There are always those wedding guests – the select few who make an inappropriate speech, drink too heavily, show up inexcusably late, cause a scene, or, worse yet, wear white, thoroughly upstaging the bride. For whatever reason, nuptials just seem to cultivate egregious behavior. Ask any newlywed – or director Claire Scanlon, who tackles the subject in her new Amazon Studios film, “The People We Hate at the Wedding.” Based upon the 2017 Grant Ginder novel of the same name, the irreverent comedy tells the story of siblings Alice (Kristen Bell) and Paul Stevenson (Ben Platt), who are roped into traveling to London to attend the nuptials of their extremely wealthy estranged half-sister, Eloise (Cynthia-Addai-Robinson), and wind up wreaking havoc throughout the multi-day affair. As Scanlon expressed to Above the Line, “It all comes to a head, as weddings tend to, which is why I think there are so many films that feature weddings — because that’s when everyone’s forced to be together. You can’t escape and you’re supposed to be on your best behavior. And of course, no one is because you’ve got alcohol and music and lots of people, and the tensions [are] heightened.” Hitting Amazon Prime last week, the film’s release was well-timed considering most Americans are currently preparing for the similarly stressful endeavor of gathering with loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving. ‘Tis the season for comedies about dysfunctional families!
Although widely panned by critics and audiences alike, “The People We Hate at the Wedding” boasts more than a few undeniable laugh-out-loud moments, including Alice’s opening line, “I am five minutes away from homiciding someone!” The movie is also chock full of gorgeous scenery. Filmed on location in London, Scanlon calls the production a “love letter to the city,” and she certainly showcases some of its most beautiful spots throughout. The elegant eatery where Alice and Paul dine with the rest of their family upon arriving in town is Estiatorio Milos, a Greek seafood establishment situated in Westminster’s former British Columbia House. The incredibly unique – and incredibly grandiose – residence belonging to Alcott (Julian Ovenden) is a converted Kenmont Gardens church that spans over 6,000 feet. Eloise finds solace in a double cheesy gordita at the Taco Bell outpost at 90 High St. in Watford. And the film’s eponymous wedding is held at Wickham House, a striking former rectory turned special events venue in Newbury, about 60 miles west of London.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, London The Langham, one of Europe’s most grand and historic hotels, also makes a prominent appearance as the spot where Alice stays while in town. Located on a particularly picturesque block in the bustling West End, the five-star, 380-room property has defined luxury ever since originally opening its doors in 1865. Designed by architects John Giles and James Murray, the Italianate-inspired lodging was completed over the course of two years at a cost of $350,000 (about $6.5 million today). Decidedly modern for its time, the opulent site offered its early guests such tony cutting-edge amenities as hydraulic passenger lifts, a formal dining room stretching 100 feet, coffee and sitting rooms for both ladies and gents, reading, writing and drawing parlors, bathrooms featuring hot and cold water, and, per newspaper ads of the day, a “well-ventilated smoking room.”
An 1865 The Times article noted that The Langham was fashioned “to suit all from princes to the middle-classes,” and the then Prince of Wales (who was later crowned King Edward VII) was fittingly on hand for the grand opening, reportedly just as awed by the property as the 2,000 non-royals in attendance. The admiration was appropriate. As a blurb from The Observer detailing the event said of the hotel, “For sustainability in construction, for elegance of design, and for the splendour and novelty of its decorations, we believe we are justified in saying that it is without its parallel in Europe, if in the whole world.”
The Langham promptly became renowned for its unparalleled accommodations and elite-level hospitality, attracting celebrities, world leaders and artists alike, including such notables as Charles Dickens, Napoleon, Mark Twain, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, London Its exceptional reputation has never waned, despite experiencing a succession of tumultuous years brought about by the Great Depression and World War II, which exposed the hotel to financial hardships and severe bombings. After the war, the property was purchased by the British Broadcasting Corporation and utilized for several decades as a headquarters and recording studio, with the company’s massive record library housed in the main ballroom. Incredibly, the BBC even set about demolishing the historic structure at one point in order to build a new office complex. But fortunately, those plans were halted and in 1986, The Langham was acquired by the Ladbroke Group and reinstated as a luxury hotel following a massive restoration. It reopened to the public in 1991 and has been welcoming guests ever since.
Managed by the Hong Kong-based Great Eagle Holdings today, the property currently boasts 357 rooms, 23 suites, three restaurants and lounges, a plethora of meeting and event space and a spa with six treatment rooms.
At the time of its 1865 opening, The Observer concluded, “There can be little doubt of success. Indeed, the demands already made for accommodations seem to auger well for the future of the Langham Hotel.” It was an astute prediction. Almost 160 years later, the lodging remains one of London’s finest and most popular!
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Image Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, London So when Alice’s very wealthy – and very married – boyfriend/boss, Jonathan (Jorma Taccone), asks to be her plus-one at the upcoming nuptials in “The People We Hate at the Wedding,” she breaks out her emergency credit card and heads straight to The Langham’s website to book a first-class stay. Spoiler – Jonathan, of course, stands her up, and Alice winds up spending most of her time in London with a handsome stranger she meets on the plane named Dennis Bottoms (played by the always charming Dustin Milligan of “Schitt’s Creek” fame).
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Image Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, London Upon arriving at The Langham, Alice learns she has been upgraded, courtesy of Eloise, to the Sterling Suite, described on the hotel’s website as “one of London’s largest and most coveted retreats.” Boasting 4,844 square feet with accommodations for up to 12 guests, the ritzy space features an incredible six bedrooms and six baths, a media lounge, a dining room, a drawing room with a marble fireplace and a grand piano, and bespoke furnishings throughout (all of which were left in place for the shoot!). Sterling Suite guests also have a personal butler at their disposal 24 hours a day.
It is in the opulent enclave that Alice and Dennis enjoy an “elaborate brunch” consisting of coffee service, tea service, lobster risotto, steak frites, smoked Scottish haddock and Veuve Clicquot, among other room service delicacies.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, London “People We Hate at the Wedding” is hardly The Langham’s first filming gig. The hotel is actually something of a big and small screen stalwart.
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Image Credit: MGM/UA In 1995’s “GoldenEye,” it plays St. Petersburg’s Grand Hotel, where James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) stays while investigating an attack on a Siberian radar facility.
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Image Credit: 20th Century Studios Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) and Liz (Jennifer Love Hewitt) check into The Langham, along with their pets, in “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.”
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Image Credit: Lionsgate In “Red 2,” Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) and Frank (Bruce Willis) set up a covert operation at Artesian, the hotel’s cocktail lounge, a sleekly colorful space that has the distinction of winning Drinks International’s “World’s Best Bar” award an incredible four times!
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Image Credit: The Weinstein Company Chef Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) sets his sights on taking over Roux at The Landau, one of The Langham’s onsite eateries, in the hopes of winning his third Michelin star in the 2015 dramedy “Burnt.”
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Image Credit: Warner Bros. Television And Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) checks into the hotel’s Portland Suite with her new love interest Ray Whelans (Christopher Meloni) while visiting London in the season three episode of “Veep” titled “Special Relationship.” Kent Davison (Gary Cole) also spots Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons) outside of The Langham in the same episode.