Mary Wesley's novel adapted for Channel 4 by Ken Taylor, produced by Sophie Balhetchet and Glenn Wilhide.
The house is Broom Parc in Cornwall, looks to have been a B&B, not sure now? It's essential to the film. The production designer was Stuart Walker. Photographed by Ernest Vincze, edited by David Martin.
A fabulous cast, particularly Felicity Kendal, who steals the film as a strong willed woman and her rather grumpy older self. Paul Eddington is her husband, who rather casually announces he's a paedophile, of sorts, but no one seems to mind. She replaces him with Jewish musician Oliver Cotton. Then we have the kids. Toby Stephens has always had a crush on Jennifer Ehle, who finds herself unable to get emotional about anyone, and little Rebecca Hall (very good in her debut) has a crush on him. Tara Fitzgerald ends up with twins Jeremy and Joss Brook. The action moves to London in World War II, and the Ehle character marries Nicholas Le Prevost, and has a dog called 'Highland Fling'. Amazingly, everyone survives the war.
In 1984, most of the cast (but not the twins) reunite for a funeral. Here they are played by Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Virginia McKenna and Rosemary Harris, who really is Ehle's mother.
Characters and dialogue good, behaviour unpredictable and human.
Peter Hall had directed Kendal on stage for the first time in 'Amadeus' in 1979. She's still acting on stage, lately in 'Noises Off' in 2023. Her last significant TV thing was Rosemary and Thyme 2003-6 but she did feature in an Inside No. 9 episode called 'Private View'.
No comments:
Post a Comment