Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)

The second film in Terence Davies's autobiographical series (TRILOGY, THE LONG DAY CLOSES) is an impressionistic view of a working-class family in 1940s and 1950s Liverpool, based on ... See full summary »

Director:

Terence Davies

Writer:

Terence Davies

Stars:

Freda Dowie, Pete Postlethwaite, Angela Walsh

9 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Freda Dowie	...	Mother
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Father
Angela Walsh	...	Eileen
Dean Williams	...	Tony
Lorraine Ashbourne	...	Maisie
Sally Davies	...	Eileen as a Child
Nathan Walsh	...	Tony as a Child
Susan Flanagan	...	Maisie as a Child
Michael Starke	...	Dave
Vincent Maguire	...	George
Antonia Mallen	...	Rose
Debi Jones	...	Micky
Chris Darwin	...	Red
Marie Jelliman	...	Jingles
Andrew Schofield	...	Les

Storyline

The second film in Terence Davies's autobiographical series (TRILOGY, THE LONG DAY CLOSES) is an impressionistic view of a working-class family in 1940s and 1950s Liverpool, based on Davies's own family. The first part, DISTANT VOICES, opens with grown siblings Eileen (Angela Walsh), Maisie (Lorraine Ashbourne) and Tony (Dean Williams), and their mother (Freda Dowie) arranged in mourning clothes before the photograph of their smiling father (Pete Postlethwaite). Soon after, the family poses in a similar tableau, but for a happier occasion - Eileen's wedding. While relatives sing at her reception, Eileen hysterically grieves for her dad, and recalls happy times of her youth. Tony and Maisie's memories, however, are more troubled. Davies intermingles and contrasts scenes like the family peacefully lighting candles in church with the brutal man beating his wife and terrorizing his young children. In STILL LIVES, set (and filmed) two years later, the siblings are settled in life, but not ...

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Plot Keywords:

1940s | church | wedding | memory | liverpool | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 1989 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Entfernte Stimmen - Stilleben

Filming Locations:

Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$688,329 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Film Institute (BFI), Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Episode #1.12 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"I Wanna Be Around"
Words & Music Sadie Vimmerstedt and Johnny Mercer
© Commander Publications
British publisher Warner Bros Music Ltd.
Used by kind permission of Warner Bros Music Ltd.

User Reviews

why are these films not on DVD

Both distant voices and the long day closes are remarkable films for their style, and insight into the subtlety of human feelings and failings. They certainly won't be to everyones taste but as pieces of classic cinema they are priceless. Because of their limited appeal it is maybe understandable that they are not films to bring in millions, however it is tragic that they are not available on DVD so that at least they can attract a wider audience. I have the original VHS copies of these films, (bought when they were available - they are not now) and will have to dig these out of storage and have them transferred to DVD.