whenever you get a shot of the car travelling along the motorway or road, the cars going in the same direction as the Jaguar are all true to 1969 - the year the film is set - but the cars travelling in the opposite direction or parked by roads are all contemporary with the time it was made (eg. Ford Sierras).

Continuity mistake: In the breakfast scene with uncle Monty, he is holding Withnail and I's hands. They both let go and stand up, and as the shot goes behind Monty's head you can see that he is still holding I's hand.

Factual error: The roadsigns on the motorway are quite contemporary (1980's), the signs used in the 1960's would have looked considerably different. To travel to Penrith, Withnail & I would have had to leave London via the A1, and not the M25 motorway, which wasn't constructed until many years later.

UKFilmFan

Continuity mistake: When they are driving to the country there is a blue Ford Escort driving behind them which is also driving behind them on the way back.

Barman: Time, gents, please.
Withnail: Alright, we're going to have to work quickly. A pair of quadruple whiskies and another pair of pints, please.

More quotes from Withnail & I

Trivia: The lighter fluid scene was based on a real incident. Writer/ director, Bruce Robinson and actor Gregory Floy have both said that Vivian MacKerrell, the principal inspiration for Withnail, really did once drink lighter fluid. Gregory Floy also said that he walked round Regents Park in the pouring rain with Vivian, when he was due to go to the US for 6 months to appear in a play. Vivian was about to leave London and return to Nottingham and that it was very like the film's ending.

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Question: Why doesn't Maroowd want Withnail accompanying him to the train station? I thought they were supposed to be friends?

MovieBuff09

Chosen answer: I'm not sure they are friends, they were just thrown together by circumstance. Withnail treats Marwood badly throughout the film. When Marwood gets his role, he smartens himself up and can't wait to get out of there, not even bothering to move his stuff out, saying his dad will do it. I think that they both realise that it's the end of their relationship, and Marwood just wants to get it over with.

Madstunts

Answer: I think Marwood is possibly embarrassed by Withnail, by him being drunk and looking dishevelled and that's why he doesn't want him him walking him to the station.

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