This film is based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh published in 1934 and the setting is England during the 1930’s. Lord Tony and Lady Brenda Last live on Tony’s enormous estate in Hetton with their young son John Andrew. Tony is not interested in parties and Brenda loves London society. She starts going to events with John Beaver, he is penniless and a hanger-on at Tony’s club. John’s mother sees money in Tony and Brenda so she encourages John to see Brenda. She begins to spend more time in London and Tony thinks she is living with a female friend. Unfortunately, Tony and Brenda experience a tragedy in their lives. Brenda decides to reside in London and Tony learns that John also lives with Brenda’s female friend. Brenda files for divorce and Tony reluctantly agrees. He refuses to finalize the divorce because he cannot afford the 2000 pounds a month that she is requesting. Tony would need to sell the estate to pay Brenda the money and he refuses to do that. Instead, he meets an adventurer and he heads out on an expedition to Brazil. Now, Brenda has no money and John has no money. Only John’s mother has money and she is thrifty with her money??
Tony very much enjoys the role of country gentleman and he keeps them poor by spending his fortune maintaining his Victorian-Gothic manor. The bedrooms are named Guinevere, Galahad, etc and there are 61 bedrooms. Brenda and Tony are both devoted to their young son John. Brenda pines for the gaiety of London. John Beaver is colorless and without flair. He is known chiefly as London’s only spare-man-about-town. John is invited to Hetton for a weekend. Brenda feels sorry for John and she decides to ask him to show her around London on her trips. Incredibly, she falls in love with John?? Brenda’s demands for alimony are to provide for the needs of John. There are the parties, casual drinking at club bars and serious drinking at low dive bars plus cigarettes. Then there is Tony’s exploring expedition to find the Lost City of the Amazon? Is this trip solely for the purpose of getting out of paying 2000 pounds a month?? 5* (I have seen this before and I really liked this movie)
118 min, Drama directed and written by Charles Sturridge and also written by Tim Sullivan and Derek Granger with James Wilby, Kristin Scott Thomas, Richard Beale, Jackson Kyle, Norman Lumsden, Jeanne Watts, Kate Percival, Richard Leech, Roger Milner, Tristram Jellinek, Angelica Huston, Rupert Graves, Judi Dench, Pip Torrens, Beatie Edney, Stephen Fry, Graham Crowden.
Note: Goodreads gives the book 3.92* out of 5* with 22,272 ratings and 1,167 reviews, Amazon gives the book 4.3* with 190 reviews, Imdb 6.7 out of 10 with 1,731 views, Roger Ebert 3*, Rotten Tomatoes 45% audience score with 1,966 reviews, Amazon 3.5* out of 5* with 96 ratings, Metacritic 84 out of 100 with 19 critics (18 positive 1 mixed) 7.2 out of 10 user scores with 5 ratings, Letterboxd 3.2* out of 5*.
Special Note: Filmed at Highclere Castle, Highclere, Hampshire; Abbey Road Studios, St. John’s Wood, London; Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex; England, UK, Canima National Park, Estado Bolivar; Ciudad Guyana, Venezuela; Brighton, East Sussex; Calton Towers, Selby, North Yorkshire; Windsor and Eton Central Station, Windsor, Berkshire; England, UK. The Duke of Norfolk let his house be used and appeared as the gardener touching his forelock respectfully to Mrs. Ratterby. James Wilby and Rupert Graves played love rivals in this movie but in the Merchant Ivory movie, Maurice 1987, they played lovers. This movie was released 54 years after its source novel of the same name was published. Nominated for an Oscar for the Best Costume Design Academy Award in 1989. Lost out to Dangerous Liaisons 1988 and both films had George Fenton as the music composer. Highclere Castle is the setting for the filming of the TV series Downton Abby. It is also the home of the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.
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