The Honorary Consul (film)
The Honorary Consul, also known as Beyond the Limit in North America, is a 1983 British drama film directed by John Mackenzie and starring Michael Caine, Richard Gere, Bob Hoskins, and Elpidia Carrillo. It is based on the 1973 novel The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene.[4][5]
| The Honorary Consul | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Mackenzie |
| Produced by | Norma Heyman[1] |
| Screenplay by | Christopher Hampton |
| Based on | The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Stanley Myers |
| Cinematography | Phil Méheux |
| Edited by | Stuart Baird |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures (USA & Canada) Fox-Rank (UK & Ireland) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11.8 million[2] |
| Box office | $5,997,566[3] |
Synopsis
Set in a small politically unstable Latin American country,[lower-alpha 1] the story follows the half-English, half-Latin doctor, Eduardo Plarr (Richard Gere), who left his home to find a better life. Along the way he meets an array of people, including the British Consul Charley Fortnum (Michael Caine), a representative in Latin America who is trying to keep a revolution from occurring, who is also a remorseful alcoholic. Another person the doctor meets is Clara (Elpidia Carrillo), whom he immediately desires, but there is a problem: Clara is Charley's wife.
Cast
- Michael Caine as Charley Fortnum, Consul
- Richard Gere as Eduardo Plarr
- Bob Hoskins as Colonel Perez
- Elpidia Carrillo as Clara Fortnum
- Joaquim de Almeida as Leon
- A Martinez as Aquino
- Geoffrey Palmer as British Ambassador
Production
The film was produced by Norma Heyman, marking the first time that a British woman entirely produced an independent feature film in history.[1]
The movie was filmed on location in Veracruz, Mexico and Mexico City, and at the Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England.
Response
The film was successful in Europe, and particularly in the UK as it was a British production. In the United States, it only earned about $6 million in box office receipts and was not well received by critics.
Notes
- In Greene's novel the setting is northern Argentina
References
- MacNab, Geoffrey (2 July 2011). "David Heyman: Man behind the magic". The Independent. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- "The Unstoppables". Spy. November 1988. p. 92.
- The Honorary Consul at Box Office Mojo
- The Honorary Consul at IMDb
- "The Honorary Consul (1983)". bfi.org. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.