Harnessing Peacocks (TV 1993)

The beautiful Hebe has been cast out by her family after a teenage pregnancy to a masked stranger during a fiesta in Italy. She makes ends meet and pays for her son's school fees by cooking... See full summary »

Director:

James Cellan Jones

Writers:

Andrew Davies, Mary Wesley (novel)

Stars:

Serena Scott Thomas, Peter Davison, John Mills

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Serena Scott Thomas	...	Hebe Rutter
Peter Davison	...	Jim Huxtable
John Mills	...	Bernard Quigley
Nicholas Le Prevost	...	Mungo Duff
Renée Asherson	...	Louisa Fox
Jeremy Child	...	Julian Reeves
Brenda Bruce	...	Amy Tremayne
Tom Beasley	...	Silas Rutter
Richard Huw	...	Rory Grant
Abigail McKern	...	Hannah Krull
David Harewood	...	Terry
Dilys Hamlett	...	Lucy Duff
Marsha Fitzalan	...	Alison Duff
Delia Lindsay	...	Jennifer Reeves
Richard Mathews	...	Grandfather

Storyline

The beautiful Hebe has been cast out by her family after a teenage pregnancy to a masked stranger during a fiesta in Italy. She makes ends meet and pays for her son's school fees by cooking for old ladies and sleeping with a small syndicate of adoring men (the "peacocks" of the title - from Greek mythology). The story revolves around Hebe, her "clients" and their families, and set against a backdrop of village life in South-West England. There is a sub-theme of the antiques trade which draws some of the characters together, and ultimately resolves the mystery of Hebe's masked lover.

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Plot Keywords:

peacock | greek mythology | cooking | mask | sailboat | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein Käfig voller Pfauen

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Friday Productions, Meridian Broadcasting

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms"
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

A fun, entertaining way to pass the time

This is an entertaining movie, though not the best filmed. The plot moves along quite nicely and the heroine, Hebe, is spirited and likable. The way she makes "ends meet" by working as a cook and choosing to be a mistress to a select group of men, lends itself to unique plot twists and comic moments. Her back story--that of being rejected by her family due to an unwanted pregnancy and her inability to identify the father--is sad and implausible, but this doesn't keep our heroine down or the story from being interesting.

If you are a romantic, this movie won't waste your time. Serena Scott Thomas is lovely in the role; and her gentlemen suitors are a fine and merry bunch.