Agatha (1979)

A fictional account of the real life, eleven day, never explained 1926 disappearance of famed murder mystery writer Agatha Christie is presented. On a cold winter day, her damaged car with ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Kathleen Tynan (screenplay), Arthur Hopcraft (screenplay),

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Vanessa Redgrave, Timothy Dalton

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dustin Hoffman	...	Wally Stanton
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Agatha Christie
Timothy Dalton	...	Col. Archibald Christie
Helen Morse	...	Evelyn Crawley
Celia Gregory	...	Nancy Neele
Paul Brooke	...	John Foster
Carolyn Pickles	...	Charlotte Fisher
Timothy West	...	Kenward
Tony Britton	...	William Collins
Alan Badel	...	Lord Brackenbury
Robert Longden	...	Pettelson
Donald Nithsdale	...	Uncle Jones
Yvonne Gilan	...	Mrs. Braithwaite
Sandra Voe	...	Therapist
Barry Hart	...	Supt. MacDonald

Storyline

A fictional account of the real life, eleven day, never explained 1926 disappearance of famed murder mystery writer Agatha Christie is presented. On a cold winter day, her damaged car with her expensive fur coat is found abandoned at the side of a country road. While the authorities initially suspect that she could have committed suicide, her pompous husband, Col. Archibald Christie, who is less than cooperative with the authorities, is adamant that she is still alive. What he doesn't tell them is that he recently asked her for a divorce so that he could marry his secretary, Miss Nancy Neele. Although the divorce request was not a total surprise since she knew of the extramarital affair, Mrs. Christie still did not want to grant him the request since she still loves him. Concurrently, American newspaper columnist Wally Stanton was scheduled to conduct an interview with Mrs. Christie. Since he can no longer do so with her disappearance, Stanton instead tries to find out himself what ...

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Plot Keywords:

suicide attempt | divorce | newspaper columnist | health spa | electric chair | 

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Taglines:

A fictional solution to the real mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Mistério de Agatha

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sweetwall, First Artists, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dustin Hoffman was depressed during much of the films shoot. He has since stated that he was ready to quit film acting and return to the stage - but a meeting with 'Stanley Jaffe' and 'Robert Benton' at his London hotel changed his mind and resulted him in accepting the role in Kramer vs. Kramer.

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Connections

Version of Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Yes Sir That's My Baby"
Arranged and Conducted by Howard Blake
Music by Walter Donaldson (uncredited)
Lyrics by Gus Kahn (uncredited)

User Reviews

Fascinating journey

Well photographed, carefully edited film, swimming in supposition. Almost quietly performed. Overall sense of loss and heartache gives further readings into Christie's books a tinged sense of sadness. Mannered but sympathetic acting by the 2 strong leads, balance well off the 2 sort of "villians": the snobby mistress and the caddish husband, played with icy detachment by the future and all too brief James Bond. The stunning visuals look especially nice on a large screen.