Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Stella Gibbons (novel) and
Malcolm Bradbury (writer)

Release Date:

10 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

She discovered a new branch of her family tree... the one with all the nuts.

Plot:

In England in the early 1930's, 20 year old Flora Poste, recently orphaned and left with only 100 pounds a year...

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Wedding Reception | Orphan | Movie Producer | Birth

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Eileen Atkins	...	Judith Starkadder
Kate Beckinsale	...	Flora Poste
Sheila Burrell	...	Ada Doom
Stephen Fry	...	Mybug
Freddie Jones	...	Adam Lambsbreath
Joanna Lumley	...	Mrs. Mary Smiling
Ian McKellen	...	Amos Starkadder
Miriam Margolyes	...	Mrs. Beetle
Rufus Sewell	...	Seth Starkadder
Ivan Kaye	...	Reuben Starkadder
Jeremy Peters	...	Urk
Maria Miles	...	Elfine Starkadder
Christopher Bowen	...	Charles Fairford
Louise Rea	...	Meriam Beetle
Sophie Revell	...	Rennet

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief sensuality and language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Germany:6 (bw) | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Brightling, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

Though made for television, the film was released to theaters.

Quotes:

Mybug: I do seem somewhat soaked in nature's fecund blessing.

Movie Connections:

Version of "Cold Comfort Farm" (1968)

"I'd take the old woman as well -- but she's so gloomy!"

This film was produced for BBC television but had a theatrical release the next year -- probably to take advantage of the popularity of all those Jane Austen movies (Emma, Persuasion, et. al.) It is not a Jane Austen story, but it is a sort of genial romance/comedy of manners (set in the early 1930's?) with a plucky, bright, but penniless heroine. The book it was based on was actually a parody of Gothic romance fiction. Even though this movie is played for laughs (and has many), it still manages to make you care for the characters. Everything works here and (editing, cinematography, performances) and you really appreciate what the director, John Schlesinger, managed to do on a probably skimpy budget.

This movie was the first I ever saw of Kate Beckinsale and I thought she was fantastic in it. I remained a fan for a long while, even though her subsequent movie performances (and choices) have been awful. She finally lost me with her recent laughable turn in Van Helsing. Nevertheless, she WAS good in Cold Comfort Farm, so if you're no fan of Beckinsale don't let that dissuade you from seeing this movie.

Other standouts in the cast are Eileen Atkins, Rufus Sewell, and Ian McKellen who is screamingly funny as a fire and brimstone preacher.

This film is definitely worth having on video or DVD in that it bears up very well to repeated viewings. I've seen it at least 5 times since its release, and my estimation of it rises with each viewing.