Sunday, February 17, 2019

Under the Greenwood Tree 2005


     This film is based on a novel by Thomas Hardy.  Fancy Day has returned the village in Ireland where her father lives.  Her mother has passed away and Fancy has come back to teach school.  She is also caring for her ailing father.  The town becomes full of gossip about the man Fancy will marry.  Will it be wealthy Mr. Shinar, poor but handsome Dick Dewy or Parson Maybold.  Right away Fancy is in a bind because Maybold has brought in a harmonium to be played in the church.  The former church choir has their noses out of joint to be suddenly replaced!!
     I prepared myself for everything to turn out badly since this is from a Thomas Hardy novel!!  I was pleasantly surprised that there are complications but everyone doesn’t die horribly!!  This film is like a Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.  There are miscommunications and the restraints of the time period.  I wasn’t sure what choice Fancy would make for her husband but I thought she did well.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)         
93 min, Drama directed by Nicholas Laughland with Keeley Hawes, James Murray, Terry Mortimer, Richard Leaf, Tony Haygarth Jane Wheldon, Sian Brooke, Ellie Thackeray, Liam DeGrunchy, John Axon, Steve Pemberton, Ben Miles, Aletha Steven, Tom Georgeson, Sean Arnold. 

Note:  Imdb 7 out of 10, 74% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 211 reviews.
Special Note:  Filmed in Hamptonne Country Life Museum, St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands and Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK.  The movement of Fancy’s hands on the harmonium at the Parson’s house doesn’t match the sound of the harmonium.  Fancy Day’s hairstyle changes from a full ponytail to a half ponytail between shots when Fancy is introduced to the villagers.  In the final scene, solar panels are visible on the rooftops at the right of the screen?  The novel has 3.69* out of 5* on Goodreads.

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