Hyde Park on Hudson, to be released this coming weekend, brings to light another encounter between Brits and Americans. George Bernard Shaw (or Oscar Wilde or Winston Churchill) observed that “England and America are two countries divided by a common language.” We dug up some prime examples of this division.

Possession

In this uncharacteristically sentimental film by Neil LaBute, American and English scholars butt heads, trade cultured insults and, of course, fall in love as they investigate a forbidden love affair between two Victorian writers.

The Limey

Criminal’s revenge is often a rough and messy ordeal, and adding a little culture clash into the mix can make it even rougher for everyone involved, as evidenced by the low rent thugs who misjudge Terence Stamp, titular limey, for a harmless English Gentleman.

Elementary

Obviously, not all Englishmen arrive criminally minded to The US, some are actually crime fighters, like quintessential private detective Sherlock Holmes, who, in this contemporary reincarnation finds himself helping the New York law enforcement agencies in solving crimes.

Green Street Hooligans

Traveling to London in order to find direction and purpose might sound like a legitimate plan, but adopting the violent lifestyle of soccer hooligans probably wasn’t what an American college dropout had in mind when he left the United States. This doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy it.

An American Werewolf in London

This dark humored, essential horror comedy from John Landis follows another American who discovers some disturbing truths about himself while visiting England, only this time the transformation he undergoes is external rather than internal. In fact, the transformation was so impressive, the film won an Oscar for best makeup.

Episodes

The Anglo-American culture clash takes a witty turn in this Golden Globe winning TV series, where a couple of British comedy writers find themselves in an unknown and dangerous showbiz territory, also known as Hollywood.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Über-English super secret agent Austin Powers reluctantly partners with sexy CIA operative Felicity Shagwell in order to stop master villain Dr. Evil and his scheme in this campy parody, probably the last decent movie Mike Myers starred in.

Easy Virtue

The clash between English and American traditions is emphasized in this humorous period romance about a free spirited young American woman, who marries into an aristocrat English family and faces her husband’s family disapproval.

In The Loop

The political connections between London and Washington DC receive a biting and cynical representation in this clever satire, where political intrigue and manipulations are laced with a constant flow of acerbic threats and profanities.

Hyde Park on Hudson

A more harmonious relation between the heads of state from both sides of the Atlantic is formed in this 1930’s film, but politics takes the back seat as the film focuses more on the personal lives of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and King George VI and their families.

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