The film Will Arnett called “perfect”
Since his first role as Gob Bluth in Arrested Development 20 years ago, Will Arnett has gone on to dominate the market as a leading figure of the comedy scene. Canadian-born, the actor/producer has become synonymous with modern entertainment and, thanks to his distinctly deep and gravelly voice, has been able to lend his vocal talents to staples of American media.
Arnett has on his resume such titles as the Ice Age and Despicable Me franchises, and has even provided the voice of Batman in the hugely popular Lego movies. For the more mature audiences, he’s given us the darkly comic BoJack Horseman series on Netflix, and since 2020 he’s co-hosted the SmartLess podcast along with long-time friends and fellow actors, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, which sees them mainly interviewing huge figures in the American television and cinema industries.
It comes somewhat as a surprise then that, when asked what his favourite film was, rather than pick a definitive piece of American film history, Arnett instead opted for an obscure and relatively low-budget British indie movie: the 1987 comedy, Withnail & I. Whilst certainly regarded as a cult-classic by British citizens, it seems like the impact and legacy of the booze-fuelled ‘holiday’ film stretches across the pond as well.
Starring Richard E. Grant as the titular ‘Withnail’ in his breakout role, and Paul McGann as ‘I’ (referred to as Marwood in the screenplay), the film follows two impoverished and jobless actors who deem themselves worthy of a holiday, jumping at the opportunity when it arises in the form of a trip to stay with Withnail’s wealthy and lecherous uncle in the English countryside.
Spawning numerous pop-culture references, quotes — “We forgot to bring our Wellingtons!” — and even a drinking game, the film’s tragicomic depiction of 1960s England has brought laughter and tears to countless audience members. For Arnett, it is “hands down, the perfect movie.” Speaking to MTV, the Murderville actor listed writer/director Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical feature as his favourite movie of all time.
“It’s my kind of movie,” Arnett explained, “which is: brilliantly funny on a very profound level, and has a lot of drama and a lot of heart to it as well.” Whilst many agree, in terms of critical or financial success the film failed to garner any serious industry recognition, with its only real accolade being a ‘Best Screenplay’ win at the now-defunct Evening Standard British Film Awards. Nevertheless, it has become a part of British cultural heritage, and has inspired other filmmakers around the world.
Despite having made a living primarily with his voice and gaining a huge second gust of popularity for talking on his podcast, it’s refreshing to hear that Arnett values a sense of economy and proficiency when it comes to language in the film. Speaking on Robinson’s writing for Withnail & I, the actor states that “There’s not a wasted word in that film.” Watch the trailer for this classic British film below.
