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Keep the Aspidistra Flying
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Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997) More at IMDbPro »

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Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997) -- US Home Video Trailer from Ardustry

Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   806 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Bierman
Writers:
George Orwell (novel)
Alan Plater (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for A Merry War on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 August 1998 (USA) more
Genre:
Romance | Comedy more
Plot:
Gordon Comstock is a copywriter at an ad agency, and his girlfriend Rosemary is a designer. Gordon believes he is a genius... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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User Comments:
Lightweight Orwell more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Richard E. Grant ... Gordon Comstock

Helena Bonham Carter ... Rosemary
Julian Wadham ... Ravelston
Jim Carter ... Erskine
Harriet Walter ... Julia Comstock
Lesley Vickerage ... Hermione
Barbara Leigh-Hunt ... Mrs. Wisbeach (as Barbara Leigh Hunt)
Liz Smith ... Mrs. Meakin
John Clegg ... McKechnie
Bill Wallis ... Mr. Cheeseman
Lill Roughley ... Mrs. Trilling
Dorothea Alexander ... Old Woman
Peter Stockbridge ... Old Man
Grant Parsons ... Beautiful Young Man

Malcolm Sinclair ... Paul Doring
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
A Merry War (New Zealand: English title) (USA)
Comstock and Rosemary
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MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some sex-related material.
Runtime:
101 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Rankcolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Company:
BBC Films more

Fun Stuff

Goofs:
Anachronisms: During a scene in the office, Rosemary is sitting at her desk talking to her boss. The light reflects off her glasses, giving off a green tinge, indicative of anti-reflective lenses - not invented during the time the movie takes place. more
Quotes:
Gordon Comstock: When you're lying in the gutter, you've got nowhere to fall. more
Soundtrack:
Tiger in the Night more

FAQ

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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful:-
Lightweight Orwell, 14 November 2004
7/10
Author: paul2001sw-1 (paul2001sw@yahoo.co.uk) from Saffron Walden, UK

George Orwell wrote 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' based in part on his own experiences as a young writer, with himself as the object of the satire. It may be hard to think of Richard E. Grant as Orwell, but he does an enthusiastic job of bringing the book's hero to life in this adaptation, portraying an immature, but genuine and brave character struggling to establish what is most important in his life. The setting may be 80 years ago, but director never allows his film to wallow in nostalgia, keeping it fresh instead of overplaying superficial differences from our own era (though the final use of a modern song over the final credits grates). What's a bit more disappointing is the complete absence of politics in the story, odd given Orwell's own passionate commitment; the film's conclusion could be summarised as "if you're middle class, stop worrying and enjoy it", which is not a sentiment I can imagine Orwell endorsing. A lively but slight film.

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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
A Merry War . . . Or neckert7
a few 'whithnail and I' moments? **spoilers*** fergusg
CC or Subtitles gkrshnn
great performance by Grant..some of my favourite quotes fergusg
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