- Coming Down the Mountain
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Coming Down the Mountain Genre Television movie Directed by Julie Anne Robinson Written by Mark Haddon Starring Nicholas Hoult Tommy Jessop Country 
United KingdomLanguage English Original channel BBC One Release date 2 September 2007 Running time 90 mins Coming Down the Mountain is a 2007 British television movie which was shown on BBC One, written by Mark Haddon (author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. The television movie was based on a radio play also written by Haddon.
Contents
Plot
David and Ben Philips are teenage brothers who live in London. Ben has Down's syndrome. David resents the protective attention his parents lavish on his younger brother and how much they rely on him to look after Ben. The family move from London to Derbyshire so that Ben can attend a special school, meaning David has to leave his friends and girlfriend, Gail, behind. Ben makes friends and finds a girl friend. David has difficulty fitting into his new school, suffering at the hands of bullies which leads him to self harm. David decides to kill his brother. He takes Ben hitchhiking without telling his parents, and they camp in Snowdonia. Climbing the mountain, David plans to murder Ben by pushing him off a high ridge. At the top, David changes his mind but following taunting by Ben pushes him in a fit of rage. Ben survives the fall relatively uninjured, but goes to hospital. David kidnaps him afrom hospital, but Ben stands up to him. He becomes the stronger character and after an evening talking round the camp fire David sees the real Ben for the first time and the brothers become reconciled. They both stand up to their parents' excessive molly coddling who for the first time see Ben as a young adult. Ben explains that he has a girlfriend and wants to work on a farm.
Awards
Nominated for a BAFTA 2008 Winner of the RADAR People of the Year Human Rights Media AWARD 2008
Radio
In 2004, Haddon's original radio broadcast won Bronze for The Drama Award in the Sony Radio Academy Awards.[1]
Television cast
- David Philips - Nicholas Hoult
- Ben Philips - Tommy Jessop
- Gail - Emer Kenny
- Alice - Katie Griffiths
References
External links
- BBC Official website and News article
- Coming Down the Mountain at the Internet Movie Database
- Script extract from radio version
- Mark Haddon's blog about it, from his own website
- Why Haddon wanted to make the film, from The Guardian
- Nicholas Hoult on his role
- Issues raised about Down's Syndrome
- Interviews with Tommy Jessop in Times Online and with Mencap
Reviews
- [1]
- [2]
- [3]
- Telegraph
- New Statesman
- [4]
- Guardian Unlimited
- Digiguide Library
- Broadcast
- The Independent
- icWales
- Craegmore Healthcare
- a2mediagroup
- Times Online
Works by Mark Haddon Youth titles Gilbert's Gobstopper • Mikie Joy • Toni and the Tomato Soup • A Narrow Escape for Princess Sharon • Agent Z Meets the Masked Crusader • Titch Johnson, Almost World Champion • Agent Z Goes Wild • At Home • At Playgroup • In the Garden • On Holiday • The Real Porky Phillips • Agent Z and the Penguin from Mars • The Sea of Tranquility • Secret Agent Handbook • Agent Z and the Killer Bananas • Ocean Star Express • The Ice Bear’s Cave • Gridzbi Spudvetch! • Footprints on the Moon • Boom!Adult titles Poetry Television Coming Down the MountainPlays Polar BearsCategories:- 2007 television films
- BBC television dramas
- British television films
- Down syndrome in film and television
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