High Hopes (1988)

Slice-of-life look at a sweet working-class couple in London, Shirley and Cyril, his mother, who's aging quickly and becoming forgetful, mum's ghastly upper-middle-class neighbors, and ... See full summary »

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh

Stars:

Philip Davis, Ruth Sheen, Edna Doré

5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Philip Davis	...	Cyril Bender
Ruth Sheen	...	Shirley
Edna Doré	...	Mrs. Bender
Philip Jackson	...	Martin Burke
Heather Tobias	...	Valerie Burke
Lesley Manville	...	Laetitia Boothe-Braine
David Bamber	...	Rupert Boothe-Braine
Jason Watkins	...	Wayne
Judith Scott	...	Suzi
Cheryl Prime	...	Martin's Girl Friend
Diane-Louise Jordan	...	Chemist Shop Assistant
Linda Beckett	...	Receptionist

Storyline

Slice-of-life look at a sweet working-class couple in London, Shirley and Cyril, his mother, who's aging quickly and becoming forgetful, mum's ghastly upper-middle-class neighbors, and Cyril's pretentious sister and philandering husband. Shirley wants a baby, but Cyril, who reads Marx and wants the world to be perfect, is reluctant. Cyril's mum locks herself out and must ask her snooty neighbors for help. Then Cyril's sister Valerie stages a surprise party for mum's 70th birthday, a disaster from start to finish. Shirley holds things together, and she and Cyril may put aside her Dutch cap after all.

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Plot Keywords:

working class | marxism | family relationships | leftist | long take | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Belle speranze

Filming Locations:

Broadgate, London, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$1,192,322 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Screen Productions, Channel Four Films, Portman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Lonely Street"
(uncredited)
Written by Carl Belew, Kenny Sowder and W.S. Stevenson

User Reviews

Money isn't everything

The paragraph describing this film said it was about a group of people who come together when Mum locks herself out. This is misleading as that is only a small part of the film , there is much more to it than that, I saw this film as part of a Mike Leigh feature on TV.

I straight away recognised Philip Davis who also stared in Mike Leigh's 'Grown Ups' even though it was 20 years earlier that I had seen that. He looked very similar but his character, Cyril was much better tempered than Dick had been. Cyril and his partner Shirley are the only ones who seem to care about poor old Mum. They are also kind hearted enough to help out a stranger who was lost and confused. Her other daughter Valarie appears to care more about her dog and her own life. The toffee nosed couple next door would rather leave the poor old women standing out in the cold when she locks herself out and don't want anyone to get in the way of their life.

This film lets us see that having money doesn't always mean happiness. Cyril and Shirley are much more contented than their richer neighbours and sister. They are also much less selfish. I would rather have them any day