The Tall Guy

Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson star in the directorial debut of comedy legend Mel Smith, and the first ever feature film written by Richard Curtis, who based the script on his own experiences as Atkinson’s straight man comedic foil.

Goldblum is Dexter King, an American actor living in London, making his living in a popular stage show as the straight man to hammy, egocentric comedian Ron Anderson. His budding romance with outgoing nurse Kate is offset by potential destitution when he finds himself suddenly fired by Ron. But then Dexter’s charms land him the title role in a musical adaptation of The Elephant Man, and he finds himself in a world of success and temptation.

With The Tall Guy, Mel Smith (Bean) and Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) announced their arrival on the silver screen in characteristically tongue-in-cheek fashion, while Goldblum is as droll and endearingly gangly as always, his idiosyncratic tics giving weight to the deadpan klutz Dexter.

“Jeff Goldblum is a paragon of gawky charm and awkward vulnerabilities in The Tall Guy … A triumph of tongue and cheekiness.” – The Washington Post