Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPride MonthAmerican Black Film FestivalSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Very Thought of You

Original title: Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence
  • 1998
  • PG-13
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
4.8K
YOUR RATING
Joseph Fiennes and Monica Potter in The Very Thought of You (1998)
ComedyRomance

Three childhood friends separately fall for cute American Martha, and within three days of her arrival at a London airport, their friendship is at risk.Three childhood friends separately fall for cute American Martha, and within three days of her arrival at a London airport, their friendship is at risk.Three childhood friends separately fall for cute American Martha, and within three days of her arrival at a London airport, their friendship is at risk.

  • Director
    • Nick Hamm
  • Writer
    • Peter Morgan
  • Stars
    • Joseph Fiennes
    • Monica Potter
    • Rufus Sewell
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    4.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Nick Hamm
    • Writer
      • Peter Morgan
    • Stars
      • Joseph Fiennes
      • Monica Potter
      • Rufus Sewell
    • 44User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
    • 43Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Very Thought of You
    Trailer 0:57
    The Very Thought of You

    Photos13

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 8
    View Poster

    Top cast20

    Edit
    Joseph Fiennes
    Joseph Fiennes
    • Laurence
    Monica Potter
    Monica Potter
    • Martha
    Rufus Sewell
    Rufus Sewell
    • Frank
    Tom Hollander
    Tom Hollander
    • Daniel
    Ray Winstone
    Ray Winstone
    • Pedersen
    Debora Weston
    • First Class Passenger
    Jan Pearson
    • Daniel's Senior Partner
    Steven O'Donnell
    Steven O'Donnell
    • Male Information Official
    Rebecca Craig
    • Gillian - Female Information Official
    Paul Bigley
    • Black's Hotel Room Service
    Geoffrey McGivern
    Geoffrey McGivern
    • Travel Agent
    Hamish Clark
    Hamish Clark
    • Icelandair Official
    Lorelei King
    Lorelei King
    • US Ground Stewardess
    Steve Speirs
    Steve Speirs
    • Taxi Driver
    Rob Brydon
    Rob Brydon
    • Bus Driver
    • (as Robert Brydon)
    Luke de Lacey
    Luke de Lacey
    • Audition Actor #1
    Sam Rumbelow
    • Audition Actor #2
    Stephen Mangan
    Stephen Mangan
    • Audition Actor #3
    • Director
      • Nick Hamm
    • Writer
      • Peter Morgan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews44

    6.44.8K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    Cezzie

    A hillarious romantic comedy

    I'm a fan of Joseph Fiennes, so naturally, this was a film I've been wanting to see for ages. And it didn't disapoint me one bit!

    The plot is basiclly three English friends meet an American girl within three days, at seperate times, and they all fall for her. First, I was excited to see a romantic comedy set in Britain ... I always look forward to those. And then, despite the ending being pretty predictable, I came to the conclusion that this is definately one of the best Romantic Comedy films I've ever seen.

    Monica Potter does a great job at Martha, the American girl who's had enough of her life in America so buys the first plane ticket to anywhere for $99, and ends up in London. There were one liners from Martha that made me laugh so much.

    Tom Hollander is a great Daniel, the rich and spoilt British guy who's a bit of a ladies man, and just loves to get a rise out of Frank. It's by not trying to be funny that makes us love and laugh at Daniel. Hollander does a great job at achieving this.

    Joseph Fiennes ... is there any criticism you can give this man? He's perfect for the role of Laurence, and that's why it works so well. When you look into his eyes, you can dive deep into his soul, and he has the sort of face which you love. Laurence is the romantic and sensitive character, and I can't imagine a better person than Fiennes playing him.

    Rufus Sewell as Frank steals the show. Frank is the funniest character, despite how serious he is. Frank, the depressed and failed actor who is constantly getting into arguements with Daniel, will have you laughing your ass off! I can't think of a time when he said something I didn't laugh at. If you're not a big fan of Romantic Comedies, this movie is worth watching, just for Sewell.

    Stars out of 10 : 10
    7mjw2305

    Fun and romantic - seems right for the genre

    Martha (Monica Potter) is single, sexy and she's so sick of her life she's off to London with the last of her money.

    Daniel (Tom Hollander) is single, successful and after one look at Martha he thinks he's in love. Frank (Rufus Sewell) is one of Daniel's friends, despite the fact he is always trying to get one up on him. Lawrence (Joseph Fiennes) is another of Daniel's friends, and he is always caught between Frank and Daniel as they jostle for supremacy.

    The casing and script are both strong, and the feel of the movie is nice and original, even with the usual clichés in the romance element. It's funny, it's romantic and it has sex appeal for both men and ladies, so obviously its worth a watch; if you don't try it, you'll never know.

    7/10
    amifisher

    a few clever twists before a totally predictable ending

    If you are looking for simplicity with little twists here and there - just enough to make it amusing but not too much to be thought-provoking -then this movie would be a good place to start.

    It's definitely a low-budget film, you can really tell from the color quality. Clever, feel-good script - really aims to entertain instead of being profound, although it's probably a good idea to lay off the cheesy, over-used lines like "she's different from any woman I've ever met" and "do you believe that things happenned for a reason?".

    Good line up of cast. Tom Hollander and Rufus Sewell really shines as Daniel and Frank, they play off each other beautifully and show a bit of versatility which is nice (both are well known dramatic actors).

    Joseph Fiennes was okay - Laurence doesn't really provide much. He's the long suffering lovesick puppy type which Mr. Fiennes has obviously played quite a few times before. He somehow fits in less naturally here as if he's gone straight from a stage production and hasn't really got time to shake off the character. Very good vocal (still got the elizabethan twinge in it)and not much facial expression. I do enjoy the idiosyncracies like Laurence drawing something whenever he feels stuck in the middle. And how he's occasionally being called "Florence".

    Monica Potter provides a very Julia Roberts style performance, which isn't saying much of her own quality as an actress.

    I was watching this movie with a roomate the other day and she said "It's a movie that makes you want to fall in love" - I myself was just looking for a comedy and was getting it just fine from this movie. So for whatever reason, you'll enjoy it.
    Agilitydoglover@aol.com

    Good movie.

    I liked this. I saw it not more than five minutes ago, and I already want to see it again! I usually hate romantic movies, but this had enough twists to make it enjoyable. The actors looked like real people, and (thank god!) acted like them! Insecurities associated with dating came through brilliantly, and the two main characters really shined. I recommend this, especially for people who like quirky movies... And if you like this, try I.Q.! JD
    Clever Jones

    Viewers, Meet a delightful and funny film

    So I'm walking through the video store late one friday night. I'm looking for something that will make me think. I'm tired of seeing movies that bore me.

    I'm in the comedy section, I see "The out of towners", "forces of Nature", other crap like that and then I see this film.

    I know...I know, checl out my other reviews, not my kind of film. So I pick it up, and read the box. I usually don't go for romantic comedies, but I like Joseph Fiennes, so I did the unthinkable. I rented it.

    Now if you knew me, you would know that I spend hours in the video store just so I can smile when I get home. I hate to be letdown by films that suck.

    I popped it in the VCR and poof, 88 minutes later, my smile was from ear to ear. This movie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Here's why:

    Without giving away to much, this film tells the story of love and friendship in London. Monica Potter plays Martha, an american looking for something. The Brits, which are all impressive in their own way, deliver great, hearfelt performances. Rufus Sewell and Tom Hollander should pat themselves on the back for playing so unpredictably. And Fiennes, should play this way more often.

    I feel very priveliged to have seen this great little film.

    4/4

    More like this

    Wuthering Heights
    6.6
    Wuthering Heights
    I'm with Lucy
    5.9
    I'm with Lucy
    Undertaking Betty
    6.5
    Undertaking Betty
    The Beautician and the Beast
    5.5
    The Beautician and the Beast
    Killing Me Softly
    5.4
    Killing Me Softly
    Wives and Daughters
    8.1
    Wives and Daughters
    Under the Greenwood Tree
    6.9
    Under the Greenwood Tree
    An Ideal Husband
    6.8
    An Ideal Husband
    Sliding Doors
    6.7
    Sliding Doors
    Sabrina
    6.3
    Sabrina
    Northanger Abbey
    7.2
    Northanger Abbey
    That Touch of Mink
    6.6
    That Touch of Mink

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Rufus Sewell would improvise a lot on set.
    • Goofs
      The plane on which Martha and Daniel travel changes from an Lockheed L1011 after take-off to a DC-10 on landing.
    • Quotes

      Airport Information Clerk: I do this in the name of sports-watching, romantically-minded men; a maligned, misunderstood minority.

    • Alternate versions
      US version was edited by Miramax (removing all profanity) to secure a PG-13 rating.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Jersey Girl (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Back in the shadow
      Performed by Serious jones

      Published by Music NV publishing

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How long is The Very Thought of You?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 8, 1998 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence
    • Filming locations
      • Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Banshee
      • Channel Four Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $98,378
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $29,692
      • Aug 29, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $98,378
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Joseph Fiennes and Monica Potter in The Very Thought of You (1998)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Very Thought of You (1998) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.