Charlotte Gray (2001)

Director:

Gillian Armstrong

Writers:

Sebastian Faulks (novel)
Jeremy Brock (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 February 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | War | Romance

Tagline:

The story of an ordinary woman in an extraordinary time.

Plot:

A young Scottish woman joins the French Resistance during World War II to rescue her Royal Air Force boyfriend who is lost in France.

Plot Keywords:

Scottish | Farm | France | French | French Resistance

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Charlotte Gray
James Fleet	...	Richard Cannerly
Abigail Cruttenden	...	Daisy
Charlotte McDougall	...	Sally
Rupert Penry-Jones	...	Peter Gregory (as Rupert Penry Jones)
Robert Hands	...	Borowski
Tom Goodman-Hill	...	Business Man at Party
Michael Fitzgerald	...	Business Man at Party
Hugh Ross	...	Psychiatrist
Martin Oldfield	...	Assault Course Instructor
Nicholas Farrell	...	Mr. Jackson
Mike Burnside	...	Morse Code Instructor
Damian Myerscough	...	Gun Instructor
Miranda Bell	...	Female Instructor
Angus Wright	...	Agent

Also Known As:

Liebe der Charlotte Gray, Die (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some war related violence, sensuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

UK | Australia | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Ecosse Films

Trivia:

The schoolteacher played by Anton Lesser was called "Benech" in the novel, but the small French town in which much of the movie was based had a popular mayor whose name was similar, so officials asked that the name be changed. He's called "Renech" in the final version.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the opening shot, a train carrying Charlotte to London is shown crossing a viaduct in the Scottish Highlands. The viaduct in question is the Glenfinnan viaduct, and in the distance you can see the Glenfinnan Monument to Bonny Prince Charlie. The train is clearly traveling North, away from London.

Quotes:

Psychiatrist: Of these three, which in your view is the most important: Faith, hope or love?
Charlotte Gray: Hope.

Movie Connections:

References I Walked with a Zombie (1943)

Soundtrack:

Black Eyed Susan Brown

Pretty, Boring Melodrama

"Charlotte Gray" is pretty, melodramatic claptrap.

I'm a fan of director Gillian Armstrong, but this is a long way from her Aussie feminist films "My Brilliant Career" and "High Tide."

No heart-tugging element of World War II is left out, including a heavy-handed Holocaust touch, but Cate Blanchett (the Sheryl Crow of movies for ubiquity lately) looks and talks pretty and gosh I'd go see square-jawed Billy Crudup in anything.

The packed audience of senior citizens talking away was certainly willing to be swept back to the way movies used to be made -- superficially entertaining with beautiful French and Scottish scenery.

(originally written 1/13/2002)