Starter for 10

2006 1h 36m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 466

DramaComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1985, against the backdrop of Thatcherism, Brian Jackson enrolls in the University of Bristol, a scholarship boy from seaside Essex with a love of knowledge for its own sake and a childhood spent watching University Challenge, a college quiz show. At Bristol he tries out for the Challenge team and falls under the spell of Alice, a lovely blond with an extensive sexual past.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

James McAvoy
Brian Jackson
Alice Eve
Alice Harbinson
Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Epstein
Catherine Tate
Julie Jackson
Dominic Cooper
Spencer
Benedict Cumberbatch
Patrick Watts
James Corden
Tone
Mark Gatiss
Bamber Gascoigne

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tom Vaughan
Writers: David Nicholls
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tom Vaughan, shot by Ashley Rowe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Blake Neely. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jon Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

James McAvoy and Alice Eve and Rebecca Hall carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0477095 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tom Vaughan directs. Ashley Rowe behind the camera. Blake Neely scores. Jon Harris cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 20 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Tom Vaughan, shot by Ashley Rowe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Blake Neely. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jon Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6James McAvoy and Alice Eve and Rebecca Hall carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0477095 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 12 themes, including "scholarship", "fight", "politics", "protest".

The technical file

Cinematography: Ashley Rowe
Original score: Blake Neely
Editing: Jon Harris
Production design: Sarah Greenwood
Costume design: Charlotte Morris
Makeup / hair: Jenny Shircore
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Starter for 10 (2006)

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Tom Vaughan

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-04-13
★ 8/10
Sometimes it's not about knowing the right answer. Starter for 10 is directed by Tom Vaughan and adapted to screenplay by David Nicholls from his own novel of the same name. It stars James McAvoy, Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall, Dominic Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Catherine Tate and Elaine Tan. Music is by Blake Neely and cinematography by Ashley Rowe. Set in 1985 England, working-class student Brian Jackson (McAvoy) navigates his first year at Bristol University - which lends him the opportunity to feature on his favourite ever TV Quiz Show - University Challenge. I have never read the book so have no frame of reference there, thus the complaints from devotees of the written source are null and void to me. For I absolutely loved this film, a fresh and breezy coming of age comedy that's tinted with dramatic intelligence. How nice to have a pic of this genre ilk that's not built around trying to lose one's virginity, or standing up to bullies etc. For sure there's a whole load of angst on show, a bit of class distinction dichotomy, the perils of formative fumbling romances, and of course whimsy. Yet the framework of education, the thirst for knowledge and an understanding of the problems evident in the world at time of pic's setting, all make this a smarter than your average bear British rites of passage piece. Cast are on splendid form to make the multidimensional characters work (each main character moves away from being mere caricatures). McAvoy is splendidly affable as Brian, who is still nursing the loss of his father years previously, and then has to watch as his mother (Tate) takes a lover - the local ice-cream man (John Henshaw). It's no easier at University, where he lusts after the blonde bomber (Eve) when in fact he obviously should cop on to the fact that the girl for him is bleeding heart socialist Rebecca Epstein (Hall) - but she isn't the quiz type! McAvoy has a good comedy way about him, gawkish but lovable and perfect when portraying Brian out of his depth in certain scenarios. Of the others it's Cumberbatch who steals the show as Patrick Watts, an absolute toff, an upper class twit who has no comprehension of the working class system and the perils within that structure. He is burned by his miserable failure on University Challenge the previous year, his inadequacies and stubborness blinding him to the benefits that others around him can afford him. The facial expressions, the posh vocab speak and the need to be in charge are brought vividly to comic life by Cumberbatch. Eve smoulders as Alice, but deftly plays her vulnerabilities, Hall has her character down pat, while Cooper, Tate and James Corden leave favourable marks. As do Charles Dance and Lindsay Duncan in unforgettable scenes as Alice's parents. The whole play is covered over with an 80s soundtrack, mixing student favourites with punky pop tunes, while the period detail for Brian's home life prior to going to University (Southend-On-Sea) has been given great nostalgic thought. A lot of the humour is sure to be too British for none UK folk, more so those not familiar with what the mid 1980s were like in Britain, while it has to be acknowledged that where the story ends up holds no surprises. Yet this holds many pleasures for the right audience, so fingers on the button and see if you get this starter for 10.
RalphRahal2024-12-14
★ 6/10
Starter for 10 is a fun and entertaining movie, and it’s even better because it stars three of my favorite actors—James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alice Eve. James is great as Brian Jackson, a college student trying to fit in at university and make it onto the "University Challenge" quiz team. He really nails the mix of awkwardness and ambition, making his character super relatable. Benedict is hilarious as the overly serious team captain, and Alice Eve adds a lot of charm as Brian’s crush. The cast really makes this movie shine, even if the story itself is pretty predictable. It’s your classic coming-of-age tale, but it’s done in such a fun way with a lot of humor and heart. The soundtrack and 1980s vibe give it a nostalgic feel, and while it’s not perfect, it’s just one of those movies that’s really enjoyable to watch. If you love these actors like I do, it’s definitely worth checking out.