The Miracle Maker (2000)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Directors:

Derek W. Hayes
Stanislav Sokolov

Writer:

Murray Watts (writer)

Release Date:

31 March 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Animation | Biography | Drama

Plot:

The story of Jesus Christ. |

Plot Keywords:

Jesus Christ | Cross | Back From The Dead | Fishing | Part Animated

Cast

Ralph Fiennes	...	Jesus (voice)
Michael Bryant	...	Voice of God / the Doctor (voice)
Julie Christie	...	Rachel (voice)
Rebecca Callard	...	Tamar (voice)
James Frain	...	Thomas (voice)
Richard E. Grant	...	John the Baptist (voice)
Ian Holm	...	Pontius Pilate (voice)
William Hurt	...	Jairus (voice)
Anton Lesser	...	Herod (voice)
Daniel Massey	...	Cleopas (voice)
Tim McInnerny	...	Barabbas (voice)
Alfred Molina	...	Simon the Pharisee (voice)
Bob Peck	...	Joseph of Arimathea (voice)
Miranda Richardson	...	Mary Magdalene (voice)
Antony Sher	...	Ben Azra (voice)
Ewan Stewart	...	Andrew (voice)
Ken Stott	...	Simon Peter (voice)
David Thewlis	...	Judas Iscariot (voice)
Vass Anderson	...	(voice)
Nigel Anthony	...	(voice)
Tony Armatrading	...	(voice)
David Becalick	...	(voice)
Robert Duncan	...	(voice)
Martin Gent	...	(voice)
Patrick Godfrey	...	(voice)
Julie Higginson	...	(voice)
William Hootkins	...	(voice)
Joe James	...	(voice)
Lennie James	...	(voice)
Emily Mortimer	...	Mary of Nazareth (voice)
Michael Nardone	...	(voice)
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Mary (voice)
Geraldine O'Rawe	...	(voice)
Geraint Owen	...	(voice)
Neville Phillips	...	(voice)
Rupert Procter	...	(voice)
Martin Read	...	(voice)
Sian Rivers	...	Martha (voice)
David Schofield	...	(voice)
Dougray Scott	...	(voice)
William Thomas	...	(voice)
Richard Dyer	...	(voice)
Adam Welsh	...	(voice)

Directed by
Derek W. Hayes
Stanislav Sokolov

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Murray Watts		writer

Produced by
Elizabeth Babakhina	....	executive co-producer
John Geraint	....	executive co-producer: BBC Wales
Christopher Grace	....	executive producer
Naomi Jones	....	producer
Ralph Kamp	....	executive co-producer: Icon Entertainment
Geoffrey Marshall-Taylor	....	executive co-producer: BBC
Hew Walters	....	executive co-producer: S4C
Renat Zinnurov	....	producer: Christmas Films

Original Music by
Anne Dudley

Film Editing by
Robert Francis
William Oswald
John Richards

Casting by
Mary Selway
Sarah Trevis

Art Direction by
Helena Livanova
Ashley Potter

Costume Design by
Anna Baibakova
Eugenia Bogolyubova

Production Management
Michael Sementzov-Ogievski	....	production team manager: Christmas Films

Art Department
Chris Evans	....	storyboard artist (as Christopher Evans)
Boris Moiseyev	....	executive set designer
Das Petrou	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Ian 'Spike' Banks	....	sound editor
Darran Clement	....	foley mixer
Paul McFadden	....	foley editor

Visual Effects by
Russell Appleford	....	3D operator
Richard Bain	....	visual effects designer
Martin Costello	....	3D operator
Gavin Digby	....	digital compositor
Paul J. Franklin	....	digital effects artist
Churchill Frazer	....	2D operator
Sundquist Frederik	....	3D operator
Stein Gausereide	....	3d operator
Digby Gavin	....	2D operator
Salter Greg	....	2D operator
Nigel Hardwidge	....	3D operator
Ed Hawkins	....	2D operator
Elie Jamaa	....	technical director
Chas Jarrett	....	3D operator
Richard Morris	....	digital effects artist
Charlie Noble	....	compositor
Riddle Paul	....	2D operator
Ed Plant	....	2D operator
Gregory Salter	....	digital compositor
Jelena Stojanovic	....	digital compositor
Wood Tom	....	2D operator
Daniel Walton	....	digital artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Alexander Vikhanski	....	director of photography: Christmas Films

Animation Department
Olga Anashkina	....	animator (as Olga Veselova)
Toni Ardolino	....	assistant animator
Terence Bannon	....	assistant animator
Mike Bell	....	key animator
Caroline Cole	....	assistant animator
Nataliya Dabizha	....	animator (as Natasha Dabizha)
Tass Darlington	....	layout artist
Peter Dodd	....	key animator
Julian Evert	....	assistant animator
Milana Fedoseyeva	....	animator
Alastair Fell	....	key animator
Chris Fenna	....	key animator
Peter Gambier	....	assistant animator
Claire Grey	....	key animator
Morgan Griffiths	....	assistant animator
Ken Hayes	....	assistant animator
Steve Hayne	....	assistant animator
Steve Hayne	....	key animator
Lee Huxtable	....	assistant animator
Vladimir Kadukhin	....	animator
John Lund	....	assistant animator
Nicola Marlborough	....	assistant animator
Ann Marriott	....	key animator
Roger McIntosh	....	key animator
Tatyana Molodova	....	animator (as Tanya Molodova)
Sergey Olifirenko	....	animator (as Sergei Olifirenko)
Thomas Petith	....	assistant animator (as Tom Petith)
Roger Phillips	....	key animator
Ashley Potter	....	background artist
Miriam Reid	....	assistant animator
Vince Reilly	....	assistant animator
José Solís	....	key animator
Alla Solovyova	....	animator
Nicolette van Gendt	....	key animator
Rick Villeneuve	....	key animator
Arjan Wilschut	....	key animator

Editorial Department
Mark Wright	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Paul Clarvis	....	musician: ethnic percussion
Anne Dudley	....	conductor
Anne Dudley	....	orchestrator
Karen Elliott	....	music supervisor
Andrew Findon	....	musician: flute (as Andy Findon)
Janice Graham	....	orchestra leader
Skaila Kanga	....	musician: harp
Nicolas Santos	....	choir boy soloist

Other crew
Paula-Louise Beaumont	....	additional dialogue artist
Richard Cadbury	....	additional dialogue artist
Brian Gear	....	additional dialogue artist
Richard Heneghan	....	additional dialogue artist
Yelena Livanova	....	executive art designer
Rex Plowman	....	additional dialogue artist
Andy Turvey	....	additional dialogue artist
William Vernon	....	additional dialogue artist
Jos Williams	....	additional dialogue artist

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• British Screen Productions
• Cartwn Cymru
• Christmas Films
• Icon Entertainment International
• Sianel 4 Cymru (S4C)

Distributors

• Indipendenti Regionali (2000) (Italy) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2000) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Bac Films (France)
• Clarence Pictures (Ireland)
• Divisa Home Video (2004-2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Icon Film Distribution (UK)
• Madman Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Moving Picture Company (MPC)

Other Companies

• BBC National Orchestra of Wales  orchestra
• London Oratory School Schola, The  music performed by (as The London Oratory School Schola - boys' choir)
• Metro Voices  choir
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting

Also Known As:

Gwr Y Gwyrthiau (UK: Welsh title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Russia | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | France:U | New Zealand:G | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The last film of Michael Bryant.

What Rankin Bass would do now with better $$ and smarts.

You remember all those Rankin-Bass holiday Specials from the 60s and 70s, Rudolph and Frosty and Easter things? Well, this is a throwback to them-but with a big budget, excellent voicers(Ray Fiennes, Richard E Grant, Julie Christie, Ian Holm, etc.), terrific animation, great heart.

I liked most of all the straightforward, reverent way in which they portrayed Christ, sure it's from the Gospels without much(if any) contemporary shading-but that is really what the material deserves, in my thinking. If you are going to do the Easter story, and his parables, show the 12 apostles and etc-then this is the way to go about it. I enjoyed the mix of stop motion and toon animation, esp in the parables. There was an interesting mixture of styles too-some looked folky, some looked outta Marvel Comix(whenever Judas saw Christ as some revolutionary figure, for example), some more cutting edge.

It didn't have the walking on water or Sermon on the Mount scenes, but did include Lazarus, a flashback to the nativity, healings and etc. I think they did the gospels proud here,and have done a very good job of it. This deserves to become a classic.

***1/2 outta ****----very good.