The Sculptress (TV 1996)

Olive Martin (Quirke), a heavily overweight young woman is convicted of killing and butchering her mother and sister and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, when she is assigned to ... See full summary »

Director:

Stuart Orme

Writers:

Reg Gadney, Minette Walters (novel)

Stars:

Pauline Quirke, Caroline Goodall, Christopher Fulford

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pauline Quirke	...	Olive Martin
Caroline Goodall	...	Rosalind 'Roz' Leigh
Christopher Fulford	...	Hal Hawksley
James McCarthy	...	Geoff Wyatt
Lynda Rooke	...	Iris
Maureen Hibbert	...	Prison Officer #2
Sophie Stanton	...	Prison Officer #1
Michael Percival	...	Peter Crew
Dermot Crowley	...	Father Julian
Jay Villiers	...	Rupert
Timothy Bateson	...	Albert Hayes
Maureen O'Brien	...	Sister Bridget
Felicity Finch	...	Sally Wyatt
Angela Belton	...	Dina
John Bowler	...	Estate Agent

Storyline

Olive Martin (Quirke), a heavily overweight young woman is convicted of killing and butchering her mother and sister and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, when she is assigned to write a book about her life, author Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) begins to develop a relationship with Olive and is soon convinced of her innocence. With the help of restaurant owner and former policeman Hal Hawksley (Fulford), she sets out to prove it and undo what she sees as a miscarriage of justice. However, all is not what is seems.

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Plot Keywords:

overweight | author | innocence | murder | guilt | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | Crime | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Escultora

Filming Locations:

The Royal Masonic School, Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Red Rooster Film & Television Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 180 min (4 parts) 164 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pauline Quirke wore a bulky, 22-stone "fat suit" in order to look the part for her role as the heavyweight killer Olive Martin.

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Connections

References Criminally Insane 2 (1987)

User Reviews

Excellent PBS 1996 Murder mystery.

The Sculptress (1997) PBS Mystery! Olive Martin (Quirke), a heavily overweight young woman is convicted of killing & butchering her mother & sister & sentenced to life imprisonment. However, when she is assigned to write a book about her life, author Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) begins to develop a relationship with Olive & is soon convinced of her innocence. With the help of restaurant owner & former policeman Hal Hawksley (Fulford), she sets out to prove it & undo what she sees as a miscarriage of justice. However, all is not what is seems.. 'The nature of the crime – she carved her mother & young sister into parts with an ax , hence 'sculptress' – the grossness of her person (26 stone of lard & jelly) & the grim refusal to plead diminished responsibility all ensure the murderess a special place in the chamber of horrors. Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) is a 'natural' for the woman with writer's block & personal problems who tries to get through to her in prison & finds her preconceptions gradually undermined as she investigates the background: negligent solicitor, baffled defense council, prissy father, lecherous 'uncles' & the slimy underside of provincial sociology. Ignoring warnings that Olive is a compulsive liar, Rosalind is drawn into a strange relationship of manipulation & mutual trust. When Roz & Hal Hawksley, now in love, finally separate the threads in this story & identify the murderer, we can't help but feel good when Olive is released & greets Roz with a smile of pure, innocent joy. Minette Walters (2nd book) won the 1994 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel ,one of the detective fiction genre's highest accolades for The Sculptress. The film ends with a chilling ambiguity and a strange smile on the face of Olive. The Sculptress excellent entertainment I just view this again 02/25/10--first time around I was cleaning & cooking or something. This time the 2 episodes got my undivided attention. This film is really dynamite entertainment. five stars