Shadowlands (TV 1985)

Noted author and scholar finds love, then must endure its loss...

Director:

Norman Stone

Writers:

William Nicholson, Norman Stone (creator)

Stars:

Joss Ackland, Rupert Baderman, Claire Bloom

3 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Joss Ackland	...	C.S. Lewis
Rupert Baderman	...	Douglas
Claire Bloom	...	Joy Davidman
Rhys Hopkins	...	David
Alan MacNaughton	...	Christopher Riley (as Alan MacNaughtan)
Tim Preece	...	Alan Gregg
Norman Rutherford	...	Paxford
Philip Stone	...	Harry Harrington
David Waller	...	Warnie Lewis

Storyline

Renowned author, Christian apologist, and Oxford medieval scholar C.S. Lewis agrees to marry the divorced American poet Joy Davidman Gresham, to allow her and her two sons to stay in England. But what began as an act of charity by the confirmed bachelor becomes a deep and abiding love and they marry again, "before God." Alas, Joy becomes gravely ill...

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Plot Keywords:

christianity | loss of wife | cancer | death | marriage | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Also Known As:

C.S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 73 min (VHS) 92 min (original television)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

C.S. Lewis: Why am I so afraid? I never knew her love could hurt so much, and I love you and all I want is to love you. Beyond every door I hear your voice saying to me, 'This is only the land of shadows. Real life hasn't begun yet.'

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Connections

Remade as Shadowlands (1993)

User Reviews

CS Lewis with class

The 1990s film with Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger is rightly showered with praise, and I enjoyed it very much, but this TV original is just as good, and in some ways, more appropriately cast. Claire Bloom isn't a brash Joy, but she is still confident and throwing her cap at her favourite author (played by Joss Ackland in one of his best performances).

Quieter, calmer, and less emotional than the Attenborough film this may be, but it does justice to what is a marvellous play full of meaningful dialogue. You'll still cry to this version, but perhaps you won't have the musical prompts to set you off.

There's room for both - and having seen this on stage, I would say that the Ackland/Bloom one is slightly more faithful. But they're both excellent.