The Winslow Boy (1999)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writers (WGA):

Terence Rattigan (play)
David Mamet (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Early 20th century England: while toasting his daughter Catherine's engagement, Arthur Winslow learns...

Plot Keywords:

Parliament | Military | Royal Naval Academy | Engagement | Banker

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Matthew Pidgeon	...	Dickie Winslow
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Catherine Winslow
Gemma Jones	...	Grace Winslow
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Arthur Winslow
Lana Bilzerian	...	Undermaid
Sarah Flind	...	Violet
Aden Gillett	...	John Watherstone
Guy Edwards	...	Ronnie Winslow
Colin Stinton	...	Desmond Curry
Eve Bland	...	Suffragette
Sara Stewart	...	Miss Barnes, Beacon Reporter
Perry Fenwick	...	Fred
Alan Polonsky	...	Mr. Michaels
Jeremy Northam	...	Sir Robert Morton
Neil North	...	First Lord

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:S (video rating) | Iceland:L | Norway:A | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Quebec) | USA:G (certificate #36284) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:G | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | UK:U | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Winslow Partners Ltd.

Trivia:

Not only do both movies The Winslow Boy (1999) and An Ideal Husband (1999), feature Jeremy Northam as a character named "Sir Robert", his performances in those movies also won him the same two awards (Evening Standard British Film Award's "Best Actor" & ALFS Award's "British Actor of the Year").

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the movie When Ronnie Winslow tears open the envelope and is about to remove the letter, the stamp and address are facing him, then in the reverse shot as he removes the letter the stamp and address are facing away from him.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Sir Robert Morton: Oh, you still pursue your feminist activities?
Catherine Winslow: Oh yes.
Sir Robert Morton: Pity. It's a lost cause.
Catherine Winslow: Oh, do you really think so, Sir Robert? How little you know about women. Good-bye. I doubt that we shall meet again.
Sir Robert Morton: Oh, do you really think so, Miss Winslow? How little you know about men.

Movie Connections:

Version of "The DuPont Show of the Month: The Winslow Boy (#2.3)" (1958)

Odd but Lovely

In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit right off that I have never read the Terence Rattigan play from which this film is derived. Therefore, my evaluation of it purely concerns the film itself. I saw the movie during its brief stint in American theaters, and I was very surprised. It is the sort of film that I was amazed made it into Anerican movie theaters at all. It is neither fast-moving nor action-packed, and it contains no sexual content or violence. It centers around a functional British family and has very little romance. It does, however, address many issues and has a great deal of sophisticated humor.

Rebecca Pidgeon's performance was particularly memorable. She had the perfect combination of restraint and sarcasm. I have heard complaints about her-that she was too stiff and lackluster, but I found her character very believable. Perhaps this is because I come from a close, sarcastic family myself. The Winslows came off as very attached to each other, but their Britishness prevented them from being mushy.

I would definitely not recommend this movie to everyone. It is a very specific type of film and probably would be enjoyed by someone who is a fan of slow-paced, dialogue-driven period pieces or by someone who is a bibliophile. It is an unusual film, but I personally think it is pure gold.