My Life So Far (1999)

Director:

Hugh Hudson

Writers:

Denis Forman (book)
Simon Donald (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 August 1999 (Singapore)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Imagine a summer in paradise with nothing to do except everything your heart desires.

Plot:

Memoir of the lives of a family growing up on a post World War I British estate headed up by a strong disciplinarian...

Plot Keywords:

Estate | Inventor | French | Reference To Louis Armstrong | Dog

Cast

Colin Firth	...	Edward Pettigrew
Rosemary Harris	...	Gamma MacIntosh
Irène Jacob	...	Aunt Heloise (as Irene Jacob)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Moira 'Mumsie' Pettigrew
Malcolm McDowell	...	Uncle Morris MacIntosh
Robert Norman	...	Fraser Pettigrew
Tchéky Karyo	...	Gabriel Chenoux (as Tcheky Karyo)
Kelly Macdonald	...	Elspeth Pettigrew
Roddy McDonald	...	Rollo
Daniel Baird	...	Finlay
Jennifer Fergie	...	Brenda Pettigrew
Kirstin Smith	...	Meg
Sean Scanlan	...	Andrew Burns
John Bett	...	Uncle Crawford
Anne Lacey	...	Aunt Eunice

Also Known As:

World of Moss (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, including some nude pictures.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Hong Kong:IIA | Spain:T | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardkinglas House, Cairndow, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK

Company:

Enigma Productions

Quotes:

Edward Pettigrew: Frasier, go liberate your brother.

Soundtrack:

Edward Sits Alone

The true story of one of the founders of BBC/TV and Chairman of The Royal Opera House, when he was a child growing up in Scotland in 1920

This is one of the least know, but most charming films I have ever scene.seen.

Every child deserves to have a father like Edward Pettigrew (Firth). As Frazier describes his father, " Father is an inventer and a genius!!!"

The film begins with a toddler Frazier, disliking his rest time, decides to have an adventure by crawling around the roof of the family castle in Argyll, Scotland. Father climbs down the steep roof with a rope attached to his waist and rescues wee Frazier, all the while barking like a dog. Frazier, (who makes comments throughout the film), observes that at that time in his life, he and his father ONLY communicated in DOG, the language they both spoke best.

Naturally the film has a romantic and potentially explosively moment between Father and his brother-in-law's fiance- a 24 year old French muscian who is quite beautiful and charming. She is also very wise for her years and managed to defuse the situation before it blows up. Never-the-less, the wife, played beautifully by Mary Elizabeth Mastreontonio, finds out at a crucial moment in the film and those rock-solid marriage nearly ends at a most tragic time in young Frazier's life.

But father, being a genius, finds a way to heal the wounds caused by his split-second decision to give in to his baser instincts. The WAY he gets his wife to forgive him and laugh again is pure magic.

Colin Firth never looked so handsome. Not even his glorious Mr. Darcy is so appealing. This role gives him the opportunity to show all his sides. His glorious, looney sense of humor as well as his gift for drama without words. Here he is active, leaping into a freezing cold Locke, running up and down stairs, inventing things, saving his son, dancing with his wife. He gets to laugh and cry and be HUMAN.

For those who discovered Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, My Life So Far is the glorious update!

My Life So Far in DVD has a place on honor in my collection of over 500 DVD's and VHS' One of my favorites, and, I hope soon to be yours.