Howards End (1992)

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

E.M. Forster (novel)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 March 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A businessman thwarts his wife's bequest of an estate to another woman.

Plot Keywords:

England | Friendship | Working Class | Middle Class | Prejudice

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 28 wins & 30 nominations

Cast

Vanessa Redgrave	...	Ruth Wilcox
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Helen Schlegel
Joseph Bennett	...	Paul Wilcox
Emma Thompson	...	Margaret Schlegel
Prunella Scales	...	Aunt Juley
Adrian Ross Magenty	...	Tibby Schlegel
Jo Kendall	...	Annie
Anthony Hopkins	...	Henry J. Wilcox
James Wilby	...	Charles Wilcox
Jemma Redgrave	...	Evie Wilcox
Ian Latimer	...	Stationmaster
Samuel West	...	Leonard Bast
Mary Nash	...	Pianist
Siegbert Prawer	...	Man Asking a Question
Susie Lindeman	...	Dolly Wilcox
Nicola Duffett	...	Jacky Bast
Mark Tandy	...	Luncheon Guest
Andrew St. Clair	...	Luncheon Guest
Anne Lambton	...	Luncheon Guest
Emma Godfrey	...	Luncheon Guest
Duncan Brown	...	Luncheon Guest
Iain Kelly	...	Luncheon Guest
Atalanta White	...	Maid at Howards End
Gerald Paris	...	Porphyrion Supervisor
Allie Byrne	...	Blue-Stocking
Sally Geoghegan	...	Blue-Stocking
Paula Stockbridge	...	Blue-Stocking
Bridget Duvall	...	Blue-Stocking
Lucy Freeman	...	Blue-Stocking
Harriet Stewart	...	Blue-Stocking
Tina Leslie	...	Blue-Stocking
Mark Payton	...	Percy Cahill
David Delaney	...	Simpson's Carver
Mary McWilliams	...	Wilcox Baby
Barbara Hicks	...	Miss Avery
Rodney Rymell	...	Chauffeur
Luke Parry	...	Tom, Farmer's Boy
Antony Gilding	...	Bank Supervisor
Peter Cellier	...	Colonel Fussell
Crispin Bonham-Carter	...	Albert Fussell (as Crispin Bonham Carter)
Patricia Lawrence	...	Wedding Guest
Margery Mason	...	Wedding Guest
Jim Bowden	...	Martlett
Alan James	...	Porphyrion Chief Clerk
Jocelyn Cobb	...	Telegraph Operator
Peter Darling	...	Doctor
Terence Sach	...	Deliveryman
Brian Lipson	...	Police Inspector
Barr Heckstall-Smith	...	Helen's Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Simon Callow	...	Music and Meaning Lecturer (uncredited)
Claire Driver	...	Soup Seller (uncredited)
Robin Jones	...	Piano Music Lecture Attendee (uncredited)

Directed by
James Ivory

Writing credits
E.M. Forster		(novel)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala		(screenplay)

Produced by
Paul Bradley	....	executive producer
Ismail Merchant	....	producer
Donald Rosenfeld	....	associate producer
Ann Wingate	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Richard Robbins

Cinematography by
Tony Pierce-Roberts

Film Editing by
Andrew Marcus

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Luciana Arrighi

Art Direction by
John Ralph

Set Decoration by
Ian Whittaker

Costume Design by
Jenny Beavan
John Bright

Makeup Department
Christine Beveridge	....	chief makeup artist
Sian Grigg	....	hair trainee
Sian Grigg	....	makeup trainee
Carol Hemming	....	chief hair stylist
Sallie Jaye	....	assistant makeup artist (as Sally Jaye)
Paolo Mantini	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
John Downes	....	production manager
Caroline Hill	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Simon Moseley	....	second assistant director
Christopher Newman	....	assistant director (as Chris Newman)
Carl Oprey	....	third assistant director

Art Department
John Hedges	....	construction manager
Michael Hedges	....	chargehand carpenter
Robin Heinson	....	chargehand painter
Charles Ixer	....	dressing props (as Charlie Ixer)
Gary Ixer	....	stand-by props
Richard Jones	....	art department stand-by
Jill Quertier	....	production buyer
William Richards	....	art department stand-by (as Bill Richards)
Philip Robinson	....	art department assistant
Len Serpant	....	art department stand-by
Jeff Sullivan	....	art department stand-by
Peter Wallis	....	dressing props
Mark White	....	construction
Barry Wilkinson	....	property master
Simon Wilkinson	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Campbell Askew	....	supervising sound editor
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bettina McCall	....	assistant sound editor
Andrew Morris	....	boom operator (as Andy Morris)
Sarah Morton	....	dialogue editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mike Shoring	....	sound recordist
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Martin Body	....	optical cameraman (uncredited)
Kent Houston	....	optical effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Batten	....	clapper loader
Tommy Finch	....	gaffer
Rawdon Hayne	....	focus puller
Malcolm Huse	....	grip
Rod Marley	....	camera trainee (as Roderick Marley)
Bill Pochetty	....	best boy (as Billy Pochetty)
Derrick Santini	....	still photographer
Steve Kitchen	....	electrician (uncredited)
John Ward	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jill Avery	....	wardrobe assistant
Stephen Cornish	....	wardrobe supervisor
Sue Honeybourne	....	wardrobe supervisor
Adrian Simmons	....	wardrobe assistant (as Adrian Simmonds)

Editorial Department
Paul Dawson	....	second assistant editor
Tom Freeman	....	assistant editor
Michelle Gorchow	....	associate editor
James Marsh	....	associate editor

Music Department
Geoff Alexander	....	music coordinator
English Chamber Orchestra	....	music performed by (as The English Chamber Orchestra)
Keith Grant	....	music recordist
Martin Jones	....	musician: piano solo
Harry Rabinowitz	....	conductor
Robert Stewart	....	music associate

Transportation Department
Michael Lind	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Jean Bourne	....	continuity
James Butler	....	production assistant
Jo Chate	....	production runner
Jeanne Ferber	....	location manager
Joe Friedman	....	location scout
Oliver Harrison	....	title designer
Flora Herbert	....	production assistant
Mike Higgins	....	location manager
Ben Howarth	....	production assistant (as Benjamin Howarth)
Sunil Kirparam	....	production accountant
Fay Efrosini Lellios	....	production assistant
Kathryn Martin	....	assistant to producer
Christian McWilliams	....	location assistant
Nick O'Hagan	....	production coordinator
Frances Richardson	....	assistant accountant
Don Rogers	....	production assistant
Emily Shapland	....	production assistant
Michael Yell	....	production accountant (as Mike Yell)

Thanks
Caroline Shapland	....	thanks
Roger Shapland	....	thanks
Guinevere Tilney	....	thanks (as Dame Guinevere Tilney)

Production Companies

• Merchant Ivory Productions (present)
• Sumitomo Corporation (in association with)
• Imagica (in association with) (as Imagica Corporation)
• Cinema Ten Corporation (in association with)
• Japan Satellite Broadcasting (JBS) (in association with) (as JBS Japan Satellite Broadcasting, Inc)
• Ide Productions (in association with)
• Film Four International (in association with)

Distributors

• Mayfair Entertainment (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Herald Ace (1993) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Falcon (1993) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Initial Brasil (1992) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Manuel Salvador (1993) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Pyramide Distribution (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1992) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (1993) (Canada) (video)
• Argentina Video Home (1993) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Cecchi Gori Home Video (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Channel 4 DVD (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Europa Carat (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1992) (Greece) (VHS)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2005) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Odyssey Video (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• VCL Communications (Germany) (video)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates
• Optical Film Effects (optical effects)
• Peerless Camera Company (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Nippon Film Development and Finance  thanks
• Guinness Mahon and Company  thanks
• Arthur Sanderson and Sons  thanks
• Garrard, The Crown Jewellers  thanks
• Magdalen College, Oxford  thanks
• National Railway Museum  thanks
• St. James Court Hotel, London  thanks
• Simpsons-In-The-Strand  thanks (London)
• Cosprop  thanks: costumes (London)
• Twickenham Studios  sound re-recorded at (as Twickenham Film Studios)
• Nimbus Records  soundtrack
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Palmbrokers  greenery (uncredited)
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language, violence and sensuality

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

UK | Japan

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Germany:6 | Norway:11 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Admiralty Arch, The Mall, St. James's, London, England, UK

Company:

Merchant Ivory Productions

Trivia:

Miranda Richardson was offered the Emma Thompson part.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Miss Margaret Schlegel (Emma Thompson) comes down the stairs and first meets Mr. Bast (when he attempts to retrieve his umbrella), Margarete calls her sister "Helena" and not "Helen". Helena is the real name of the actress portraying the sister (Helena Bonham Carter), and "Helen" is her characters name.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Margaret Schlegel:[reading letter] Dearest Meg, I'm having a glorious time. I like them all. They are the very happiest, jolliest family that you can imagine. The fun of it is that they think me a noodle, and say so - at least, Mr. Wilcox does. Oh Meg, should we ever learn to talk less.
[laughing]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Very Important Pennis: Very Important Pennis: Part 1 (#1.2)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Lullaby

Delicious adaptation from a superb novel

Here is another example of what the British are best at in film-making. Based on E.M. Forster's novel `Return to Howards End' this film is more or less a set piece in the strictest period-piece tradition, and thus in style is somewhat akin to that great TV series `Return to Brideshead' and even Robert Altman came up trumps with his splendid `Gosford Park' which most definitely takes its well-earned place alongside such classical pieces of this genre.

Likewise, `Howards End' relies heavily on British actors who have worked their way up through live theatre: it is here that you get the best interpretations, the best performances, admirably shown in so many films made on both sides of the Atlantic. If Vanessa Redgrave has long since been a legend among British actresses, Emma Thompson is no lesser performer, and as to the pedigree of Helena Bonham-Carter there can be no arguing. Anthony Hopkins is at least up to the mark in his always sober readings in these kinds of films.

The Bonham-Carter family were well known in the fashionable circles of 1930's London high-society life, for their extravagant soirées and philanthropic sponsoring of young artists, especially musicians, similarly to the Sitwell family from their Chelsea home. Thus it is hardly surprising that Helena Bonham-Carter finds these kinds of rôles admirably suited to her - A Room with a View, anything Shakespearean, among other select `comedies'. Prunella Scales is a grand old lady of theatre, cinema and television, and I can remember her offerings back in the late fifties-early sixties especially on radio programmes.

Beautifully filmed in mostly Oxfordshire and in several places in London, the film also has a few scenes on the coast, possibly Dorsetshire or more probably the south coast of Devon, surprisingly not included in IMDb's very detailed listing of locations. Richard Robbins' music seemed to be heavily influenced by Philip Glass at times, which seemed a misfit, though it was nice to hear a few snatches by Percy Grainger, as well as a version for four hands on the piano of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, possibly one of those tremendous transcriptions which Franz Liszt carried out.

The dialogues are mostly exquisitely delivered, with that peculiarly British panache and timing, though slightly spoiled in this recent re-viewing as there were some untimely cuts on the copy in question. However, the story holds its line and is faithful to E.M. Forster's original concept. He has long been one of the greatest of British novelists, with such works as `A Passage to India', `Where Angels Fear to Tread' and `A Room with a View' to his credit, for serious readers of real literature.

This film version maintains that seriousness for people interested in real play-acting.